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  • Anthony ZHAO

    Equity Partner / Shanghai

  • Tel +86-21-6061-3666

    Email anthonyzhao@zhonglun.com

  • Practices

    Hong Kong & Overseas Capital Markets, Private Equity & Investment Funds, Cross-border Investment/M&A

  • Industries

    Telecommunications & Internet, Information & Intelligence Technology, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences, Education & Training, Media-Sports & Entertainment, Banking & Financial Services, Financial Innovation & Fintech

CV

Anthony ZHAO

Mr. Anthony Zhao specializes in providing legal services in the areas of private equity/venture capital investments, capital markets and corporate/M&A, with particular expertise in advising on transactions involving both offshore and onshore matters. Mr. Zhao is renowned as “one of the most well-rounded lawyers in the PRC” for his “fantastic understanding of clients’ commercial needs”, “creative, concise and to-the-point style” and “proximity to the market and regulatory developments” (Chambers Guide); Mr. Zhao’s services cover a broad range of industrial sectors in China, with a strong focus on the new economy, high-tech and innovative sectors, earning him global acclaim in the broader TMT sector. In recent years, Mr. Zhao’s practice has also delved into the fields of healthcare and life sciences.

Representative Matters

As a witness of the development of China’s private equity market and digital/intelligent industry from scratch, Mr. Zhao has advised on many landmark transactions, such as the overseas listings of Tencent, Meituan, JD, NetEase and Haier, Focus Media’s privatization from NASDAQ, SSF’s investment in Ant Financial, the development of Shanghai Disneyland, and JD’s strategic alliance with Tencent. As noted by Chambers Guide, “He’s excellent at structuring and thinks about all the issues that could arise in a situation with multiple levels of complication.  If I only had one person to consult in China, it’d be Anthony."

Honors and Awards

For Individual

Awarded by All China Lawyers Association as a “National Leading Lawyer” for the years of 2011-2014

Honored by Shanghai Bar Association as an “Orient’s Best Lawyer” and a “Leading Shanghai Lawyer” for the years of 2011-2015

Awarded by ALB as the Managing Partner of Year 2023 and ranked in ALB China Top Ten Power List 2016

Highly recommended by Chambers in the practice areas of TMT, Private Equity, Corporate/M&A and Capital Markets (Debt & Equity) since the year of 2008, all ranked in Band 1 or as an Eminent Practitioner

Endorsed by Asian Law and Practice, IFLR1000, Legal 500, Asian Legal Business, asialaw Profiles, China Business Law Journal, and other international publications as one of Asia’s leading lawyers in the above four areas (or similar areas) since the year of 2005, and listed in the Hall of Fame by Legal 500 since the year of 2021

Ranked by IFLR1000 as a “Market Leader” in the areas of Capital Markets: Equity, M&A and Private Equity since the year of 2018, listed as an Asia Best Lawyer since the year of 2019, and inducted to IFLR1000 China Hall of Fame in year of 2022

For Deal

Glorious Property Holdings Restructuring: ALB 2010 China Real Estate & Construction Deal of the Year

Shanghai Disneyland: China Law & Practice 2011 Real Estate & Construction Deal of the Year, ALB 2011 Asia M&A Deal of the Year, and ALB 2012 China TMT Deal of the Year

Focus Media’s Privatization: China Law & Practice 2013 Private Equity Deal of the Year, IFLR1000 2014 Private Equity Deal of the Year (Asia), and American Lawyer 2014 Global M&A Deal of the Year (China Private Equity)

Baidu’s Acquisition of 91 Wireless: ALB 2014 China M&A Deal of the Year and China TMT Deal of the Year, and China Law & Practice 2014 TMT Deal of the Year

Pactera Take-Private Financing: IFLR1000 2015 Asian High Yield Deal of the Year

JD’s Acquisition of Tencent’s e-commerce Business: ALB 2015 China M&A Deal of the Year

Lufax's NYSE IPO: asialaw Awards 2021 Impact Deal/Case of the Year, and IFLR1000 China Awards 2021 Deal of Year (Shanghai)

Haier Smart Home’s privatization of Haier Electronics Group and Listing on HKEX/Qingdao Haier first D-share IPO: asialaw Awards 2021/2020 Impact Deal/Case of the Year

LianBio Nasdaq IPO: China Law & Practice Awards 2022 Equity Securities Deal of the Year

Blackstone’s Leveraged Financing for Acquisition of Interplex Holdings: ALM Asia Legal Awards 2023 Finance Deal of the Year

Atour Nasdaq IPO: asialaw Awards 2023 Impact Deal/Case of the Year, and IFLR1000 China Awards 2023 Deal of Year (Shanghai)

Tims China reverse de-SPAC: ITR APAC Tax Awards 2023 Impact Deal of Year

Memberships & Affiliations

Member, the 14th CPPCC Shanghai Committee/Deputy Director, Committee on Social and Legal Affairs/Expert on Legislative Consultation

Member, the 13th CPPCC Shanghai Committee

Member, the Standing Committee of the 6th CPPCC Shanghai Pudong New Area Committee

Member, the 9th Congress of All-China Youth Federation

Member, the 12th Board of Governors, Shanghai Law Society

Arbitrator, Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission

Related

  • Bar Admissions/Professional Qualifications

    PRC Bar
    New York State Bar

  • Education

    LL.M. in Corporate Law, New York University School of Law, USA
    LL.M. in International Economic Law, Queen’s University Faculty of Law, Canada
    LL.B., Fudan University Law School, PRC

  • Professional Experience

    Partner, Zhong Lun Law Firm
    Associate, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, New York/Hong Kong
    Legal Counsel, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Shanghai

  • Languages

    Chinese
    English