The Legal 500 > Asia Pacific > China > Corporate and M&A: PRC firms

With significant offices in Shanghai and Beijing, Fangda Partners is most known for complex cross-border M&A transactions, particularly outbound investments of Chinese companies and high-value inbound investments for multinationals and international financial institutions. The practice group is led by Shanghai's Norman Zhong, and includes cross-border acquisition and joint venture expert Jeffrey Ding; Michael Han, who is able to draw on vast knowledge about competition law; and Grace Yu, whose specialisms are M&A and financial regulations. Leo Lou is another name to note for advising on financial institution transactions, while Amanda Zhou focuses on corporate finance. In May 2020, Jonathan Zhou left for an in-house position.

Han Kun Law Offices has a growing reputation for advising multinationals and Chinese corporates and SOEs on domestic, out- and inbound M&A transactions. The firm is most known for its TMT sector expertise; Charles Li and Tracy Zhou recently advised JD.com on its $500m investment in Aihuishou and its subsequent strategic cooperation agreement. Exemplifying the firm's depth of expertise, David Tang is often instructed on corporate compliance and regulatory matters arising from corporate transactions. All handling cross-border M&A, inbound investment and funds are Aaron Zhou, Zaiguang Lu, Cheng Chen and Yipu Li.

JunHe LLP's core areas of expertise are foreign direct investment, private equity deals, M&A and reorganisations, areas in which Daniel He excels. The team also regularly assists domestic companies with overseas and local investments, including acquisitions of non-performing asset portfolios. Corporate compliance is another key service for the group, where it provides advice on privacy and data protection. Audrey Chen is admitted to practice in China, New York and California, and has developed a strong cross-border transactional practice; Yue Zhang has expertise in TMT sector deals; Wei Wei has expertise in reorganisations; while Kai Wang is making a name for himself for cross-border M&A. The department is jointly led by Joe Chen and Henry Shi.

Corporate transactions are a core part of Zhong Lun Law Firm's practice. The team is regularly instructed by multinational and listed companies on restructurings, M&A, cross-border deals and outbound investment. It provides a full service, drawing on wider firm expertise in tax, finance and the Chinese regulatory environment. The China-wide department is jointly led by Audry Li, who also has experience as an arbitrator, and Richard Zeng; while Lingchen Pu is the contact for corporate and foreign direct investment in Beijing, and Scott Guan is a key contact in Shanghai. Chairman of the firm's management committee Anthony Zhao has substantial experience in TMT sector deals involving public and private companies. Ting Gao has quickly established herself as an expert in advising foreign companies on their China entry strategy.

Global Law Office handles public and private M&A transactions, with a specialism in advising state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in their cross-border activities. Other areas of expertise include foreign investment, industrial compliance and SOE regulations. The department is jointly led by Beijing's Jinrong Liu and Alex Liu, Shanghai's George Wang and Shifang Guo in Shenzhen; all of whom have experience in cross-border M&A and private equity transactions. Shenzhen managing partner Cheng Li is another partner of note with corporate restructuring expertise; while the managing partner of the Shanghai office Yu Zhang has a significant M&A practice.

Haiwen & Partners has a well-established M&A team that is regularly instructed on domestic and cross-border transactions, by way of acquisition of material assets, mergers, private equity investments, stock purchases, restructurings and joint ventures. Clients include both Chinese and foreign private and public companies, as well as SOEs. Managing partner Jiping Zhang heads the department, with substantial experience advising financial institutions and multinationals on their deals in the PRC. Yu Cao has a strong reputation for entertainment and media sector transactions; Xiajun Fang is the contact for asset restructurings of listed companies in China.

Jingtian & Gongcheng's M&A team advises domestic and foreign clients on all aspects of their transactions. The group is able to utilise the firm's expertise in other areas, including competition, employment, intellectual property and tax to provide a full service. An area of particular expertise is assisting Chinese clients with their participation in cross-border Belt and Road Initiative deals. The team is led by Huang Yongqing and includes co-founding partner Wei Bai. Guanchun Dai is another stand-out practitioner with experience in cross-border deals.

The corporate and commercial team at Llinks Law Offices is well-versed in foreign direct investment, and often advises foreign clients on the local legal environment and their operations in China. The group also advise Chinese corporates on their transactions domestically and abroad. The department is jointly led by foreign direct investment specialist Nicholas Lou and Grant Chen. Colin Shi has developed a strong M&A practice and advises a mixture of foreign and domestic investment funds. Senior associate Kyle Zhao is noted for advising investment funds, particularly in the real estate sector.

The group at AllBright Law Offices has significant experience in M&A transactions in China, particularly advising international companies on their inward investments. The group is also called on to assist Chinese companies with the due diligence aspects of their offshore deals. Fangzhou Bao chairs the department, and in addition to M&A and listed company restructuring expertise, also advises on mixed-ownership restructuring of SOEs. Phillip Zhang specialises in foreign direct investment, as does Carl Li.

The corporate and M&A group is central to DeHeng Law Offices' offering. The group often acts as lead counsel for Chinese clients in cross-border acquisitions, and is well-versed in outbound greenfield investments. In terms of sector expertise, the team specialises in advising mining and semiconductor manufacturers. Zhaoxia Fan heads the department, and focuses on M&A and restructurings for a solid client list of SOEs and investment funds. David Chen takes the lead on cross-border transactions.

Grandall Law Firm has a strong reputation for M&A transactions for large domestic corporates. The group also has experience in cross-border deals, both outbound, on behalf of Chinese clients, and inbound foreign investment. The core team includes chief executive partner of the firm Hongbing Lv and energy and infrastructure sector expert Weidong Wang. In 2019, the group benefited from the arrival of Alan Huang from Guantao Law Firm.

At Commerce & Finance Law Office, lawyers advise clients on asset restructurings for Chinese listed companies, strategic investment, asset acquisitions, as well as M&A projects. The group is jointly led by M&A specialist Xiaoman Zhang, healthcare and education sector expert Jianhai Luan, Andrew Zhang, Xinggao Pan and Lingyun Dai. Catherine Shen is noted for her expertise in the real estate and automotive industries, where she often assists with M&A projects and foreign direct investment.

At AnJie Law Firm, lawyers have significant experience in a wide range of corporate transactions, including listed company M&A, consolidations, asset restructuring, management buyouts, as well as in- and outbound investments. The department is jointly led by foreign direct investment expert Yu Wang and Simon Li, who stands out for M&A transactions.

Corporate transactions are core to East & Concord Partners' practice. The group has experience in company incorporations, domestic and international M&A, day-to-day operational advice, as well as dissolutions and liquidations. The department is jointly led by M&A experts Meiying Zhang and Bin Xu. Xiaodong Hu is a specialist in foreign investment and also has experience in company shareholding reform projects and asset reorganisations. Founding partner Yi Yao is known for advising Chinese companies on outbound investments.