Zhong Lun Law Firm

Wantao Yang leads Zhong Lun Law Firm’s banking and finance practice. The team specialises in the real estate, energy, infrastructure, shipping and aviation sectors. Zhisong He and Jing Zhang advised on a series of syndicated loans to Shanghai Dream Center, an entertainment complex and landmark on the western bank of the Huangpu River. China Development Bank Corporation, Zhong Lun’s client, was the lead arranger of the loan, which comprised four syndicated loan projects, alongside original arrangers China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Bank of Shanghai.

Zhong Lun Law Firm features leading partners Xuebing Zhang and Anthony Zhao, who was the PRC counsel to Tong Dai in the acquisition of Tong Dai Control (Hong Kong) by Guangdong Kaiping Chunhui in February 2016. The Rmb3.3 billion transaction was financed by Chunhui’s private placement in the A-share market. The firm is also strong in providing legal opinion in the real estate sector. The firm advised Beijing Guohua Real-Estate on its Rmb4 billion private placement on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Rmb2 billion public placement on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Wu Peng heads the competition & antitrust team at Zhong Lun Law Firm. Clients include Alibaba, Bayer, Fiat-Chrysler, Eaton and Novartis. NDRC launched investigations into the price monopolistic behaviors of eight Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) goods international shipping companies, including the firm’s client Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, and imposed Rmb407 million in total fines on all the involved shipping companies. In another case, Peng assisted with a merger filing with MOFCOM in Marubeni-Itochu Steel’s Rmb892 million acquisition of Sumisho Steel and received approval in December 2015.

Real estate has long been an important practice area for Zhong Lun Law Firm. It is frequently singled out for its strong expertise in finance, land investment, development, property operation and management. Maoyuan Zhu, Anthony Qiao and Jihong Wang are leading partners. Gavin Wang is experienced in advising amusement parks and resorts. He has been advising Shanghai Shendi Group on the negotiation and construction phases of Shanghai Disney Park & Resort. He is also assisting Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment on the Beijing Universal Theme Park & Resort. He acted on behalf of Riverside Investment Group on the $4.6 billion Six Flags Theme Park & Resort.

Zhong Lun Law Firm is a full service law firm with a high reputation for its corporate and M&A practice. Yun Zhou leads the practice.  The firm advised Ping An Life Insurance, one of the investors, on WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman)’s $3.3 billion take-private acquisition. Cinda Financial Holdings trusted Zhong Lun to be the PRC counsel on its HK$68 billion acquisition of Hong Kong’s Nanyang Commercial Bank. Anthony Zhao is a leading adviser for corporate/M&A, particularly for TMT clients.

Decai Zhang and Lijun Cao of Zhong Lun Law Firm are highly recommended by peers and clients. “Lijun is an active litigator and arbitrator in CIETAC. I feel safe if my case is at his hand,” says a client. A peer says Zhang is a “highly-respected practitioner who is strategic-minded and has a wealth of litigating skills”. Wantao Yang advised Dubai-based Automotive Gate and its affiliated companies in a dispute that arose from a cooperation project between Automotive Gate and Hebei Zhongxing Automobile Manufacturing before the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration. After a lengthy four-year proceeding, Automotive Gate won a $60 million damages award.

Zhong Lun Law Firm provides a full spectrum of services in the energy and natural resources sector, with a focus on representing outbound mining investments in Australasia and African countries.  Jihong Wang and Jun Cheng are partners to note. Wang represented China Nuclear Industry 22nd Construction in the planning and construction of a 2×350MW (megawatt) power plant, the largest energy project in Mongolian history. The project follows a build-operate-transfer model, with a 25-year concession period. The firm has an enviable clientele, including China National Petroleum Corporation, China Guodian Group, China Huadian Group, Shanxi Jincheng Mining Group, SK Energy and Samsung Petrochemical.

Zhong Lun Law Firm advises on all regulatory aspects of the financial industry, especially anti-corruption and anti-commercial bribery policies for foreign companies operating in China. The firm is also strong in compliance advisory in acquisitions.

Zhong Lun Law Firm is one of the national forerunners in the equity investment and investment fund area. The team’s knowledge of fund formation, fund raising, investment, project management and fund exit is widely noted. The firm has a strong focus on the formation of real estate funds. Clients include Gopher Asset Management, Jade Zone, China Urban Reality Association, Sion-Ocean Land, E-House and RH Regent. Peers highly recommend Catherine Chen.

Zhong Lun Law Firm can fully meet the legal needs of the TMT industry, including addressing IP and corporate issues as well as acting for investors on their investments in the sector. Anthony Zhao is skillful on transactions while Jihong Chen mostly advises on IP.  Zhao represented China’s National Social Security Fund on its strategic investment in the Ant Financial Group, a Chinese internet financial services company and an affiliate of Alibaba Group.

Zhong Lun Law Firm’s labour and employment team is experienced in advising on cross-border labour and employment issues, including transnational personnel arrangements, and other employee incentive plans. Carol Zhu represented Olin Corporation on transferring employees from Dow Chemical Company to Olin on the completion of a cross-border M&A transaction between the two.

Zhong Lun Law Firm maintains an elite team of PE lawyers, including Anthony Zhao, Lefan Gong and Jason Liu. The firm is frequently called upon by investors such as Baring Private Equity Asia, L Capital Asia and Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia. In January 2016, Zhao, Michael Gu and Luke Zhang advised China Taiping who along with Sequoia Capital and Harvest Fund led the Rmb6.65 billion Series A financing of JD Finance Group, the internet financial subsidiary of JD.com.

Zhong Lun Law Firm’s Shengfeng Xu is an active player in restructuring and insolvency. In early 2016, Xu acted as the administrator in the Rmb700 million reorganisation of Fujian Nuoqi and advised on assets investigation and property management, as well as drafting and executing the restructuring plan. The firm had been appointed by the courts to assist with complex restructuring and insolvency matters with domestic and international interests involved. Clients include Hangtang Securities, Minfa Securities, Zhonghetaibai, Chuangzhi Technology and Shenzhen Guanwei.

Outstanding lawyer Peter Ni brings his more than two decades of tax practice experience to Zhong Lun Law Firm’s tax department, which he heads. He provided tax consulting and tax declaration for two international leading real estate investment funds on their Rmb2.6 billion indirect outbound equity transfer. Other clients include Bayer and SPX Corporation.