China
Freshfields in China
With 30 years’ experience in China, few are as well placed to offer the necessary legal advice to foreign companies on their investments and operations in the country, and Chinese state-owned and privately owned enterprises on their investments abroad.
We have almost 200 lawyers in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai with renowned legal skills, deep cultural awareness and sharp commercial judgement. And they are seamlessly integrated into our peerless global network, offering clients joined-up strategic thinking on the largest, most complex situations.
The effectiveness and reputation of our advice is clear: the Freshfields M&A team has led the league tables in Greater China for a number of years since 2005. Our capital markets team has an equally impressive record advising issuers and underwriters on most of the landmark IPOs in Hong Kong. And our dispute resolution group is acting in more investor-state arbitrations brought by Chinese parties than any other firm.
Client successes
Advising on the IPOs of numerous state-owned and privately owned Chinese companies as well as international enterprises on the Hong Kong stock exchange, including the 'Big Four' banks, CICC, China Cinda Asset Management, China Huarong Asset Management, China Merchants Securities, CITIC Securities, China Unicom, China Everbright Bank, China Pacific Insurance, China Minsheng Bank, Shengjing Bank, China Resources Pharmaceutical, L’Occitane and Samsonite, among others.
Other notable IPOs include Qingdao Port, Yunnan Water, Bank of Chongqing, China Resources Cement, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, NT Pharma, Wanda, Tencent, Chow Tai Fook Jewelry, Sun Art Retail, Golden Throat, Longyuan Power, Yingli Solar, Huaneng Renewable, SANY Heavy Equipment, Greatview Aseptic, NVC, BaWang, Imax China and Fast Retailing.
Advising on foreign direct investments/exits and joint ventures in China for AB InBev, Allianz, CPP Investment Board, Deutsche Bank, HP, HSBC, Merck, Starbucks and Warburg Pincus, among others.
Advising on high-profile China-outbound transactions into Germany (Midea’s €4.5bn acquisition of Kuka), UK (Creat Group’s acquisition of Bio Products Laboratory), Spain (a Chinese consortium’s €1.4bn acquisition of Urbaser), the US (Zhongwang’s $2.3bn acquisition of Aleris) and Australia (Biostime’s $1.2bn acquisition of Swisse Wellness), among other countries.
Advising on complex and ground-breaking strategic reorganisations, including Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Property’s $24bn reorganisation and spin-off, CITIC Pacific’s $36.5bn acquisition of assets from its parent CITIC Group and the restructuring of China Shipping and China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO).
Advising on rights issuances and/or debt offerings by prominent regional companies, such as PetroChina, China Development Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China Merchant Bank, Bank of Communications, PICC Property & Casualty, China Resources Power, Alibaba Pictures Group, Krung Thai Bank, Esprit and United Laboratories, China City Construction, TUS Holding, Unigroup, Anhui Expressway, Qingdao Investment, Shui On Land, National Power Corporation of the Philippines, Evergrande Property, Zhongsheng Auto and Yingde Gas, among others.
Offices
Our team
Teresa Ko Partner
Hong Kong
Thomas Ng Partner
Hong Kong
Robert Ashworth Partner
Hong Kong
Alan Wang Partner
Shanghai, Beijing
Matthew O'Callaghan Partner
Hong Kong
Richard Wang Partner
Hong Kong
Bing Guan Partner
Hong Kong
David Yi Partner
Shanghai
Sarah Su Partner
Hong Kong
Howie Farn Partner
Hong Kong
Richard Bird Partner
Hong Kong
John Choong Partner
Hong Kong
Georgia Dawson Senior Partner
London, Singapore
Edward Freeman Partner
Hong Kong
Daniel French Partner
Hong Kong
Nicholas French Partner
London
Grace Huang Partner
Hong Kong
Philip Li Partner
Hong Kong
Tim Mak Partner
Hong Kong
Alastair Mordaunt Partner
London, Hong Kong
Richard Perks Partner
Hong Kong, Tokyo
William Robinson Partner
London, Hong Kong
Simon Weller Partner
Singapore, Hong Kong