36th AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum

Morrison Foerster is proud to once again sponsor the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum, the most influential and largest gathering of private equity and venture professionals in Asia. The four-day conference will be held in a hybrid format in Hong Kong this year, where MoFo partners Marcia Ellis, Nozomi Oda, and Steven Tran will moderate panel discussions to explore ESG integration, the Asia middle market, and delve into the landscapes of Southeast Asia and Japan.

ESG Summit | What to expect in 2024: Creating Value by Integrating ESG in Investment and Asset Management Practices

November 13, 2023, 11:45-12:30

Moderated by Marcia Ellis, Global Co-Chair of Private Equity Practice at Morrison Foerster, this panel will be joined by Frankie Fang, Founding Managing Partner at Starquest Capital; Amy Fong, COO at FountainVest Partners; Queenie Ho, Partner at Affinity Equity Partners; and Lincoln Pan, Partner at PAG. The speakers will discuss key findings in Morrison Foerster and AVCJ’s Asia Funds ESG Survey 2023 and explore the following topics.

• How are GPs and their portfolio companies managing the onslaught of ESG regulations and taking advantage of value creation opportunities for themselves and their portfolio companies?
• How have GPs worked with their portfolio companies to ensure that they are both reducing and accurately measuring their carbon emissions so that they are prepared for competing for business in a world where value chain due diligence will make lower carbon emissions a prerequisite to winning business?
• In Europe and North America, there is a lot of discussion about “responsible tech.” Is this a concept that applies in Asia? Will North American and European LPs and customers of portfolio companies push for its application in Asia? Does responsible tech result in value creation opportunities for GPs and their portfolio companies?
• How has the backlash against ESG impacted GPs and their portfolio companies?

Investment Summit | Asia middle market: A multi-tiered phenomenon

November 15, 2023, 12:25-13:15

Moderated by Marcia Ellis, Global Co-Chair of Private Equity Practice at Morrison Foerster, this panel will be joined by Mark Chiba, Chairman & Managing Partner at The Longreach Group; Chulmin Lee, Managing Partner at VIG Partners; Avnish Mehra, Vice Chairman & Head Private Equity at Everstone Capital; and Kyle Shaw, Founder & Managing Partner at ShawKwei & Partners.

• To what extent do global and geopolitical macro forces impact deal flow?
• Are there particular deal types or industry categories that are more compelling?
• Why would managers leave the middle market? What has the pan-regional decline in IPOs and trade sales meant for exits?
• How are GPs and their portfolio companies taking advantage of value creation opportunities brought by ESG?

Investment Summit | Track 1: Southeast Asia: Moving to centre stage

November 15, 2023, 14:45-15:30

Moderated by Steven Tran, Partner at Morrison Foerster, this panel will be joined by Rahul Bhargava, Partner and Co-Head of Asia at Advantage Partners; Rodney Muse, Co-Managing Partner at Navis Capital Partners; and Manas Tamotia, Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal.

• What opportunities are being created by China uncertainty?
• Are small to mid-cap tech-enabled companies the most attractive entry point?
• What kinds of businesses can truly be pan-Southeast Asian?
• How should managers position themselves to get most traction with LPs

Investment Summit | Japan: Asia’s momentum play

November 16, 2023, 11:00-11:45

Moderated by Nozomi Oda, Co-Head of Morrison Foerster’s Asia Private Equity Practice, this panel is joined by Shohei Akiyama, Chief Administrative Officer at NSSK; TJ Kono, Partner at Unison; Kenta Shima, Partner & Head of Investor Relations at J-Star; and Toshitaka Shimizu, Partner at L Catterton.

• Is Japan more resilient to external pressures than other Asian markets?
• Are carve-outs and succession being joined by other sources of deal flow?
• Is Japan in danger of running into an exits overhang?
• Should currency depreciation be more of a challenge or opportunity?