Sweet sound of a roaring economy

The roar of the Asian Tiger economies is music to the ears of law firm Pinsent Masons.

Its teams in the UK and Asia Pacific are making the most of the surge in corporate activity from the region.

More and more Chinese companies in particular are turning to London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) as the favoured platform for raising their international profile and winning investor backing.

Pinsent Masons' corporate finance specialists in the UK have now advised on the admission to AIM of three Chinese companies.

In the latest deal the firm acted for broker, Hanson Westhouse, on the admission to AIM of HaiKe Chemical Group, with a market capitalisation of #30.6 million.

HaiKe is a petrochemical and chemical business whose principal products are petrol and diesel oil produced through refining operations.

The same Pinsent Masons team acted for ReneSola – said to be China's most dynamic solar energy company – on its AIM admission last year. The success of ReneSola's flotation is demonstrated by its market capitalisation of #484.5 million – a stellar rise. This runaway performance earned ReneSola the accolade of IPO of the Year in January.

Pinsent Masons also acted for Sinosoft Technology, a leading developer and provider of software and IT solutions to Chinese regional and national government agencies, on its admission to AIM last spring with a market capitalisation of #28 million.

With more than 40 lawyers on the ground in the Asia Pacific region, including a team in Beijing, Pinsent Masons believes it is also well placed to handle corporate work. Pinsent Masons' UK corporate partner and AIM specialist, Jon Harris, said: "AIM's more relaxed regulatory regime and entry level costs have made it an increasingly attractive market for overseas companies seeking to raise funds.

"Fast-expanding Chinese businesses who desire the market recognition that comes from a public quote and investor support are part of this trend. While competitor markets such as Nasdaq operate under stringent regulatory codes, AIM will continue to win market newcomers."