The Legal 500

Allbright Law Offices was among the first Chinese law firms to advise in the banking and finance arena and remains at the forefront of the market. A number of major domestic and multinationals have instructed the team, including Standard Chartered, Bank of East Asia and East West Bank. The team, including James Miao, has expertise assisting banks with acquisition strategies and restructuring projects, as well as advising financiers on the preparation of security for a range of facilities. Additionally, it has a wealth of experience in the disposal of non-performance loans for foreign-invested banks. The firm advised on a RMB4bn syndicated loan in connection with a large energy project, and acted for four major PRC banks on a RMB1.4bn syndicated loan. For East West Bank, it advised on the disposal of RMB309m-worth of non-performing loans in connection with its acquisition of United Commercial (China) Bank. Fang Yi left to join Jun He Law Offices

.Fangda Partners regularly advises banks and other financial institutions, corporate borrowers and credit enhancers on the full range of transactional and regulatory work. Adept at corporate rescue and insolvency works, advice includes debt and restructuring, liquidation and other insolvency-related work. Mandates have included advising Barclays Bank in connection with its investment in Beijing Energy Technology Investment, and acting for Goldman Sachs on its investment in Henan Songhe Liquor Industry. Swedish sovereign wealth fund Foundation Asset Management instructed the practice on PRC regulatory issues relating to its investment in Boston-Power. Headquartered in Shanghai, key partners include Jeffrey Shen, who focuses on commercial banking and foreign direct investment.

Jun He Law Offices has acted for a number of high-profile commercial banks, including advising RBS on investing into China. The team’s expertise includes syndicated loans, financing for infrastructure projects, merger and acquisition finance and debt restructuring, bankruptcy reorganisation and disposal of non-performing assets. Specialist matters, such as ship and aircraft financing, are another string to its bow. David Liu, Natasha Xie, Fang Yi and Hui (Nelson) Zhou are the key partner contacts.

Wang Ling heads King & Wood’s practice, which recently represented Asian Development Bank in its financing to Zhongran Investment for the CGH Phase II project. It also acted for Fangchenggang Nuclear Power on its project finance to Guangxi Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Station, provided by a lending group of onshore financial institutions. Aircraft finance is one of the firm’s niches, and it has been involved in the leasing of large aircraft and transactions involving other key airborne equipment by Chinese airlines. It has considerable experience in the import and export credit operations of Chinese banks, and assisted Export-Import Bank of China in drafting and preparing standard documentation for buyer’s credit facilities and preferential governmental loans. It also advised Export-Import Bank of China on other projects, including its provision of a buyer’s credit facility to a Norwegian shipping corporation for its ship purchases.

Llinks Law Offices’ Charles Qin is widely considered a leading expert on project finance deals and asset management, and the group has an outstanding reputation among domestic and international clients. In 2010, it assisted Shanghai Yidian Holding when it was designated by the Shanghai government to restructure the debts of SVA NEC; the debts amounted to RMB2bn in bank loans and RMB500m in claims by suppliers. Further highlights included representing SMIC on a refinancing project. Other regular transactions typically involve bilateral, club and syndicated lending, trade finance, derivatives, capital leasing, credit cards, transfer of loan assets and disposal of non-performing loans.

Boss & Young Attorneys at Law’s clients value its ‘excellent ability to work across Chinese and Western cultures’, particularly as much of its business is foreign-related. Within the finance arena, it is particularly renowned for investment funds, private equity and RMB formation. Led by Hubert Tse, who is ‘very knowledgeable in the asset management field’, recent highlights include advising a leading US private equity fund on the structuring and formation of a $300m fund in Tianjin. It also assisted the client in becoming one of the first global private equity firms approved to be set up in Shanghai under the Qualified Foreign Limited Partner’s (QFLP) programme. Among other highlights, the team advised a leading New York-based hedge fund on co-investment and an investment mandate from the China Investment Corporation (CIC) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Duan & Duan Law Firm’s strong reputation for finance work sees it regularly advising on securities issuance and listings as well as acquisitions and restructuring of listed companies, funding and project financing, financial leasing and financial derivatives. Key partners include Charles Duan and Richard Song.

Although best known in the capital markets sphere, Chen & Co. Law Firm has a broad remit, acting for a number of foreign banks and financial institutions. Expertise includes establishing operations and preparing documentation, advising on secured and unsecured credit facilities, as well as syndication, receivables financing and securitisation. Additionally, it handles day-to-day matters, including transaction procedures, preparing account documentation and advising banks on RMB loan documentation and other RMB facilities. John Jiang is recommended.

HHP Attorneys-At-Law works in collaboration with European firm Marccus Partners and has a wealth of experience advising on the establishment of foreign invested financial institutions. The nine-partner firm is particularly strong in tax-related financing advice. Clients have included Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and UFJ China. Benjamin Bin Zhao is recommended.

Henry Zhuang & Partners is instructed mainly by foreign clients and is experienced in facilities, restructuring and derivatives. It’s advised a foreign invested bank in Shanghai on providing a term loan facility of RMB350m to a property investment company in Beijing. Other highlights included acting for the lender in restructuring a loan facility of RMB130m to a foreign-owned company based in Shanghai. Henry Zhuang Hongzhi is recommended.

Banking and finance is one of Richard Wang & Co’s core areas of expertise. Headquartered in Shanghai, the firm advises a number of foreign banks and financial institutions on matters such as syndication loan and general corporate loan transactions and finance leases. Clients regularly call upon the firm for PRC legal advice on government banking regulations and compliance matters. The firm’s client roster includes Standard Chartered, ABN AMRO, Bank of England and Citibank.

Yishi Law Firm regularly advises on foreign direct investment and re-investment, shares arrangement, securities, liquidation and bankruptcy, debt collection and foreign exchange. It frequently advises on foreign investment projects, and is well known for its tax consulting capabilities.