Alan Wong

Biography

Languages - English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Jurisdictions - Hong Kong, England & Wales

Alan is a regulatory lawyer who regularly advises clients with innovative ideas in the FinTech industry, including virtual asset-related businesses (such as SFC-regulation, HKMA-regulated stablecoins projects, and token offering projects), the launch of new financial products, money lending or factoring arrangements, collaborations between financial institutions, cross-border payment services and digital debt collection platforms. He has assisted in the structuring of various businesses and provided commercially viable solutions.

Alan also assists financial institutions, authorised institutions (banks and digital banks), money lenders, payment companies and custodians with a wide range of legal issues, including advising on laws and regulations on securities and futures, banking, loans and financing arrangements, cross-border payments, stored-value facility, money lending, data privacy, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, virtual assets and stablecoins, and custodian services.

Clients appreciate Alan’s ability to act swiftly and think commercially, positioning him as a key player in the regulatory field. His dual qualification as a solicitor in Hong Kong and England and Wales further enhances his capability to provide cross-jurisdictional advice, making him a sought-after advisor in the FinTech and banking sectors.

Alan is well-liked by clients for the efficient and professional legal services he provides. He actively participates in the discussions of latest trends and market overview by speaking on the leading industry conferences and events in Hong Kong.

Experience

Stablecoin issuance projects

Assisted in the structuring of the underlying legal arrangements supporting the operation of a stablecoin project, including providing continuous support to one of the HKMA's stablecoin issuer sandbox participants throughout their stablecoin-journey.
Cross-border payment companies

Provided legal and regulatory with innovative payment companies with virtual account and corporate credit card functions, including advising on implementing new technology (including stablecoins) as part of the payment company's payment structure, structuring their international businesses to cover Hong Kong customers, and advising on open/embedded finance collaboration with other institutions.
Authorised institutions (banks and digital banks)

Regularly advised different banks and digital banks on different legal and regulatory issues arising from new products and services, including new loan products, time-deposits, FX services and products, cross-border remittance services, overseas customer onboarding services, policy financing services, credit referencing services, etc.

Securities firms and asset managers

Advised various securities firms and asset managers in relation to their regulatory requirements, including preparing their client facing documents, advising on the professional investor regime, disclosure of benefit requirements, complex products and risk factors and third party payment and AML requirements.
Token offering and virtual asset transactions

Advised on legality and the securities nature of tokens, and provided guidance on the applicable licensing and registration requirements for offering the tokens in Hong Kong. Assisted client in structuring financial transactions involving virtual assets and granting loans in stablecoins.
Import and export service company

Assisted in structuring a factoring and moneylending collaboration between an import/export service company and a licensed money lender to facilitate payments by shipping companies.