Published by Gbaf News
Posted on May 6, 2017
6 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Addition of Serena Tan highlights continued expansion of the firm in Hong Kong following other recent partner hires
Morrison &Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Serena Tan has joined the firm’s Hong Kong office as partner in its Corporate Group. A native Mandarin speaker, Ms. Tan comes to the firm from Debevoise& Plimpton bringing strong expertise in fund formation and fund management. Her joining Morrison &Foerster also further builds on the firm’s recent expansion in Hong Kong.
Ms. Tan represents a wide range of sponsors and investors in the formation, structuring and related activities of buyout funds, growth capital funds, venture capital funds, co-investment vehicles, and other alternative investment funds. She also advises fund sponsors on carried interest plans, joint venture arrangements, and related internal governance matters. Ms. Tan has nearly 10 years’ experience advising on fund and corporate matters in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. She is admitted to the New York Bar and passed the PRC Bar Exam in 2005.
“I am delighted that Serena is the second funds partner in the last 18 months to join us in Hong Kong following in the footsteps of Jason Nelms,” said Marcia Ellis, Co-Head of Asia Private Equity and a corporate partner in Morrison &Foerster’s Hong Kong office. “Serena’s arrival strengthens our already strong global private investment funds practice. I am confident that her addition will be central to enhancing the firm’s ability to advise sponsors and investors in Asia.”
Venantius Tan, managing partner of Morrison &Foerster’s Hong Kong office, added: “Serena’s arrival further underscores our momentum in Hong Kong. She is the third lateral corporate partner to join the office in less than a year as we have also recently welcomed Chuan Sun and Vivian Yiu. As a native Mandarin speaker and having passed the PRC Bar Exam, Serena is also a great addition to the mix of our more than 40 U.S., Hong Kong, PRC, and English-qualified attorneys, the majority of whom are fully bilingual. Her addition is also hot off the heels of the recent promotions of Hong Kong-based Amit Katariaand Matthew Lau to partnership, in corporate and tax respectively.”
Ms. Tan’s recent notable transactions include representing a China-focused private equity firm in its formation of a China buyout fund in excess of US$2 billion, a U.S. private equity firm in its formation of a RMB-denominated buyout and growth capital fund in excess of RMB¥2 billion, a China-focused private equity firm in its formation of a China buyout and growth capital fund in excess of US$2 billion, one of the largest Chinese insurance companies in its investments in multiple private equity funds, and one of the largest U.S.-listed companies in its investment in multiple private equity funds.
“Morrison &Foerster’s market-leading fund formation practice, combined with its commitment to Hong Kong and the wider Asia market, made it a very attractive proposition for me to join the firm,” Ms. Tan said. “I look forward to working closely with Jason Nelms in the Hong Kong office and other members of Morrison &Foerster’s global private investment funds practice to contribute to the success of the practice, and help grow the firm’s strong reputation in Asia.”
Ms. Tan holds an LL.B and an LL.M from Fudan University School of Law, Shanghai, and an LL.M from Harvard Law School.
Addition of Serena Tan highlights continued expansion of the firm in Hong Kong following other recent partner hires
Morrison &Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Serena Tan has joined the firm’s Hong Kong office as partner in its Corporate Group. A native Mandarin speaker, Ms. Tan comes to the firm from Debevoise& Plimpton bringing strong expertise in fund formation and fund management. Her joining Morrison &Foerster also further builds on the firm’s recent expansion in Hong Kong.
Ms. Tan represents a wide range of sponsors and investors in the formation, structuring and related activities of buyout funds, growth capital funds, venture capital funds, co-investment vehicles, and other alternative investment funds. She also advises fund sponsors on carried interest plans, joint venture arrangements, and related internal governance matters. Ms. Tan has nearly 10 years’ experience advising on fund and corporate matters in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. She is admitted to the New York Bar and passed the PRC Bar Exam in 2005.
“I am delighted that Serena is the second funds partner in the last 18 months to join us in Hong Kong following in the footsteps of Jason Nelms,” said Marcia Ellis, Co-Head of Asia Private Equity and a corporate partner in Morrison &Foerster’s Hong Kong office. “Serena’s arrival strengthens our already strong global private investment funds practice. I am confident that her addition will be central to enhancing the firm’s ability to advise sponsors and investors in Asia.”
Venantius Tan, managing partner of Morrison &Foerster’s Hong Kong office, added: “Serena’s arrival further underscores our momentum in Hong Kong. She is the third lateral corporate partner to join the office in less than a year as we have also recently welcomed Chuan Sun and Vivian Yiu. As a native Mandarin speaker and having passed the PRC Bar Exam, Serena is also a great addition to the mix of our more than 40 U.S., Hong Kong, PRC, and English-qualified attorneys, the majority of whom are fully bilingual. Her addition is also hot off the heels of the recent promotions of Hong Kong-based Amit Katariaand Matthew Lau to partnership, in corporate and tax respectively.”
Ms. Tan’s recent notable transactions include representing a China-focused private equity firm in its formation of a China buyout fund in excess of US$2 billion, a U.S. private equity firm in its formation of a RMB-denominated buyout and growth capital fund in excess of RMB¥2 billion, a China-focused private equity firm in its formation of a China buyout and growth capital fund in excess of US$2 billion, one of the largest Chinese insurance companies in its investments in multiple private equity funds, and one of the largest U.S.-listed companies in its investment in multiple private equity funds.
“Morrison &Foerster’s market-leading fund formation practice, combined with its commitment to Hong Kong and the wider Asia market, made it a very attractive proposition for me to join the firm,” Ms. Tan said. “I look forward to working closely with Jason Nelms in the Hong Kong office and other members of Morrison &Foerster’s global private investment funds practice to contribute to the success of the practice, and help grow the firm’s strong reputation in Asia.”
Ms. Tan holds an LL.B and an LL.M from Fudan University School of Law, Shanghai, and an LL.M from Harvard Law School.
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