Don Williams > Hogan Lovells International LLP > Shanghai, China > Lawyer Profile

Hogan Lovells International LLP
PARK PLACE, 18TH FLOOR
1601 NANJING ROAD WEST
SHANGHAI 200040
China
Don Williams photo

Work Department

Corporate & Finance

Position

Partner

Career

With over 15 years’ experience of advising clients in China, having relocated from Silicon Valley to Shanghai in 2005 (to open the office of a leading Silicon Valley law firm), Don is well regarded and highly experienced in advising TMT companies throughout their entire lifecycle from startup to mature public company (VC/PE financing, day to day corporate needs, M&A and capital markets transactions) as well as these companies’ ecosystem, including VC/PE funds and investment banks.

Over the years, Don has represented private and public companies across many industries, including Acorn, Alibaba, Alipay, Ant Financial Services, Autodesk, BCD Semiconductor, Bridge Pharmaceuticals, Cisco Systems, Cyte Therapeutics, FunPlus Games, Grab, Hanson Robotics, Kuaidi Dache, Newport Corporation, PharmaLegacy, Polycom, RealD, SeaWorld, Sigma Designs, Smarter Micro, and SMIC.

Today, Don’s practice encompasses a broad range of clients and provides general corporate and transactional advice in the PRC and elsewhere around the world. Clients look to Don’s knowledge and experience in advising on PE and VC financings, mergers and acquisitions and public offerings.

Don has represented venture capital and private equity funds, including Advanced Technology Ventures, Angelvest, BASF Venture Capital GmbH, Chengwei Ventures, DFJ Dragon Ventures, Fidelity/Eight Roads, GGV, Global Founders Capital, GSR Ventures, IFC, JAFCO, KPCB China, Ping An, Sequoia Capital, Qiming Ventures, Rocket Internet and Softbank China Venture Capital, in connection with portfolio investments and other transactions as well as investment banks in connection with public offerings.

Don is recognized as one of the top China-based private equity/venture capital lawyers by Chambers Asia-Pacific (2009 through 2022). Don has also been recognized by Legal 500 and was named a “China Top 15 M&A Lawyer” by Asian Legal Business in 2019.

Languages

English, Mandarin, Spanish

Memberships

The Ethics Council of The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai

Education

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude, 1993

B.A., Stanford University, with honors and distinction, 1989

Lawyer Rankings

China > Private equity: foreign firms

(Leading individuals)

Don WilliamsHogan Lovells International LLP

Adopting a strategic sector focus on the TMT, life sciences and healthcare sectors, Hogan Lovells International LLP’s private equity practice works in conjunction with PRC law firm Fujan Fidelity Law Firm to offer clients fully integrated international and domestic Chinese legal advice. Heading the private equity group for Greater China from Hong Kong is Stephanie Tang, whose expertise covers the spectrum of transactions including LBOs, take-privates, de-SPACs, PIPEs and equity investments. Don Williams is a vastly experienced contact in Shanghai, having recently led when advising Ping An as lead investor on the $100m initial closing of the Series E financing of Visby Medical, a developer of PCR-based diagnostics tests for infectious disease detection. Also in Shanghai, Tony Mou is a trusted advisor to PE and VC funds, entrepreneurs, venture-backed growth stage and public companies, while Beijing-based Lu Zhou brings deep industrial regulatory knowledge to help clients navigate complex structuring and operational issues.

China > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms

In addition to assisting foreign clients with inbound matters, Hogan Lovells International LLP‘s Greater China M&A practice acts for Chinese clients on their investments abroad. The team is particularly experienced in TMT, financial services, manufacturing and automotive-related deals. Clients also appreciate the firm’s transatlantic transactional strength, which facilitates access to over 500 M&A lawyers in more than 45 offices globally. The practice also provides integrated international and domestic Chinese legal advice through its association with PRC law firm Fidelity Law Firm. In Beijing, Liang Xu‘s track record includes numerous cross-border joint ventures and M&A deals, while Lu Zhou is experienced in advising clients from the TMT, life sciences and education sectors. In the Shanghai office, Don Williams acts for private and public companies on cross-border M&A, minority investments and other strategic business transactions, and Tony Mou is a corporate law and transactions specialist. Aldo Boni De Nobili is an experienced senior associate.

China > TMT: foreign firms

Hogan Lovells International LLP offers a wide range of expertise, spanning corporate and finance, IPMT, global regulatory, litigation, and employment. The firm addresses key areas like privacy, cybersecurity, fintech, and blockchain, offering services such as market access analysis, regulatory counsel, and compliance report drafting. Spearheaded by Mark Parsons from Hong Kong, the team includes Sherry Gong, who excels in data privacy, cybersecurity, and e-commerce, guiding multinationals through intricate cross-border undertakings. Don Williams supports TMT companies across all stages from startup to mature public company, encompassing areas such as VC/PE financing and M&A. Tong Zhu specialises in data privacy and e-commerce in China, offering advice on data-related challenges including data localisation and IT structure implications. Flora Feng aids foreign enterprises in navigating regulatory matters in China, notably in cybersecurity and personal data protection arenas, while Lu Zhou represents multinational corporations and PE fund clients in cross-border M&A, venture capital investments, and restructuring.