Greater China

Greater China Practice – At a Glance

With deep ties to Asia’s entrepreneurial, financial, investor, and legal communities, Wilson Sonsini has developed a strong and thriving practice in Greater China and neighboring regions. Wilson Sonsini opened an office in Shanghai in 2007 and added one in Hong Kong in 2010.

The firm’s China-based attorneys offer a wide array of legal services and work closely with their colleagues in the U.S. and Europe to leverage the firm’s experience and resources on a global scale. Led by an experienced team of Greater China-based partners with substantial experience in U.S. and Hong Kong capital markets, private equity, M&A, and corporate governance, our fully integrated group has more than 30 bilingual professionals. Drawing on Wilson Sonsini’s comprehensive platform of practice areas and industry groups, our firm also represents both U.S.- and Asia-based companies and funds in corporate, private equity, and venture capital investments; joint ventures; technology transactions; IP matters; antitrust counseling; arbitration; and litigation. Of note, the attorneys in the firm’s Hong Kong office advise clients on matters governed by both U.S. and Hong Kong laws.

Our clients include leading companies across a broad range of technology, healthcare, and consumer industries, including biotech, medical devices and pharmaceuticals; communications and networking; internet and digital media; edtech; mobile devices and apps; software and hardware; semiconductors; and renewable energy. In addition, our Greater China team’s nuanced understanding of China’s business and political landscapes—as well as its culture—makes the firm an ideal partner for companies, private equity and venture capital funds, and financial institutions in the region.

Global Capital Markets

Relevant Experience

Wilson Sonsini regularly represents companies and underwriters in connection with U.S. SEC-registered and Hong Kong Stock Exchange offerings, representing both issuers and underwriters. Representative examples include:

  • Wilson Sonsini acted as U.S. and Hong Kong counsel to Ascentage Pharma Group International on its U.S. IPO and Nasdaq listing.
  • Issuer’s U.S. and Hong Kong counsel to LEPU ScienTech Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in its HK$654.6 million IPO and listing on the Main Board of the HKSE.
  • Issuer’s U.S. counsel in Cloopen’s US$368 million IPO and listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
  • Issuer’s lead international counsel to VeriSilicon Microelectronics in its RMB1.86 billion ($268.8 million) IPO and listing on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board (STAR Market) of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
  • Issuer’s U.S. counsel to Ebang International in its $100.8 million IPO on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

Wilson Sonsini has also assisted Greater China-based clients in other public offerings, private placements, and going-private transactions. Representative matters include the following transactions:

  • Wilson Sonsini acted as Hong Kong counsel to WuXi AppTec on the issuance of RMB6,780 million USD settled zero coupon convertible bonds due 2027.
  • Wilson Sonsini acted as counsel to Boyu Capital on its $110 million convertible bond investment in Gushengtang.
  • Wilson Sonsini acted as the U.S. legal counsel to Pujiang International Group Limited in Ossen Innovation Co., Ltd.’s merger with New Ossen Innovation Limited, a special-purpose vehicle wholly owned by New Ossen Group Limited, a subsidiary of Pujiang International Group Limited.
  • Wilson Sonsini acted as international counsel to Warburg Pincus and international co-counsel to the buyer group in 58.com’s US$8.7 billion going-private transaction.
  • Wilson Sonsini acted as legal counsel for the convertible notes investors led by Silver Lake in TAL Education Group’s US$3.3 billion private placement.
  • Wilson Sonsini acted as international counsel to PW Medtech Group Limited in the share sale and China Biologic Products Holding’s going-private transactions, and as the co-U.S. legal counsel and Hong Kong legal counsel to the buyer group in CBPO’s going-private transaction.

M&A and Private Equity

Relevant Experience

Our China team acts on the full range of M&A transactions involving technology, healthcare, consumer, and other growth enterprises at all stages of development. The firm has advised on a significant number of M&A and private equity deals involving Chinese companies.

Our M&A attorneys have substantial experience advising companies on both the buy and sell sides of negotiated and contested transactions, including the following:

  • Small “tuck-in” acquisitions
  • Large-scale public company acquisitions
  • Strategic mergers and business combinations
  • Going-private transactions
  • Complex cross-border joint-venture transactions
  • Asset acquisitions
  • Spin-offs
  • Other business dispositions

As to our private equity practice, Wilson Sonsini’s China attorneys regularly act for financial sponsors across the complete spectrum of buyout and investment transactions, including public company “take-private” deals, private investments in public equity (PIPEs), private company buyouts, growth and later-stage financings, venture capital investments, and various portfolio company transactions. Our clients include many leading PE and growth equity funds in both the U.S. and China, such as Warburg Pincus, Sequoia Capital China, Boyu Capital, CDH Investments, and L Catterton. In addition, we have represented U.S.- and China-based corporate clients, including DJI and Tencent, in their investments and acquisitions, as well as with respect to technology transactions.

Select Representative Matters

  • Acted for WuXi AppTec in the sale of its China-based clinical research services business to Hillhouse Investment Management, a leading global private asset manager.
  • Acted as counsel for WuXi AppTec in the sale of its U.S. medical device testing operations to NAMSA, a Toledo, Ohio-based MedTech testing, clinical, and regulatory consulting firm.
  • Acted as counsel to Plutonian Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company, in its business combination agreement with Big Tree Cloud International Group Limited.
  • Acted as counsel to Boyu Capital in its acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares in Quasar Medical from the Longreach Group and the founder family minority shareholders.
  • Acted as counsel to Michael Li, owner of Range Group, a major investor in the buyer group, led by Josh Harris, which acquired the Washington Commanders, a U.S. National Football League team, for $6.05 billion.
  • Acted as international counsel to Wallaby Medica on the acquisition of phenox GmbH, a German-based global innovation and technology leader in the neurovascular space, for a total consideration of approximately EUR 500 million.

A Number of Novel and First-of-Kind Transactions

The firm has an outstanding record of advising on change-of-control M&A and going-private transactions in the China market and has exceptional strength and experience in contested acquisitions, which have become increasingly common in recent years. We have enabled clients to successfully design, structure, and implement many creative and groundbreaking transactions or takeover defense mechanisms, such as:

  • The first private-equity-sponsored going-private transaction of a Hong Kong-listed company
  • The first asset spin-off by a U.S.-listed Chinese company in exchange for a controlling stake in a PRC-listed Chinese company
  • The first hostile takeover between two Hong Kong-listed Chinese companies
  • The first announced application of a poison pill for a Chinese company listed in the U.S.
  • The first successful private equity investor-led board and management reshuffling of a U.S.-listed Chinese company

Litigation

Wilson Sonsini’s strength in litigation rests on a sophisticated understanding of our clients’ businesses and our ability to execute creative and aggressive responses to the problems commonly encountered by public and private companies, whether it is in their best interests to sue, defend, settle, or engage in alternative dispute resolution. Our experience includes litigation related to securities, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust issues, intellectual property, and corporate governance.

For example, on September 8, 2026, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) issued a final award in a dispute between Leed Education Holding Limited, National Education Holding Limited, and Hyde Education Holding Limited (collectively, the claimants) and Minsheng Vocational Education Company Limited (the respondent), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Minsheng Education Group Company Limited. Wilson Sonsini acted for the claimants in the arbitration.

We also successfully defended a private equity consortium in the first expedited hearing process brought under the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC), obtaining a complete victory for the client, including dismissal of all claims and an award of substantial costs and fees.

Intellectual Property and Technology Transaction

We partner with technology, life science, media, and growth enterprises of all types to leverage and protect their intellectual assets most effectively. Our strengths in technology transactions and IP matters, together with our China-based corporate attorneys, position us to serve technology-focused growth enterprises in China.

We help companies build and implement successful new business models, develop and execute strategic IP litigation, structure and negotiate technology and media transactions, and consult on long-term IP strategies. We handle patent prosecution and other IP work for a broad range of Chinese companies, particularly in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. We have also represented Chinese companies in complex cross-border technology transactions.

Antitrust and CFIUS

Widely recognized as one of the top global competition law practices, Wilson Sonsini’s antitrust attorneys assist clients with the most important bet-the-company litigation, merger reviews, conduct investigations, and cartel matters. We advise clients regarding a full array of counseling and compliance issues, including pricing, distribution, vertical restrictions, standard-setting activities, joint ventures, and patent pooling. In addition, the firm has extensive experience representing clients in antitrust matters before U.S. courts and international competition authorities, including China’s National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

When Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issues arise, Wilson Sonsini’s national security team advises clients on CFIUS processes and represents them at any stage of review. If appropriate, we engage CFIUS in informal discussions about proposed transactions. When clients seek formal CFIUS review, our attorneys assist in preparing submissions to CFIUS and dealing with its departments and agencies. We also interact with other key stakeholders (including members of the U.S. Congress) and, if necessary, help manage public attention and scrutiny that CFIUS may bring to a proposed transaction. Our national security team includes attorneys who have served as senior officials in the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. military, and the U.S. Department of State—all of which are charged with enforcement and oversight of national security laws and regulations.

See Greater China Practice on wsgr.com

Meet Our Greater China Team

See Full Greater China Team on wsgr.com