38th AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum

Morrison Foerster is proud to once again sponsor the Asian Venture Capital Journal (AVCJ) Private Equity Forum, the most influential and largest gathering of private equity and venture professionals in Asia. Curated by Mergermarket, the four-day conference will be held in a hybrid format in Hong Kong, at which Head of our Asia Private Equity Practice Nozomi Oda and MoFo Partners Scott Jalowayski and Xiaoxi Lin will join panel discussions covering a range of themes, including sustainability and ESG practices, strategies in the Asia middle market, and the evolving private equity landscape in Japan.

ESG Summit | Creating value through sustainability practices: GP perspectives

November 17, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Moderated by Scott Jalowayski, this panel will include Rebekah Earp, Managing Director of Sustainability at CVC; and Ernest Xue, Managing Director of the Venture Smart City Team at Eurazeo. The speakers will explore the following topics.

• In what ways can stronger sustainability performance enhance value and returns for GPs?
• When it comes to sustainability efforts, what should regional GPs focus on, and how are they embedding these practices into their operations?
• How are Asia-headquartered GPs and their portfolio companies responding to the evolving and divergent ESG + sustainability regulations from the US and Europe?
• Beyond climate-related initiatives, what other sustainability areas — such as responsible tech and sustainable financing — are GPs paying attention to?

Investment Summit – Day 1 | Asia middle market: Global mindsets

November 19, 2025, 12:25 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Moderated by Xiaoxi Lin, this panel will include Thomas Lanyi, Managing Partner and Head of Southeast Asia at CDH Investments; Priscilla Huang, Partner, Deal Advisory at KPMG; Kyle Shaw, Founder and Managing Partner at ShawKwei & Partners; and Steve Duncan, Business Unit Partner at TPG Capital Asia. The speakers will explore the following topics.

• To what extent must mid-market GPs think global when investing locally?
• How are teams set up to execute cross-border expansion strategies?
• What can investors do to maximize the relevant buyer universe for assets?
• Is sponsor-to-sponsor now the go-to exit route for mid-market managers?

Investment Summit – Day 1 | Track 1: Japan: Evolution without imbalance?

November 19, 2025, 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Moderated by Nozomi Oda, Head of our Asia Private Equity practice, this panel will include Shinichiro Kita, Representative Director and Senior Partner at Advantage Partners; Satoru Arakawa, Partner at J-Star; Shota Kuwaki, Managing Director at Sunrise Capital; and Mark Chiba, Group Chairman and Partner at The Longreach Group. The speakers will explore the following topics.

• How are the competitive dynamics changing in different market segments?
• Is yen weakness a challenge or an opportunity for foreign investors?
• Which is a bigger returns driver – deep local value creation or cross-border expansion?
• Will sponsor-to-sponsor overtake trade sales as a mid-market exit channel?

Learn more about this event and our Private Equity Investments + Buyouts practice.