Clifford Chance LLP’s presence across mainland China and Hong Kong catalyses the firm’s ability to handle matters in a China-facing and outbound context. With a ‘very experienced’ team of over 40 lawyers in the region, the practice places particular focus on project finance mandates and high-profile joint venture and M&A transactions, acting for the likes of China Harbour Engineering Company and Total Eren in a project development and equity stake acquisition, respectively. Jiahua Ni, who divides his time between Beijing and Shanghai leads the team with experience in PRC-related cross-border financings, with most of his time taken up by his advising of Chinese banks in export credit, project, structured, and general corporate finance within the scope of Asia, Middle East, South America and Africa. In Shanghai, Kelly Gregory is another key member, specialising in M&A and joint ventures involving multinational and Chinese corporations, with a further emphasis on disposals and reorganizations. Deepening the firm’s expertise in M&A is Beijing-based Terence Foo, noted for his advice on outbound investments, while Vicky Ma, who has a footing in the firm’s Hong Kong and Beijing offices, has particular ‘knowledge and experience in project finance’.

With notable ties to a variety of Chinese and international financing entities, Norton Rose Fulbright advises MNCs, corporates and banks on recurring cross-border projects and energy transactions. The firm’s offering is co-headed by Jerry Li, who joined the firm from Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in October 2021, and Tom Luckock. With energy and infrastructure sector expertise, Li is active when it comes to outbound projects and related transactions in the space, but is also capable in relation to a range of corporate, M&A, E&P concessions, and project financing matters. Expanding the firm’s power, infrastructure and waste sector experience is Luckock, noted for providing transactional, project development and project finance advice in both an inbound and outbound context. Yaxun Wang is another key figure, regarded for advising Chinese state-owned entities, commercial banks, and corporations on project finance and acquisition finance matters. All named lawyers are based in Beijing.

The projects team at Mayer Brown regularly acts for lenders and equity investors in gas-fired, coal-fired, and renewable energy projects, with a further emphasis on work relating to infrastructure and manufacturing facilities. Leading the team is Beijing-based Hallam Chow, with over 27 years of experience handling project, structured and asset-based finance. Chow showcases further expertise in joint ventures, particularly in relation to the energy and infrastructure as well as oil and gas sectors. Working alongside him in Beijing is Boya Shen, noted for project development and finance, representing lenders, sponsors, and investment funds on a variety of power, energy and manufacturing facilities.

As a firm with ‘tremendous experience in global projects and energy‘, Milbank leverages its network of international offices to provide an offering tailored towards local and international stakeholders with cross-border mandates. With further expertise standing on the lender and sponsor side, the firm specializes in projects financed via Chinese banks across Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America. Beijing-based Shepard Liu, who is considered an ‘expert in global projects and project financing‘ heads the team, with a prominent presence acting for lenders and export credit agencies in large projects with a Chinese financing element. Another key figure is Hong Kong-based counsel Desiree Woo, regarded by Chinese sponsors and financial institutions with an Asia presence for project finance and development matters.

White & Case LLP‘s offering targets the full spectrum of work for the development and financing of energy, oil and gas, mining and infrastructure projects, acting for domestic and foreign entities in a range of inbound and outbound investments. Beijing-based David Li heads the team and is particularly regarded for his expertise in equity and debt financings in the Asian, African and Latin American regions, covering the energy, utilities and natural resources industries. In addition, Li often advises multilateral lenders and development banks with regard to a range of transactions in a local and overseas context.

Benefiting from a ‘highly knowledgeable‘ team, DLA Piper draws from its combined international and Greater China presence, handling outbound investments for major Chinese clients with respect to South East Asia. Matthias Schemuth heads the team with over 16 years of experience handling infrastructure financing matters in relation to the energy, mining, and metal sectors, regularly acting for sponsors, developers and multilateral lending agencies. Also a key contact, Carolyn Dong acts as the firm’s China energy head, specializing in major project mandates as well as acquisition financing and Sino-foreign joint ventures. Acting out of the Shanghai office, senior associate Simin Yu is noted for his greenfield project development, construction, financing and M&A experience. Key changes to the team include the arrival of Crystal Chen from Linklaters in May 2022. All named lawyers are based in Hong Kong unless otherwise stated.

With a grasp of multi-jurisdictional energy projects in both a conventional and renewable context, Latham & Watkins LLP‘s Hong-Kong based practice draws from its international network, handling work that spans across the entire energy value chain, with a clientele featuring a variety of global energy companies and funds. Heading the practice is David Blumental, with over 20 years of experience acting for Chinese and Asia-based clients on cross-border energy, natural resource and infrastructure transactions surrounding renewables and emerging technologies, including upstream oil and gas, liquified natural gas and independent water and power water projects.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. features a team noted for its value chain coverage, acting primarily for French companies and Chinese stakeholders on inbound China-based investments and investments relating to Francophone African countries, respectively. Leadership of the team is divided between David Boitout and Fan Jiannian, both based in Shanghai, and Guo Min, who works out of the Beijing office and has her roots in tax law, a practice focus which presently manifests into her advising clients on tax issues arising from transactions in the sector. Beijing-based counsel Xi Chen is another key figure at the firm, noted for inbound and outbound work focused on acquisitions and greenfield projects.