Paul Aherne
Partner
Hong Kong
Paul has extensive experience of debt financing transactions in Asia acting for financial institutions, private equity sponsors, investors and corporates.
He specialises in advising in relation to the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law aspects of fund finance, leveraged and acquisition finance, real estate finance, structured equity finance (including margin loans and equity derivatives), private credit, special situations and general secured and unsecured lending.
Paul is a member of our Global Finance & Corporate Group.
Extremely responsive and provides practical advice.
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Experience and recent work
Paul has practiced in Asia since 2007 when he joined the Banking Group of Allen & Overy’s Hong Kong office. During his time with Allen & Overy, Paul spent a year based in Allen & Overy’s Tokyo office.
Before moving to Asia, Paul trained at CMS Cameron McKenna in London, qualifying into their Leveraged and Acquisition Finance team in 2004. Prior to commencing his legal career, Paul worked for a global fund management firm based in the City of London.
Qualifications
Admitted in:
- Bermuda, Registered Associate
- British Virgin Islands
- England and Wales (not practising)
Education:
- Bachelor of Laws, Cardiff University
2025 Chambers Asia Pacific - Notable Pracitioner - "Paul Aherne is highly rated for his adept handling of corporate and financing transactions. He is regularly engaged by financial institutions and large corporations." "Paul is a trusted advisor who understands the structures we work with and is someone whom I could count on to deliver."
2024 Chambers Asia Pacific - Notable Pracitioner - "Paul is one of my go-to people on Cayman and BVI matters." "Paul is a very consistent advisor for offshore matters."
2023 Chambers Asia Pacific - Notable Pracitioner - "Paul Aherne is highly rated for his adept handling of corporate and financing transactions. He is regularly engaged by financial institutions and large corporations."
2023 Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Leading Individual - "Paul Aherne is a partner in the Finance Group, and is regarded for being technically strong in private credit and private equity."
2022 Chambers Global - Offshore - Notable Practitioner
2022 Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Leading Individual - "Paul Aherne is a key name for finance work and has a strong track record for complex financings involving detailed offshore structuring."
2022 Chambers Asia Pacific - Recommended - Offshore: Corporate & Finance including Investment Funds - "...highly rated for his adept handling of corporate and financing transactions. He is regularly engaged by financial institutions and large corporations. He receives high praise from the market and is noted by one source as a "very good operator."
2021 Chambers Asia Pacific - Notable Practitioner -"Paul Aherne handles corporate and financing transactions and is regularly engaged by financial institutions and large corporations. One client says: 'He is commercial and easy to work with. His services are excellent value for money.' "
2021 Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Leading Individual - "The 'commercial and highly technical' Paul Aherne has excellent connections with numerous major international banks, that are appreciative of his broad-ranging expertise, which includes handling structured equity financing transactions with borrowers, securities providers, and counterparties incorporated in BVI or Cayman Islands.
2020 Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific - Recognised Practitioner
2020 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyer:
"Paul Aherne has a 'broad perspective of the market' and is regularly at the forefront of the highest-profile mandates handled by the office, including his work for Deutsche Bank on the restructured financing to Noble Group and for Morgan Stanley on the financing of The Centre, one of Hong Kong's most prestigious commercial buildings."
2019 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyer:
"Noted by one client as 'the best offshore debt lawyer in the market'"
"The 'very commercial' Paul Aherne recently advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch as lead arranger on the US$3.6bn financing in support of the US$6.8bn take-private of Hong Kong-listed shoe retailer Belle International Holdings."
2018 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyer
2017 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyer:
"Paul Aherne is ‘energetic and bright’."
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