What Charltons does

Charltons is a Hong Kong-headquartered corporate finance law firm serving corporate clients, financial institutions, funds, and listed companies on transactional and regulatory mandates. The firm concentrates on capital markets, securities, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, fund formation, and emerging digital asset regulation. It operates from three offices in Hong Kong (headquarters), Beijing, and Shanghai, and is led by founding executive chair Julia Charlton. Charltons is a member of the Legalink international legal network, which supports its cross-border referral pipeline.

The firm's business model is fee-based legal services, with revenue generated from hourly billing, fixed transactional fees, and retainer arrangements for ongoing advisory work. Charltons positions itself as a specialist rather than a full-service firm, differentiating on depth in Hong Kong corporate finance law and regulatory matters rather than breadth across practice areas. The firm has invested in a content-led client acquisition strategy, with more than 730 newsletters, regular webinars, a podcast, and a YouTube channel.

In 2025, Charltons introduced re-domiciliation legal services to capture demand from Hong Kong's new statutory regime permitting overseas companies to redomicile, and continues to advise clients on virtual asset regulation across more than 20 jurisdictions. The firm was recognized in 2025 at the ALB Hong Kong Law Awards, ALB Pan Asian Regulatory Awards, Chambers, IFLR1000, and Legal 500. No revenue, headcount, or ownership structure is disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Charltons

Legal name

Charltons Limited

Website

https://charltonslaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charltons is a Hong Kong-based corporate finance law firm specializing in capital markets, securities, M&A, and fund formation. It serves corporates, financial institutions, funds, and digital asset ventures across its Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance Legal Services

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Corporate finance law
• Capital markets advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Securities regulation
• Fund formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Charltons generates revenue through providing legal advisory services in corporate finance, capital markets, M&A, securities regulation, private equity, funds, and virtual assets. Services are billed on a professional services basis, typically involving engagement letters, hourly rates or fixed fees for specific transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Charltons is a Hong Kong-based boutique corporate finance law firm providing legal advisory services in corporate finance and capital markets, M&A, securities and derivatives regulation, corporate and commercial matters, private equity and funds, and private wealth/trusts/family offices. The firm advises companies on HKEX listings, IPOs, cross-border M&A, SFC regulatory compliance, fund formation, and corporate redomiciliation to Hong Kong, serving clients through offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai.

Product overview

Charltons is a Hong Kong-based corporate finance law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services rather than a software product. The firm's services are organized into practice areas: Corporate Finance and Capital Markets, M&A (covering due diligence, public/private takeovers, cross-border transactions, and China-specific deals), Regulatory/Securities/Derivatives advisory, Corporate and Commercial services (including company redomiciliation), Private Equity and Funds, and Private Wealth/Trusts/Family Offices. The firm also publishes newsletters, webinars, podcasts, and legal publications covering Hong Kong law topics. All services are legal advisory offerings, not technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Finance and Capital Markets Legal Services Legal advisory services for corporate finance and capital markets transactions, including listings, secondary offerings, and market transactions on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Legal Services Comprehensive M&A legal services covering due diligence, public takeovers, private M&A, cross-border M&A, reverse takeovers, mineral company M&A, and China M&A transactions.
• Regulatory, Securities and Derivatives Advisory Advisory on Hong Kong securities law, listing rules, insurance company regulation, and PRC securities law compliance.
• Corporate and Commercial Legal Services Services including company redomiciliation to Hong Kong, company law advisory, and corporate restructuring.
• Private Equity and Funds Legal Services Legal advisory on investment funds (China, offshore, and Hong Kong), private equity investments, and hedge fund investments.
• Private Wealth, Trusts and Family Offices Services Advisory on family offices, trust establishment and management in Hong Kong, and comprehensive financial services for high net worth families.
• Re-domiciliation Legal Services Full legal support for foreign companies transferring incorporation to Hong Kong under the new statutory regime introduced in 2025, including jurisdictional due diligence, structuring advice, documentation preparation, and regulator liaison.
• Virtual Assets Law and Regulation Advisory Legal advisory on virtual assets law and regulation across multiple jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and other virtual asset-friendly jurisdictions.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LegalinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharltons participates in Legalink, an international network of law firms. The firm attends Legalink Spring General Meeting (e.g., Budapest meeting mentioned in news), suggesting membership in a global legal referral and cooperation network.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• King & Wood Mallesons: Leading Asia-headquartered law firm with deep HK and China corporate finance, capital markets, and M&A capabilities. A natural competitor for Charltons on China-related HKEX listings and cross-border transactions.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom: Leading US law firm with a renowned Hong Kong office specializing in HKEX listings and cross-border M&A. Closely overlapped practice footprint with Charltons in capital markets advisory.
• Latham & Watkins: Global law firm with a strong Hong Kong corporate finance and M&A practice. Competes with Charltons on HKEX listings and PE/VC investment matters, with greater bench depth and international reach.
• Freshfields: Magic Circle firm with strong Hong Kong corporate finance and M&A capabilities. Active in HKEX listings and cross-border deals, competing with Charltons for higher-end mandates.
• Linklaters: Magic Circle firm with a major Hong Kong corporate finance practice covering HKEX listings, M&A, and capital markets. Competes with Charltons for HK and cross-border mandates but operates at much larger scale across multiple practice areas.
• Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman): Major international firm with established Hong Kong corporate finance and capital markets practice. Competes with Charltons on HKEX listings and M&A, with broader global resources.
• Davis Polk & Wardwell: Top-tier US law firm active in Hong Kong capital markets and M&A, particularly for US-listed Hong Kong companies and dual listings. Competes with Charltons for high-end HK and cross-border corporate finance mandates.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Leading global law firm for private equity and M&A with a substantial Hong Kong office. Overlaps with Charltons' PE and investment funds practice, particularly for cross-border China deals.
• Clifford Chance: Magic Circle firm with a significant Hong Kong office advising on HKEX listings, M&A, and securities regulation. Directly competes with Charltons in HK capital markets but offers a much broader global platform.

Direct peers

• Slaughter and May: Elite Hong Kong-headquartered corporate finance law firm with deep HKEX listing and M&A practices. Directly comparable to Charltons as a leading advisor on HK capital markets transactions, public takeovers, and securities regulation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@charltons-law
• Facebookfacebook.com/charltons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charltons-law/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/charltonslaw
• Xx.com/Charltonslaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charltons