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Our firm can offer fully bilingual teams across many of our practice areas, which combine fluency in English, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects with in-depth substantive knowledge of applicable law and a nuanced understanding of the related political, policy and diplomatic context. Backed by deep experience in China and insights into the political and economic climates and culture that are essential for success, we are recognized as leaders in foreign direct investment, M&A, corporate finance, venture capital, public and private equity transactions, regulatory compliance, U.S. federal and state government enforcement actions, internal investigations, intellectual property matters and dispute resolution.

Our local language abilities allow us—partners and associates—to conduct transactions in Chinese, perform due diligence of Chinese-language documents, prepare dual-language documentation required for transactions in China, and conduct our disputes and government enforcement work without the need for translation or third-party assistance. This linguistic capability supplements our fundamental strength as lawyers, and our practitioners in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong collaborate with team members around the globe to provide comprehensive, best-in-class guidance that reflects the complexities and nuances of our clients’ cross-border needs. Working closely with lawyers in related Pillsbury practices, including Corporate, Finance, Intellectual Property, International Trade, Global Sourcing, Securities Litigation & Enforcement, Real Estate, Employment, Regulatory and Tax, we offer full-service global representation and highly proficient legal counsel that reconciles Western and Chinese legal concepts.

Our multidisciplinary, multicultural teams offer extensive experience in assisting clients with:

  • Inbound Foreign Direct Investment and Joint Ventures
    • Pillsbury helps establish joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and strategic alliances utilizing flexible and tax-advantaged structures. We counsel clients on market entry strategies in light of China’s complex political, legal and regulatory regimes, and we assist with ongoing People’s Republic of China (PRC) operational issues and exit strategies. We are a market leader in devising structures to enable clients to participate in regulated industries, as well as to make them attractive to international investment.
  • China Going-Global Strategies
    • China is a major international investor across a range of industries. Our fully integrated global China practice works with major Chinese companies and financial institutions on their most complex and large-scale global projects in the United States and throughout the world.

  • Real Estate, Infrastructure and Construction
    • We represent foreign investors bringing resources and experience to projects in the PRC, as well as PRC companies and financial institutions involved in the rapidly growing volume of Chinese investment in North American and European real estate and infrastructure.

  • Capital Markets Transactions and Corporate Finance
    • Pillsbury handles hundreds of public offerings and private placements each year in the U.S. and international securities markets, representing issuers, underwriters, broker-dealers, investment advisors and investors. We are a leader in counseling PRC companies in accessing the U.S. capital markets, and we have assisted dozens of PRC companies in successful corporate finance transactions.

  • Energy
    • We represent PRC and international energy companies in infrastructure projects, strategic investments and commercial transactions all over the world.

  • Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions
    • We represent clients in complex, negotiated and non-negotiated domestic and cross-border M&A transactions involving public and private companies, going-private transactions, privatizations and leveraged buyouts. Our clients include bidders, targets, significant stockholders, boards of directors and special committees, as well as lenders. We advise on proxy contests, solicitations, challenges, takeover defensive measures, acquisitions of distressed assets in and out of bankruptcy, loans and leveraged buyouts.

  • Venture Capital and Private Equity Financing
    • We guide startups through all stages of the investment process and help clients protect their intellectual property, negotiate optimal distribution deals and strategic alliances, and implement growth strategies. Further, we represent venture capital and private equity investors structuring investment in portfolio companies, as well as portfolio companies in capital raising and in implementing growth strategies. Beyond legal services, we frequently connect the venture capitalists we know with companies we represent.

  • Antitrust and Competition Law
  • Banking and Finance, Including Project Finance
    • Pillsbury’s Finance lawyers represent corporations, banks, insurance companies, investment funds in commercial lending, derivatives, equipment finance, leveraged finance, project finance, trade finance, structured finance, debt restructuring, tax-exempt financing and distressed investing and debt trading. We offer a broad spectrum of corporate trust and agency services, from initial issuance to defaulted obligations, and we are experienced in cross-border credit facilities and a multitude of deal structures in the major- and middle-market sectors.

  • Litigation, International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
    • We represent clients in courts throughout the United States, in ADR proceedings worldwide, including representation before the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), and we are skilled at resolving disputes through negotiated settlement.

  • Corporate Structuring
    • From formation through financing, acquisitions and joint ventures, Pillsbury’s corporate lawyers advise companies on a global scale and at every life cycle stage. Our 200+ business-savvy corporate lawyers combine industry and regulatory knowledge with extensive deal experience and legal skills to provide comprehensive service to clients across industries. We routinely advise non-U.S. companies on the establishment of operations in the United States, including formation of subsidiaries, advice on choice of legal entity and corporate organizational structure, assistance with registrations in states and other local U.S. jurisdictions, negotiation of commercial agreements and financing arrangements with U.S. counterparties, advice on corporate governance matters, and compliance with other corporate legal requirements on U.S. business operations.

Representative Experience

  • Successfully obtaining a summary judgment for three Chinese investment companies in the Southern District of New York. The judgment enforced a $470 million China International Economic Trade Arbitration Commission, or CIETAC, award against Chinese billionaire Hui Qin. The award is regarded as the largest Chinese arbitration award ever confirmed in the United States. This deal was awarded “China Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Journal, in the Cross-Border Disputes category (2024).
  • Served as U.S. export control and sanctions legal adviser to Leapmotor, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, in connection with the company’s application for a public listing on the HKSEX. Leapmotor is one of the fastest growing EV makers in China, and its $800 million initial public offering was the largest in Hong Kong to date in 2022. This deal was awarded “China Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Journal, in the Capital Markets category (2022).
  • Assisted a U.S.-headquartered world-construction machinery manufacturer and its subsidiaries in China in conducting due diligence on suppliers, vendors, distributors and dealers, and regulatory compliance issues related to partnerships with such business partners.

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  • Represented MP Biomedicals LLC in its sale of all outstanding units to Valiant Co., Ltd., a Chinese state-owned enterprise. MP Biomedicals LLC engages in manufacturing and sales of life science and diagnostics products.
  • Successfully obtained CFIUS approval on behalf of a U.S.-based manufacturer/distributor of chemicals and diagnostics products regarding an acquisition by a China state-owned enterprise. Assisted the seller in conducting a comprehensive review of its export control compliance matters and its sales to various U.S. government agencies to facilitate CFIUS review process. 
  • Represented a Chinese real estate developer in its acquisition of a 40 percent equity interest in the $6 billion Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island redevelopment project, situated along the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, including 8,000 housing units, 500 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space.
  • Advised a U.S.-based leading producer of mechanical pipe joining solutions in its corporate restructuring (including two joint ventures in China) and negotiation with Chinese partners.
  • Won a trial court dismissal, later upheld by ITC, of a high-stakes patent infringement suit brought by a nonpracticing entity claiming our client’s made-in-China mobile phone headsets infringed its patents.
  • Represented U.S. issuer in government and internal investigations relating to alleged FCPA violations in China, as well as the development of a global anti-corruption compliance program, including for operations across Asia and Latin America.
  • Represented a global private equity firm in billions of dollars of portfolio company investments in Greater China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, including the conducting of anti-corruption, sanctions, AML, export controls due diligence, the forensic testing of target company financial records, the drafting and negotiating of transaction agreements, and the development, implementation and oversight of post-close internal controls.
  • Conducted trade secret investigation for Taiwan biopharmaceuticals company in Taiwan and mainland China.
  • Directed investigation of China sales practices for multinational semiconductor supplier.

Practice Area Highlights

  • China Business Law Journal, leading international firm in five practices 
    • Energy & Natural Resources (2020-2021)
    • Government & Public Policy (2022)
    • Dispute Resolution (2021)
    • International Trade (2021-2023)
    • Aviation (2020)
  • Chambers Global guides rank multiple Pillsbury practices
    • Greater China Region, International Trade/WTO (International Firms) (2023)
    • Global, Asset Finance (2021-2023) and Outsourcing (2021-2023)
    • USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts (2022-2023); Export Controls & Economic Sanctions: The Elite (2023); Trade Remedies & Trade Policy (2021-2023); and in Technology Sector (International & Cross-Border) (2019-2023)
  • China Business Law Journal, China Deal of the Year, in the Capital Markets category for client Leapmotor Technology’s $807 million public listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (2022)

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  • Short-listed by China Law & Practice Awards for Firm of the Year, International Dispute Resolution (2021-2022)
  • Honored Twice with the Law Office’s Client Choice Awards for China
  • The Asian Lawyer, Asian Legal Awards: 2018 Aviation Firm of the Year & 2018 New Asian Office
  • The Asian Lawyer, “M&A Deal of the Year: North Asia” in 2018 and “Single Asset Transition of the Year (over $25 million)” at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Awards (2018)
  • People’s Daily has described Pillsbury’s legal team as the largest Chinese-fluent legal team in New York
  • WorldECR Awards 2018, Highly Commended Export Controls and Sanctions Firm of the Year: Rest of the World