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Jeff Zhang

Partner

北京

Jinsong (Jeff) Zhang, a partner in Orrick’s Beijing and New York offices, is a trusted advisor to international and Chinese investors and corporates on their transactional, regulatory and compliance matters. His work spans a variety of industries, including financial services, technology (automotive technology and mobility, life sciences, and Fintech), as well as energy and infrastructure.

Being recognized by Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Jeff has received clients’ praises as “an experienced lawyer, who understands the client’s business, both internally and externally", and his "understanding of the client’s business model, industry, customers and strategic objectives enables him to advise and guide clients on highly complex and sensitive matters”. Other clients comment that Jeff “develops the best strategies and solutions for clients” and “works very hard and is recognised by clients for his ability.” In addition, he is “dedicated to serving his clients and is able to leverage off the firm’s global network to provide services in specialized areas.” (Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, 2019 - 2023)

Jeff’s practice focuses on China-related inbound and outbound mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. He has extensive experience with share and asset acquisitions, growth capital and buyout transactions as well as tender offers, privatizations, restructurings, spin-offs, strategic alliances and joint ventures.

In addition, Jeff advises multinationals, financial institutions and private equity funds on their general corporate, capital markets and regulatory compliance matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jeff was a partner at the New York office of an international law firm. Earlier in his career, Jeff practiced in New York, Hong Kong, and mainland China with two major international law firms, and also served as the Head of Legal and Compliance of the U.S. operations of a leading Chinese investment bank, where he gained tremendous experience in helping Chinese clients navigate regulatory and compliance issues in the U.S.

Jeff serves on the International Advisory Board of Duke Law School, where he was also appointed as a Senior Lecturing Fellow. In his leisure time, Jeff serves on a volunteer basis as the Chief Legal Officer of The Chinese Finance Association (TCFA), a non-profit professional organization headquartered in New York with more than 7,000 members globally.

  • M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital

    Financial Institutions

    • Haitong Securities International in the HK$230 million reorganization of its subsidiaries in the U.S. and the U.K.
    • CITIC Securities in its proposed US$1.65 billion acquisition of Russell Investments; and its proposed US$2 billion cross investment with Bear Stearns.
    • J.P. Morgan in setting up a joint venture (JP Morgan First Capital Securities Co., Ltd.) with a Chinese investment bank.
    • Multinational Investment Bank and Financial Services Company (U.S.) in its US$3.06 billion consortium acquisition of Guangdong Development Bank.
    • AIG Group in its NT$5.5 million asset sale of AIG Finance (Taiwan) Company Limited to Taiwan Acceptance Corporation.
    • Goldman Sachs in its strategic cooperation with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Ltd. in the financial markets business.
    • Royal Bank of Scotland in the €71 billion consortium acquisition of ABN AMRO Holding N.V.

    Automotive Technology & Mobility

    • COVA Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its US$3.82 billion merger with Chinese mobility tech company ECARX Holdings.
    • Cerence (CRNC), a U.S.-listed automotive technology company, in its proposed US$482 million acquisition of Minieye (a China-based mobility technology company).
    • Toyota Motor in its US$400 million Series C investment into Pony.ai, a leading autonomous driving AI company in China.
    • A leading multinational automobile manufacturer in its Series A investment in a Chinese automobile navigation services provider.
    • Warburg Pincus in its US$200 million equity investment in China Auto Rental.
    • Guangdong Baolong Automobile in its proposed acquisition of U.S. Specialty Vehicles LLC, a California-based automobile company.
    • Multinational Investment Bank and Financial Services Company (U.S.) in its sale of US$110 million equity interest in North China German Auto Holdings Limited to McLarty Companies.
    • Chery Automobile in its US$400 million investment in Brazil.
    • SAIC Motor in its proposed acquisition of Visteon through Section 363 sale.

    Life Sciences & Healthcare

    • A leading private equity and growth capital investment firm in its series A investment in a privately held biotechnology company in the U.S.
    • China Reform Conson Soochow Overseas Fund I L.P. in its investment in the US$150 million Series D financing by Akeso Biopharma, Inc., a leading innovative biotech company in China.
    • China Reform Overseas Hongkong Company in the US$300 million Series C financing in Grail, Inc., a California-based cancer detection start-up company.
    • Xilong Scientific in the US$300 million proposed acquisition of 80% interest in miVIP, a robotics surgery center network headquartered in California.
    • Sunshine Insurance Group in its proposed equity acquisition of a U.S.-based therapeutic exercise technology company.
    • Shanghai Genext Medical Technology Company in the US$90 million acquisition of LSI, a Chicago-based and London AIM-listed clinical products and services provider.
    • Lifesense in its Series D investment in Ambiq Micro, a Texas-based medical semiconductor manufacturer.

    Technology

    • A leading venture capital firm in its Series Seed financing in an AIGC short-videos platform, and various other seed or early round investments in technology companies in and outside China.
    • Brookfield, a leading global alternative asset manager, in the Series D and Series D+ financing rounds of SHEIN, a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer. 
    • Canaan(CAN), a U.S.-listed bitcoin mining machine manufacturer, in its proposed in-kind investment in Rhodium Enterprises(a US based digital asset technology company).
    • Selen Science & Technology in its proposed acquisition of Akron Polymer Systems, Inc., a U.S.-based polymer materials research and development company.
    • Goldstone Investments in its US$1.9 billion consortium acquisition of OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

    Industrial, Energy & Infrastructure

    • China Life in the US$1.2 billion consortium (led by TIAA) acquisition of Interpark, a premier parking facility operating company in North America.
    • ProLogis in the US$1.3 billion sale of its operations in China and its interest in its Japanese property funds.
    • Singapore Airlines in its spin-off of Singapore Airport Terminal Services unit.
    • Rio Tinto in the restructuring of its global engineered products businesses valued at US$6 billion.
    • Cofra Holding AG in its US$185 million acquisition of a 28.4% stake in Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd, a NASDAQ-listed Chinese manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules.

    Tender Offer and Going-private Transactions

    • Going-private transactions for U.S.-listed Qihoo 360, AsiaInfo, Nuokang Bio-Pharm, Zhongpin, Winner Medical, China TransInfo, China GrenTech, China Security & Surveillance, and Feihe International, Inc. etc.
    • Korea Development Bank in the financing for the US$900 million acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Superior Essex Inc. by LS Cable Group through a tender offer.
    • CITIC Group and General Electric in the US$295 million tender offer and privatization transactions of Asia Satellite.
    • Tom Group in the HK$1.57 billion privatization of TOM.com.

    Capital Markets

    • COVA Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, on its $3.82 Billion SPAC merger with mobility tech company ECARX Holdings, upon completion of which ECARX shares began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols ECX. (“Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Awards 2022)
    • Keyarch Acquisition Corp. in its US$115 million SPAC IPO on Nasdaq.
    • Qingdao Haier in its listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
    • CITIC Limited in its US$36 billion listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
    • Vipshop Holdings Limited in its NYSE IPO.
    • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in its US$6.8 billion rights issuance.
    • Goldman Sachs and Multinational Investment Bank (Germany) as sponsors for the US$510 million Hong Kong IPO of Winsway Coking Coal Holdings Limited.
    • SAIC Motor in its investment in GM Motor’s IPO.
    • Various PRC company issuers including Delong Holding, R&F Properties, Beijing Capital Land and Shandong Chenming in their US$ denominated high yield debt offerings.