Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所

Top-tier firm Zhong Lun Law Firm is ranked ‘Outstanding’ in the following practice areas: capital markets, construction, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, investment funds, private equity, tax, and restructuring and insolvency. This year, the firm also entered the ‘Outstanding’ tier for the first time in the banking and finance and competition/antitrust tables. During the research period, the firm boosted its real estate, corporate and finance practices by hiring five partners. Hui Liao and Ting Chen joined from Hainan Realiser Law Firm, Huizhen Jiang and Rong Luo joined from Yingke Law Firm, and Bo Li from Dentons China.

Banking and finance

Work highlights

Acted for China Construction Bank Corporation (Shanghai Yangpu district sub-branch) on a syndicated loan for the renovation of Pingliang neighbourhood old area.

Key clients

China CITIC Bank (Beijing Branch), Jiangxi Xingyuan Enterprise Consulting Management, Ying Zhan Investment (HK), Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery

Capital markets

Work highlights

Acted for China Eastern Air Holding, one of the largest airline companies in China, on its issuance of financing instruments on the Chinese interbank market.

Key clients

China Life Property & Casualty Insurance, Guangzhou Metro Group, JD.com

Competition/antitrust

Work highlights

Acted for Qualcomm on antitrust litigations against Apple over abuse of dominant market position and licensing terms of SEP.

Key clients

Chengdu Santai, Motorola Solutions, Parker Hannifin, Qujiang Cultural Industry Investment (Group)

Construction

Work highlights

Acted for Beijing International Resort on the construction of The Universal Beijing Theme Park and Resort. The firm was involved in the contract design, bidding and tendering, contract performance, and completion of the project.

Key clients

CITIC Industry Investment, Shenzhen Futian Fuhe Construction Development, Shenzhen Office of China Resources Land, Tishman Speyer & Lenovo

Corporate and M&A

Work highlights

Acted for SATS, Singapore’s largest employer and a provider of gateway services and food solutions, on its acquisition of controlling interests in Nanjing Weizhou Food, which manufactures food products for airline companies.

Key clients

Avenue, Keppel Land, Macquarie Corporate Holdings

Dispute resolution

Work highlights

Acted for Fujian Rare Earth and Xiamen Tungsten on a dispute concerning the control of shares in a mining field, which used to be the largest Tungsten mining field in the world.

Key clients

Guangzhou Beicheng Shiye, Jinchuan Yangjiawan Hydroelectric, Shanghai Building Materials

Intellectual property

Work highlights

Acted for Jiangsu General Protecht Technology in a patent infringement case against China Bull Group. The total amount of compensation claimed by General Protecht in 10 cases was close to Rmb 1 billion, the highest compensation claim in the history of patent civil litigations in China.

Key clients

Adobe, Asia Innovations HK, Chengdu Guotie Refined Equipment, EUSA Pharma (UK), Lutai Textile

Investment funds

Work highlights

Advised China Life on the formation of China Life Shenrun City Development Fund. The fund mainly invests in office buildings, hotels, commercial and long-term rental apartments and the relevant surrounding service projects located in core districts of Shanghai.

Key clients

China Orient Summit Capital, CP Group, Gohigh Capital, SDIC RE Asset Management

Labour and employment

Work highlights

Advised German multinational automotive corporation Daimler’s affiliates on general labour law consultation and resolution of labour disputes.

Key clients

Lilly Asia Ventures, Microsoft (China), NVIDIA, Tesla China

Private equity

Work highlights

Advised Elpiscience, a drug development company, on its series C financing. The firm handled the drafting and negotiation of legal documents, onshore restructuring, offshore equity financing, and closing.

Key clients

China Re Capital Management, Brightvision Capital (Shenzhen), Gohigh Capital

Regulatory

Work highlights

Acted for China Mobile Communications Corporation, the largest communications service provider in China, on its compliance services project.

Key clients

China Tobacco Jiangsu Industrial, Shanghai Minhang Financial Service Office, Yunnan Baiyao Group Health Products 

Restructuring and insolvency

Work highlights

Acted for Liaoning Huishan Dairy Group Company and its 108 associated companies on its reorganisation.

Tax

Work highlights

Advised a domestic clothing wholesale and retail merchant on tax dispute resolution matters. The firm helped the client to analyse the financial model and adjusted the investment structure from a PRC tax perspective to enjoy both special VAT tax incentive and EIT deferral treatment.

Client feedback

“Patient, efficient, and responsive. Outstanding problem-solving skills.” – Banking and finance

“The information it shared is quite useful and practical.” – Construction

“The firm provided legal opinions from our perspective. It told us the strengths and weaknesses throughout the negotiation of dispute settlement, which helped us to have a better understanding of the deal structure as well as negotiation strategy.” – Dispute resolution

“Extremely high quality lawyers. Intelligent, thoughtful and responsive.” – Dispute resolution

“Very responsive, good quality work delivered in English. Gives practical advice.” – Labour and employment

“The firm helped us to register our PE with AMAC, and helped us with transaction documents. It provided efficient and professional legal services to the transaction.” – Private equity

“Deep understanding of real estate—from land auction to asset securitisation. Responsive 24/7. Client-oriented.” – Real estate

“Professional, experienced and responsive. Zhong Lun has a good reputation in the China private equity fund market. It has profound knowledge and great business sense in this sector, and is excellent in delivering transaction structuring advice, transaction documentation in a timely manner and familiarity with regulatory requirements.” – Regulatory

“Very professional, diligent and good negotiation skills.” – Regulatory

Fang (Catherine) Chen    

“She is famous for her expertise in the China private equity fund market. Apart from her profound knowledge and great business sense in this sector, she's talented with great communication skills which helps her handle specific situations well and simplify what is complicated.”

Xinhui (Jason) Liu

“Liu and his team have deep insight into PE investment in China. He helped us file registration documents with AMAC, draft and revise relative contracts.”

“Efficient, excellent advice and analysis on up to date supervisory regulation and solutions on the impact of our project.”

“He did a good job in giving us compliance advice in the finance technology sector.”

Huijun Ma

“Very responsive, stands in client's shoes, can mobilise internal resources to support multi-tasking requirements.”

Huawei Sun

“Sun has unrivalled depth of knowledge of the arbitration environment. She is bright, personable, fiercely intelligent and committed to her clients.”

Jiong Zhang

“He shares what he has got from this industry and gives practical solutions.”

Yueping Zhou

“As a very experienced and renowned lawyer in the fields of construction and real estate development, Zhou understands disputes related to EPC contracts very well with her wisdom.”

Carol Zhu

“Very responsive, has worked for Western companies and firms in both HR and legal capacities so understands the Western client well; good quality work product.”

“Always reachable and meeting deadlines. Gives relevant and practical advice. Great problem-solving skills.”