Speaker Bios
Richard I. Anslow, Partner, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
Richard I. Anslow, a member of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole, is a senior corporate and securities attorney whose practice focuses on domestic and international securities, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate representation. He represents a variety of public and private company issuers, investors, and investment banks.
David W. Boral, Chief Executive Officer, D. Boral Capital
David W. Boral is the Chief Executive Officer of D. Boral Capital and he founded the firm in May of 2020.
Prior to D. Boral Capital, David held several leadership positions in the Investment Banking and Capital Markets industry. His 16 years of expertise spans both public and private transactions including IPOs, Secondaries / Follow-on Offerings, SPACs, PIPEs, Reverse Mergers, M&A, Bankruptcy / Restructurings, Cross Listings, and other private and public offerings in the US and abroad. Most recently, David was Co-Head of Investment Banking / Managing Director at Aegis Capital Corp, and prior to that, he was a Director in the Investment Banking Division at Maxim Group.
In addition to his work at D. Boral Capital, David is dedicated to improving the world around him, specifically the lives of children and veterans. He currently serves on the advisory board for Keep A Child Alive, a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare, housing, and other support services to HIV/AIDS-affected communities in Africa and India. Additionally, David serves on the board for Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, which was founded by Princess Katherine to reduce and relieve the suffering of physically and mentally disabled children, orphans, the elderly as well as to improve medical facilities in Serbia. He also partners with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Heroes Among Us, and Project Rousseau through corporate sponsorships.
Drew Bernstein, Co-Chair, Marcum Asia CPAs LLC
Drew Bernstein is the Co-Chairman of MarcumAsia, initially co-founder of Bernstein & Pinchuk, a PCAOB registered accounting firm that has been providing SEC audit and advisory services to Asian companies since 1983. The firm is a member of the Marcum Group and an affiliate of Marcum LLP, a leading U.S. accounting and advisory firm. The combined firm is one of the largest middle market accounting firms servicing Asia-based, US publicly traded companies.
Karen Cheung, Partner, Head of Consumer & Retail, BDA Partners
Karen Cheung is a Partner at BDA Partners, a premier investment banking firm with a strong focus on cross-border M&A and private capital advisory across Asia. With 20 years of experience in M&A, Karen has played a pivotal role in advising leading corporations, financial sponsors, and family-owned businesses on complex transactions across Asia Pacific.
Inez Chew, Director, ActiveDisclosure with Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN)
Inez Chew is the Director of ActiveDisclosure with Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) in the Asia-Pacific region. With over a decade of experience in technology adoption, she has successfully guided a diverse range of companies—from early-stage startups to multinational private and public enterprises—in establishing robust policies, automating workflows, and developing tech-enabled strategies to navigate evolving corporate governance and disclosure requirements.
Inez specializes in collaborating with Foreign Private Issuers (FPIs) in preparing for U.S. initial public offerings (IPOs) and public listings to establish technology-driven processes in conjunction with their advisors, while enhancing financial reporting and SEC compliance readiness.
Raymond Choy, CPA, CGMA, Partner, Beyond Century Consulting, LLC
Raymond Choy is one of the co-founders at Beyond Century Consulting, LLC and has over 20 years of experience in public accounting with a particular emphasis on SEC public company auditing and reporting. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Raymond specializes in SEC reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) 404 Compliance and Financial Due Diligence. He values his clients and provides financial advices to help them comply with SEC financial regulations, SOX 404 regulations and other compliance services. Raymond has many years working with public companies, providing auditing, advisory, accounting and financial due diligence services. He also assists his clients in getting listed on major stock exchange markets in the United States, such as the NYSE and the NASDAQ. Raymond also has considerable experience in various management accounting services, such as acting as interim CFO or controller for his clients while these positions were vacant. Raymond is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Crocker Coulson, CEO, AUM Advisors Inc
Crocker is an award-winning investor relations and corporate communications advisor with two decades of experience helping public and private companies access the capital markets and complete major acquisitions and business transformations. He has worked with senior leaders of over 100 companies across various industries, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 scale enterprises. His firm, AUM Advisors, provides advisory services in capital markets, investor relations, financial reporting, and corporate communications, with a strong focus on companies from Asia going public in the U.S. via IPO or SPAC merger.
David E. Danovitch, Partner, Sullivan & Worcester LLP
David is the managing partner of Sullivan's New York office, where he is also director of the Corporate Department and co-heads the Firm’s Asia practice. He has extensive cross-border transaction experience representing issuers, broker-dealers and investment funds in financings, capital markets transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. David's clients span a variety of industries and his practice includes such matters as general corporate governance, securities regulation, mergers and acquisitions, and financings, and has defended numerous government enforcement actions. He also maintains several securities industry licenses, including the Series 24 (Registered Principal), Series 7 (General Securities), Series 79 (Investment Banking), and Series 99 (Operations), which gives him a unique insight into the challenges facing regulated firms.
Frank Giglio, CEO, Hong Kong, BNY Mellon
Based in Hong Kong, Frank Giglio oversees new business development and client relationship management. He is also a member the APAC Leadership Council.
Giglio joined BNY Mellon in April 2016 as director of depository receipts in the APAC region.
Previously, Mr. Giglio was general manager for APAC for Nasdaq. He has been based in the region since 2010.
Edric Yi Guo, Chief Executive Officer & Head of Investment Banking, Univest Securities, LLC
Edric Yi Guo is a visionary leader in global investment banking. As one of the most prolific and influential investment bankers spanning the Asia-Pacific and North American markets, Mr. Guo has spearheaded transactions exceeding $1 billion across a diverse range of financial vehicles, including private placements, IPOs, follow-on offerings, SPACs, and M&A.
Under his leadership, Univest Securities has transformed into a full-service global financial powerhouse, integrating investment banking, equity and debt capital markets, as well as institutional and high-net-worth sales & trading. His strategic vision and execution have positioned the firm as a premier platform for cross-border capital flow and high-impact financial solutions.
With over a decade of expertise in investment banking and capital markets, Mr. Guo is renowned for his ability to navigate complex financial landscapes, structure innovative deals, and drive significant value for issuers, investors, and institutions. His deep understanding of both Western and Asian financial ecosystems makes him a sought-after advisor and dealmaker at the intersection of international finance.
Jacken He, Partner, Assurance Services, MarcumAsia
Jacken He specializes in audit services for multinational groups. He has worked with audit teams in more than 20 countries to provide professional services for many listed companies in the United States and China (including mainland China and Hong Kong).
Before joining MarcumAsia, Mr. He worked in KPMG China and the KPMG global headquarters in the Netherlands in the international business department for more than eight years. He has helped large multinational groups and unicorn companies (such as Accenture, DJI, and PCCW) operating in Europe and Africa and with market entry in the Americas.
Mr. He has a deep understanding of cross-border cultural and commercial differences. As a member of the European China Business Department, he has an outstanding performance in coordinating and helping Chinese enterprises in overseas audits, taxation, and mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. He is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.
Stephanie (Mengjie) Hu, Co-Head of Investment Banking, D. Boral Capital
Stephanie (Mengjie) Hu has been the Head of Asia of D. Boral Capital since May of 2023, previously serving as Vice President, Asia Investment banking at D. Boral Capital since she joined the firm in November of 2021.
Stephanie has over 9 years of investment banking and financial services experience. She has completed over 100 transactions across a wide universe of industries, representing over $3.5 billion in aggregate value, and she has participated in multiple product offerings including IPOs, Follow-ons / Secondaries, PIPEs, Private Placement, Uplistings (Re-IPO), Reverse Mergers, Registered Directs, CMPOs, ATMs, SPACs and M&As. Her focus is primarily on serving the financial needs of Asian emerging growth and middle market companies in a variety of industries.
Stephanie holds a Master’s degree in Finance from University of Rochester, and she is bilingual in English and Mandarin.
Alex Jin, Managing Director, Maxim Group
Mr. Jin has over 10 years of investment banking experience focusing on emerging growth companies in Greater China. Mr. Jin has participated in over $2 billion worth of transactions, including IPO, SPAC, Follow-on, RD/CMPO, Private Placement and M&A. Mr. Jin currently spearheads Maxim’s China practice and has been instrumental in propelling firm’s practice to a industry leading position. Prior to joining Maxim Group, Mr. Jin was with Global Hunter Securities, where he focused on executing China-based transactions. Prior to Global Hunter Securities, Mr. Jin began his investment banking career at Sterne Agee & Leach. Mr. Jin holds an MBA and B.A. from the University of California, Riverside. He is bilingual in English and Mandarin. Mr. Jin holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 79 Registrations.
Joshua Kaufman, Co-Chair, Capital Markets & Public Company Advisory Group, DLA Piper
Josh Kaufman of DLA Piper is a commercially oriented corporate counselor who advises high-growth businesses on financing pathways, strategic development, and transformational transactions. He specializes in cross-border matters, advising leading innovative companies in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Mr. Kaufman represents US and foreign private issuers and underwriters in various public offerings and private placements, primarily in the life sciences and technology. He has advised on more than 200 financing transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $100 billion. Mr. Kaufman represents clients before the Securities and Exchange Commission and advises on corporate governance and general corporate and commercial matters.
Mellissa Kong, Director, Asia, AUM Advisors
Mellissa has over 10 years of experience in investor relations and corporate finance advisory. She has advised many Greater China companies to seek acquisition targets and attract strategic partners and investors from abroad. She has extensive experience working with financial sponsors and corporate management teams in the consumer, supply-chain, medical device, and TMT sectors. Mellissa completed her undergraduate studies at Baruch College, CUNY, and received her MS in Global Finance from NYU Stern. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay.
Albert Li, CFO, Tim Hortons Coffee China
Mr. Li has more than 20 years’ management experience in public accounting, investment banking and corporate finance, he currently serves as the chief financial officer of TH International Limited, the parent company of the exclusive master franchisees of Tim Hortons coffee shops in China listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange (NASDAQ: THCH). Mr. Li obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting from School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Mr. Li is a member of the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, and a member of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Ying Li, Partner, Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li
Ms. Ying Li is a Partner at the New York office and the head of the Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li Asia Practice. Ms. Li focuses her practice in the areas of corporate finance, corporate, and securities law. She assists public and private companies in their corporate transactions, including securitizations, banking, public financings, international market financings, cross-border acquisitions, and other general matters. Ms. Li’s clients include biotech companies, software developers, FINRA registered broker/dealers and other companies involved in the financial sector, SPACs, pharmaceutical companies, real estate developers, manufacturing companies, high net worth individuals, and a number of small businesses.
Eric Luo, Founding Partner, JS Capital
Mr. Luo founded JS Capital in 2013, establishing the firm as a trusted partner for Asia-Pacific SMEs seeking cross-border capital solutions. Under his leadership, the firm has provided comprehensive cooperate finance services, including IPO/SPAC listing, regulatory compliance advisory, financing solutions, M&A transactions, financial forensic analysis, and the implementation of anti-fraud systems, as well as strategic restructuring for compliance with US/HK/China listing requirements.
Before establishing JS Capital, Mr. Luo's expertise, spanning over a decade, was honed through key positions at international accounting firms and fund management companies. He is acknowledged as a corporate finance specialist, an expert in SEC reporting, and a seasoned architect of listing compliance. His proficiency in these areas reflects his profound understanding of financial regulations and his adeptness at navigating the complexities of corporate finance and securities law.
Kamal Masud, CFA, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Roth Capital Partners
Kamal Masud is a Managing Director, Investment Banking at ROTH. Prior to joining Roth Capital Partners, he gained valuable experience during his 9-year tenure at Salman Capital Investments, a boutique brokerage and asset management firm in Pakistan. During his time there, Mr. Masud successfully managed a $20 million equity portfolio, with a primary focus on banking stocks in Pakistan and the Middle East.
Before his role at Salman Capital Investments, he held the position of Managing Director of Corporate Development at the Jim Pattison Group, which is recognized as one of the largest private companies in Canada.
Mr. Masud completed his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, earning a B.A. degree in Political Science. He further pursued his education and obtained an M.B.A. degree from the University of California, Irvine. Additionally, Mr. Masud is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of Orange County.
Kester Shing Joe Ng, CEO, Managing Partner, GRE Investment Advisors
Over his career, Mr. Ng has completed more than 100 IPOs, pre-IPOs, and equity-linked transactions, raising over US$100 billion across major global stock exchanges, including Hong Kong, NYSE, NASDAQ, London, and Singapore. Notably, he led the US$22 billion dual-listed NYSE and HKEx IPO of Agricultural Bank of China in 2010, the largest IPO globally at the time.
He was Co-CEO of U.S. listed BSAQ (Black Spade Acquisition), where he played a pivotal role in its US$23 billion business combination and IPO with VinFast Auto in August 2023. He is currently Co-CEO of BSII (Black Spade Acquisition II) which is NASDAQ listed.
In addition, Mr. Ng is the CEO of GRE Investment Advisors Limited, a Hong Kong Securities & Futures Commission (SFC)-licensed firm specializing in private equity investment advisory and asset management services for institutional investors, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and family offices. GRE holds Type 4 (Advising on Securities) and Type 9 (Asset Management) licenses, providing comprehensive investment solutions.
Before transitioning to asset management, Mr. Ng had an extensive career in investment banking. He was Chairman and Head of Equity Capital & Derivatives Markets for Asia Pacific (including Japan and Australia) at J.P. Morgan, where he spearheaded capital-raising initiatives, including IPOs, equity-linked offerings, and pre-IPO transactions. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and Head of Greater China Capital Markets at Merrill Lynch, working across London, Sydney, New York and Hong Kong. Prior to Merrill Lynch, he also worked at Goldman Sachs Capital Markets division in London and Hong Kong.
Mr. Ng has also held key regulatory and governance positions, including serving as a board director of J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited and J.P. Morgan Broking (Hong Kong) Limited. He has previously been a Hong Kong SFC Responsible Officer and a Hong Kong Monetary Authority Executive Officer.
Mitchell S. Nussbaum, Co-Chair, Loeb & Loeb LLP
Mitch Nussbaum focuses on representing emerging growth companies and investment banks in initial public offerings of operating companies and SPACs, follow-on public offerings, shelf takedowns, registered direct placements, PIPEs and other private placements (144A, Reg D, Reg A, Reg S, etc.). Mitch also regularly represents public companies regarding their SEC and NYSE or Nasdaq listing compliance and has acted as outside general counsel, including corporate, securities, M&A litigation and business counseling, to hundreds of private and public companies as well as their officers and directors. He also negotiates and documents acquisitions, mergers, going-private transactions, reverse mergers, proxy contests, tender offers, control contests, fund formations and secured lending financings and has represented issuers and underwriters in hundreds of SPAC public offerings and business combinations for over 20 years. Mitch was responsible for developing the groundbreaking IPAC, which features many of the benefits of the SPAC, but offers increased flexibility on pricing and deal structure, along with a more rapid transaction cycle.
According to the IPO Vital Signs league tables, in most of the past 10 years, Mitch has been ranked as one of the top five attorneys in the country based on the number of public offerings he has completed on behalf of issuers or underwriters. Mitch has also been named among the top attorneys in the areas of corporate and M&A law in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Joy Pan, Partner, MarcumAsia CPAs LLC
Joy Pan is a Senior Partner at MarcumAsia. Joy provides audit and advisory services to private companies, publicly traded companies, and companies looking to go public. She has more than 20 years of experience in accounting, taxation, and auditing, and has assisted clients in a variety of industries with SEC filings, including initial public offerings, debt and equity offerings.
Joy has significant experience advising clients on complex accounting matters including revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, income tax accounting, and inventory valuation. Her clients at Marcum, and previously at a “Big Four” firm, have included multinational companies, as well as early stage pre-IPO entities in the electronics, software, manufacturing, entertainment, semiconductor,and technology industries.
Matt Roberts, Asia Head of Corporate, Maples and Calder LLP
Matt is Head of Corporate, Asia and a partner in the Hong Kong office at Maples and Calder, the Maples Group's law firm. He specialises in advising financial institutions, publicly listed and private companies, asset managers and promoters on mergers and acquisitions, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), private equity, joint ventures, reorganisations, corporate governance and capital markets (including initial public offerings, secondary offerings and preferred share financings). Matt also has significant experience in advising on the establishment, structuring and restructuring of offshore investment funds at all stages of their life cycle.
Based in Hong Kong since 2011, Matt previously worked in the Cayman Islands, Singapore and Australia. He is consistently listed as a leading offshore lawyer in all major legal directories including Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific, The Legal 500 and IFLR1000. He was recently selected as one of the "Top Offshore Lawyers" by Asia Business Law Journal 2024, a "2024-25 & 2023-2024 Visionary", and one of "China’s Elite 100 Foreign lawyers" by China Business Law Journal. Matt regularly lectures to professional bodies and is also a regular contributor to professional journals and other industry publications.
Brandon Sun, Managing Director, Head of SPAC Investment Banking, Cohen & Company Capital Markets
Brandon is one of the longest-serving SPAC bankers on Wall Street and is the Head of SPAC Investment Banking at Cohen & Company. Over the course of his 13 year investment banking career, Brandon has completed more than 120 initial public offerings (with most being left-led offerings) raising over $45bn in equity capital. More importantly, he has announced / closed over 130 de-SPACs and M&A offerings (mostly as lead or sole financial advisor), representing more than $210bn in combined enterprise value.
James Tunkey QRD CFE MBA, Chief Operating Officer – New York & Americas, I-OnAsia
Mr. Tunkey is I-OnAsia’s group Chief Operating Officer and head of the Americas offices since 2004.
Mr. Tunkey is an experienced risk management executive and Qualified Risk Director. He helps I-OnAsia’s C-suite clients take advantage of global growth opportunities by performing due diligence. Mr. Tunkey supports new IPO and SPAC issuers on US and foreign exchanges, corporate offices and venture funds, accountants and legal advisors.
Mr. Tunkey is a Certified Fraud Examiner. He specializes in white collar investigations that have a link to Asia.
Lawrence Venick, Managing Partner, Hong Kong and Beijing Offices, Loeb & Loeb LLP
Lawrence Venick is a corporate and securities lawyer focusing his practice on U.S. capital markets transactions and U.S. issues involving Hong Kong listings. Lawrence advises companies on a broad range of corporate and securities matters, including corporate governance responsibilities, SEC disclosure obligations, and stock market listing and compliance requirements. Lawrence currently splits his time between Loeb & Loeb’s Hong Kong and Beijing offices. He serves as the managing partner of the Hong Kong office and is the chief legal representative of the Beijing office.
Wei Wang, Partner, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
Wei Wang, a member of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, represents domestic and international companies in corporate and securities matters with a focus on Chinese private and public companies. Born and raised in China and bilingual in Mandarin and English, Ms. Wang bridges cultural gaps with practical, business-oriented advice and helps China-based companies reach their corporate objectives.
Ms. Wang focuses on representing private companies in China in their initial public offerings (IPOs) in the U.S., helping clients navigate the SEC review process and complexities associated with listings on the stock exchanges.
Perrie M. Weiner, Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP
Perrie is a prominent securities litigation attorney with over 30 years of experience, renowned for his unwavering commitment to providing top-tier service and delivering exceptional results. He currently serves as the Partner-in-Charge of Baker McKenzie's Los Angeles office, and holds the esteemed position of Chair for the Firm's North America Securities Litigation Group. Perrie's experience centers around securities class action and shareholder derivative litigation, as well as SEC enforcement matters. He is highly regarded as the "go-to advocate" for hedge funds navigating complex suits and CEOs facing off against the US Securities and Exchange Commission, earning accolades from prestigious legal publications such as Law 360.
Mengyi “Jason” Ye, Co-chair of the firm’s Asia Practice, Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP
Jason concentrates his practice on cross-border corporate and capital market transactions and has represented many domestic and international companies, investment banks and institutional investors on transactions including initial and secondary public offerings, alternative public offerings, and private placements.
Widely recognized as one of the most active attorneys in the space, Jason also regularly represents public companies, particularly those based in Asia, regarding their NYSE or Nasdaq initial listing and post-listing compliance. Jason also advises public companies on general corporate governance and federal filing requirements under the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration statements on Form S-1 or F-1, current reports on Form 8-K or 6-K, annual reports on Form 10-K or 20-F, quarterly reports on 10-Q, and Section 13, 14 and 16 filings.
Er (Arila) Zhou, Partner, Robinson+Cole
Er (Arila) Zhou represents special purpose acquisition corporations, emerging growth companies, funds and investment banks, with an emphasis on private and public transactions in relation to a broad range of corporate, private equity, capital markets, securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance matters. Arila is a member of our firm’s Business Transactions group and co-leads our Capital Markets + Securities team.
Mark A. Zagotti, Chief Compliance Officer | Investment Banking Executive | Regulatory Strategist, Cathay Securities, Inc.
Mark A. Zagotti is a veteran financial executive with 25+ years of experience in broker-dealer operations, compliance, and investment banking. As CCO of Cathay Securities, Inc. and CEO of Next Gen Advisors, LLC, he leads regulatory strategy and supervision in complex environments.
Renowned for his pragmatic leadership and hands-on approach, he serves as a trusted advisor and regulatory architect to C-suite executives. He holds multiple principal licenses (Series 24, 4, 53) and has previously worked with firms like Equitable Advisors, AXA, and MML Investors Services.
Mark also runs Z Force, LLC, offering compliance consulting to broker-dealers and RIAs. Beyond compliance, he’s deeply engaged in trading, capital markets, and deal negotiation—bringing a dynamic edge to financial leadership.