In March 2018, King & Wood Mallesons announced the promotion of 24 new partners. The new generation of legal elites come from several offices of KWM China covering various practice groups, including banking & finance, corporate mergers and acquisitions, securities and capital markets, private equity and investment funds, dispute resolution, restructuring & insolvency, intellectual property, cyber security and data compliance, antitrust and anti-unfair competition, tax, real estate, customs and trade compliance. In the new market environment, the rapid growth of the younger generation of partners has not only effectively expanded the overall business strength of KWM, but also injected vitality into KWM for the firm to seize opportunities in the new era and continue to grow with innovation.
Zhang Yi，Chairman of KWM China Management Committee said, "Congratulations to the new partners! KWM new generation partners are carrying the responsibility of passing down the core values of the firm: Dedication to Clients, Teamwork, Innovation and Pragmatic, and Striving for Excellence. The rapid development of client demands and market forces us to continue to think and change, with the consciousness for platform and bigger picture. We will exert our collective wisdom and strive for progress, and will work tirelessly for the future development of KWM."
The 24 newly promoted partners in 2018 are:
Banking & Finance: Gu Jieyu (Nanjing), Liu Linlin (Beijing), Sun Shulin (Shenzhen)
Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions: Cui Wenying (assigned to Tokyo), Yang Fan (Shanghai), Li Xihao (Shanghai)
Securities and Capital Markets: Fan Lingli (Beijing), Tian Weina (Shenzhen), Wang Ningyuan (Shanghai), Hu Yizhou (Guangzhou)
Private Equity and Investment Funds: Jia Diyan (Beijing), Wang Zhaoyan (Suzhou)
Dispute Resolution: Han Yang (Beijing), Li Baoshan (Chengdu), Li Xinyu (Beijing), Li Peiran (Shenzhen), Song Siyu (Shenzhen)
Restructuring & Insolvency: Li Kai (Shenzhen)
Intellectual Property: Zhang Xiaoxia (Beijing)
Cyber Security and Data Compliance, Antitrust and Anti-Unfair Competition Law: Wu Han (Beijing/Guangzhou)
Tax: Zhang Ci (Beijing/Shanghai)
Real Estate: Xing Meidong (Beijing)
Customs and Trade Compliance: Feng Xiaopeng (Guangzhou), Jing Yunfeng (Beijing)
In addition to internal promotions, KWM had also actively introduced a number of external legal elites in 2017. Their joining had contributed to KWM's competitiveness in many practice areas. At present, KWM has a total of nearly 350 partners in China. While providing high-quality legal services for clients in their specialized areas and regions, these partners have also strengthened the firm's branding through internal and external cross-team cooperation and product innovation in the frontier areas.
Partners who joined KWM in 2017 include:
Rocky Lee, Beijing/Silicon Valley – Mr. Lee is the lead partner of KWM Silicon Valley office. He is experienced in cross-border M&A, outbound direct investment, PE/VC investments, RMB and USD denominated fund formation, FDI, TMT and mobile internet, cross-border joint venture and cooperation, and many other sectors.
Li Xiaoyang, Beijing – Mr. Li specializes in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity investment, technology transactions, intellectual property licensing agreements and disposal of non-performing assets. As one of the first international practitioners returning to China, Mr. Li represents multinationals and Chinese companies in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, including MNCs' investments and M&As in China and Chinese companies' acquisitions overseas. Mr. Li also advises private equity clients on their investments and M&As in China.
Han Yue, Beijing – Mr. Han specializes in onshore and offshore private equity fund investment, cross-border merger and acquisition and offshore capital markets. Mr. Han represented multiple onshore and offshore private equity funds in their investments in China, and he was also involved in several influential offshore capital markets transactions and gained wide experience.
Steven Wang, Shanghai/Shenzhen – Mr. Wang specializes in private clients and wealth management. He has extensive experience in providing wealth management, wealth planning, asset protection and other consulting services for high net worth clients. He also assisted many financial institutions with the establishment of wealth planning platforms, structuring, product development, team building and follow-up support.
Eli Han, New York – Mr. Han specializes in finance and capital markets, structuring and mortgage debt financing, complex financial products, funds, financial and capital markets regulation and management. He has extensive experience in transactional and regulatory legal service. He has formerly worked for a Wall Street law firm and a world-famous investment bank.
Sun Yuji, Silicon Valley – Mr. Sun specializes in the U.S. corporate and business law issues, risk investment and financing, mergers and acquisitions, and technology transaction. He has over 15 years of experience in the United States and China. He has extensive experience in all the aspects of corporate and business law in the United States and focuses on providing a full range of legal services to clients in the U.S. high-tech industry.
Laura Luo, New York – Ms. Luo specializes in cross-border investment, capital markets and M&A. She is qualified to practice Chinese and U.S. law and has served clients in a wide range of sectors. She formerly worked in several international law firms and U.S.-based companies.
Zhang Jingping, Beijing – Mr. Zhang specializes in the technology, media, and telecom (TMT) sector. He has many years of experience in the areas of media and emerging technologies, and has accumulated rich practical and management experience and resources, especially in TMT, one of the highlights of China's economic development in recent years. He has in-depth knowledge and rich practical experience.
Chau Ee Lee, Beijing – Mr. Lee specializes in construction engineering, energy and dispute resolution with particular expertise in international arbitration for construction engineering, infrastructure and energy projects. He has practiced in Singapore, London and Dubai for over 20 years. Mr. Lee joined KWM Singapore office in 2016 and was assigned to KWM China Beijing office in 2017.
Zheng Hui, Shanghai – Mr. Zheng specializes in international mergers and acquisitions, M&A financing, international energy infrastructure operations and other corporate finance business. He has many years of experience in the high-end industrial manufacturing, emerging technology, financial and real estate industries. He has led and participated in many large-scale investment projects of Chinese companies in Europe.
Tang Yiyun, Beijing – Ms. Tang provides diverse legal services to both Chinese and international companies, including domestic and overseas M&A, strategic cooperation projects, private equity investment, and post-merger integration in various sectors. With more than ten years of experience in practice, Ms. Tang specializes in providing insurance companies and financial institutions with services in cross-border M&A, compliance, corporate governance, and fund utilization for domestic and foreign investments.
