Hong Zhang

Biography

Ms. Zhang has abundant experience in corporate affairs, especially in the areas of cross-border M&A (including PE and VC) and joint ventures. She focuses on domestic and overseas cross-border M&A and related legal issues including complicated PE and VC investment and financing, the restructuring involved in dismantling or setting up ‘red-chip’ structures, pre-IPO equity financing and employee incentives for various types of corporations, as well as strategic cooperation and joint venture business. She has accumulated extensive experience and unique insight across a wide range of sectors such as TMT, Fintech, healthcare, real estate, financial institutions, High Tech and high-end manufacturing.

Before joining the Firm, Ms. Zhang worked in major Chinese and international lawyer firms. She advised numerous Chinese companies in high-profile overseas M&A, and assisted multiple prominent international PE firms’ significant M&A transactions and equity investments in the Greater China and Asia region. Ms. Zhang is particularly skilful in advising clients on complicated cross-border transactions and providing input of high commercial value. She has also advised large multinational companies on their M&A and restructuring issues in Greater China and Asia, as well as acting as perennial legal counsel for several large Chinese state-owned enterprises (including government control investment companies).

Practice Focus

Ms.Zhang's practice focus are Private Equity/Venture Capital, Outbound Investment and Foreign Direct Investment

Representative Legal Matters

• A well-known sovereign wealth fund on its various china investment deals (relevant industries including BioPharma, TMT and logistics)
• A well-known sovereign wealth fund on its co-investment in China data center assets
• A leading crypto assets trading and exchange platform on its Series C financing
• Permira on its acquisition of majority interest in EF's kids& teens English training business in China and Indonesia
• Actis on multiple investments and exit transactions (including for its private equity and real estate investment arms)
• TR Capital on certain secondary market investment deals (including its subscription of limited partnership interest in Kinzon-sponsored USD fund for the purpose of RMB-USD restructuring of Kinzon’s selected RMB fund portfolio)
• A leading secondary fund on certain China investment deals (relevant industries including consumer and healthcare)
• EQT Partners Asia on its US$136 million buyout of China F&B Group, which operates the PRC franchise of Dairy Queen and Papa John’s Pizza
• CVC Asia Pacific Limited on its leveraged buyout of South Beauty Investment Company Limited
• HOPU Investment Management Co., Ltd. as the lead investor in a consortium on the consortium’s investment of RMB1,421,000,000 in Sinopec Marketing Co., Ltd., the refined oil retail subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

Professional Honors

Ms. Zhang has been selected as a “Next Generation Lawyer” in both China Corporate and M&A and Private Equity/Venture Capital practices by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018 & 2019. She has also been selected as a “Rising Star” in China Corporate and M&A, “Next Generation Partner” in Private Equity in 2020, as well as a “Next Generation Partner” in Corporate/M&A in Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 and 2024. She has been named among the "2023 ALB China Top 15 Female Lawyers". She has also been recognized by China Business Law Journal in The A-List Elite 2023-24: Growth Drivers.

Admission

New York State of US
PRC

Education

Columbia Law School, 2009 (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar), LL.M.
East China University of Politics and Law, 2004, LL.B.

Languages