The Legal 500

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted for General Atlantic Mauritius in its purchase of a stake in SouFun Holdings. Also known for its Taiwan practice, the firm acted for a consortium in a proposed leveraged buyout, at time of press, the biggest private equity buyout in Asia in 2011. Jeannette Chan splits her time between Hong Kong and Beijing.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP advised Focus Media Holding in its sale of a 62% indirect equity ownership of its internet division to Silver Lake Partners. In Beijing, Douglas Markel and Shaolin Luo are recommended, and Hong Kong-based Kathryn King Sudol is ‘an excellent lawyer’.

Allen & Overy LLP witnessed growth in Renminbi PE funds and has an RMB funds team led by Shanghai managing partner Ji Zou. Highlights included advising JPMorgan on its pre-IPO investment in a high-tech company. Also in Shanghai, Richard Kim is recommended. Beijing-based Matthias Voss is noted for private equity and pre-IPO investments, particularly in the PRC real estate arena. Victor Ho is a partner in the Shanghai and Beijing offices.

Clifford Chance LLP advised a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings (Private) in its $179m acquisition of a stake in New China Life Insurance Company. Beijing partner Terence Foo is recommended; Hong Kong partners Simon Cooke and Andrew Whan are esteemed lawyers.

DLA Piper welcomed of counsel Kaichen Xu from O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s Shanghai office. The team advised Charm Communications in connection with its strategic investment by Aegis Group. Beijing-based corporate head Steven Liu and Chris Terry are key individuals. In Hong Kong, Mabel Lui is well regarded.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is experienced in private equity-related M&A and fund raising transactions. The ‘exceptionally talented’ Asia managing partner Robert Ashworth is recommended, his private equity experience including pre-IPO investments for Warburg Pincus.

Latham & Watkins LLP’s Hong Kong-based David Zhang left for Kirkland & Ellis LLP but Tim Gardner was promoted to the partnership, and Cathy Yeung represents investment banks and Chinese companies in PRC-related private equity transactions in China and Hong Kong. China veteran Kenneth Chan is an authority on PRC matters, and Shanghai managing partner Rowland Cheng advises private equity and hedge funds in connection with their investment activities in China. The team acted in the sale by Nasdaq-listed Focus Media Holding of a majority interest in Allyes Online Media Holdings.

Linklaters’ highlights included advising Lone Star on its off-market sale of a stake in Korea Exchange Bank to Hana Financial Group. Hong Kong-based Asia private equity head Christopher Kelly is recommended, and Betty Yap specialises in M&A and FDI transactions in China. Also in Hong Kong, Edward Smith heads up the investment management group in Asia and counsel Peggy Wang specialises in private equity.

Morrison & Foerster’s Jun Deng rejoined as Hong Kong of counsel. The practice represented Warburg Pincus in multiple private equity investments. Hong Kong-based Thomas Chou co-chairs the China private equity and venture capital group with Charles Comey, who is based in Palo Alto and Shanghai. Beijing lawyer Sherry Xiaowei Yin is recommended.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s team head Doug Freeman is recommended. Shanghai partner Qiang Li advises fund clients on cross-border M&A and direct investment projects. Key matters included representing Cowen & Co in a going-private proposal. Portia Ku in Shanghai is known for venture capital and private equity financings.

Shearman & Sterling LLP represented a consortium in connection with its proposal to acquire CNinsure in a going-private transaction. Beijing-based China managing partner Lee Edwards advises Chinese companies as targets of US private equity firms and investors. Also in Beijing, Ling Huang is experienced in advising Chinese private equity firms. Counsel Wayne Lee relocated to Shanghai.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP advised News Corporation in its sale to China Media Capital of a controlling stake in News Corporation’s Chinese language television channels business and Chinese language movie library. Gregory Miao is recommended.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ Shanghai and Beijing office head Steven Xiang has a strong roster of private equity clients. Shanghai-based Anthony Wang advises private equity sponsors and venture capitalists in connection with their investment transactions in Greater China. Wang is also experienced in the TMT sector. The practice was counsel to China Media Capital in connection with its acquisition of a controlling stake in News Corporation’s Star TV Chinese television channels and Fortune Star Chinese movie library.

Baker & McKenzie is positioned to handle the fund raising, investment and operating needs of its private equity clients and their investee companies. The team advised on New Horizon Capital’s pre-IPO investment in a logistics company. Howard Wu in Shanghai, Beijing-based partners Bee Chun Boo, Jon Eichelberger, Andrew Lucas, and special counsel Scott Silverman are key contacts.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP welcomed Li Li as Beijing office director from Debevoise & Plimpton’s Shanghai office. In Hong Kong, Clayton Johnson and Michael Preston represented TPG in its investment in China International Capital Corporation, the first foreign private equity investment in a Chinese securities firm.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP advised a wholly owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation and CITIC Capital China Access Fund in connection with a $120m investment in China Lumena New Materials. Beijing-based Howard Zhang is recommended.

Although Li Li exited from Debevoise & Plimpton’s Shanghai office to Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s Beijing office, Drew Dutton joined in Hong Kong from the Paris office, and counsel Niping Wu joined the Shanghai branch from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s Beijing office. Recent representations include advising Prudential Financial in its strategic cooperation with Fosun Group to establish a $600m private equity fund. Thomas Britt III ‘has a client-friendly approach to managing transactions’.

In Shanghai, Hogan Lovells International LLP’s Philip Cheng is recommended, and Andrew McGinty serves Intel in its investments into China’s high-tech and telecommunications sectors. Shanghai and Beijing-based Steven Robinson led the representation of USANA Health Sciences in its acquisition of one of the leading direct selling companies in China and a major US pharmaceutical company. Beijing-based Jun Wei is widely praised, and counsel Brad Herrold moved to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Jones Day represented BioVeda China Fund in the RMB3.56bn sale to Shanghai Pharmaceutical Holdings and its affiliate of the controlling equity interest in China Health System. Shanghai partners Patrick Hu and Alex Zhang are key contacts. In Beijing, John Kao and Ian Liao are recommended.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP welcomed Hong Kong-based David Zhang from Latham & Watkins LLP, and Xiaoyang Li joined from Jun He Law Offices in Beijing. The practice acted as offshore legal counsel to Silver Lake in one of the largest private equity investments in China this year.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s Hong Kong partner Maurice Hoo and Tom Tobiason in Shanghai are recommended. The team advised Warburg Pincus in its investment in Xueda Education Group. Beijing partner Niping Wu joined Debevoise & Plimpton’s Shanghai office, and Brad Herrold arrived from Hogan Lovells International LLP.

Paul Hastings LLP LLP’s Beijing-based Roger Peng is ‘a detail-oriented person who manages his team well’. In Shanghai, David Wang, Jia Yan, David Blumenfeld and Milton Chou are experienced practitioners. The team advised Tan-Eu Capital in the closing of Sotan China Real Estate I, shaping a new way of raising capital for real estate investments, and assisted Prax Capital on the first successful formation and closing of an RMB-denominated Chinese real estate investment fund.

Ropes & Gray LLP opened an office in Shanghai, led by partner Arthur Mok. Geoffrey Chan focuses on the creation of Chinese offshore USD funds and domestic RMB private investment funds.