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  • Audry LI

    Equity Partner / Shanghai

  • Tel +86-21-6061-3666

    Email audryli@zhonglun.com

  • Practices

    Cross-border Investment/M&A, Compliance & Investigation, Litigation & Arbitration

  • Industries

    Energy & Power, Mining & Natural Resources, Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences

CV

Audry LI

Audry has more than 25 years of substantial experience in international legal services. She is known for representing multinational companies in various business sectors as their “trusted advisor” on a wide range of complex matters including cross-border M&A, joint venture, project restructuring, company reorganization, compliance/regulatory advisory and commercial dispute resolution.

Audry has been highly ranked as a Leading Individual in Corporate/M&A in China by Chambers & Partners Global/Asia Pacific and the Legal 500 each year from 2008 through 2024. She was appreciated as “a leading authority in the market” and “a spectacular practitioner” with “a complete understanding of local market and excellent business sense and innovation in transactions”.

Prior to starting her private practice, Audry had worked for seven years at CIETAC and the Legal Department of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade where she had participated in resolving over 200 international commercial arbitration cases. Her unique experience at CIETAC enables her to offer an insightful proactive and problem-solving approach in finding pragmatic and efficient solutions for clients’ matters. She is also a desired arbitrator for international related arbitration cases in China.

Representative Matters

  • Advised SIG Group AG on two global M&A transactions including 1) its USD 1.535 billion acquisition of Scholle IPN and 2) USD 335 million acquisition of Pactiv Evergreen’s Asia Pacific fresh carton business

  • Advised SoftBank Vision Funds II on a dozen of large equity investment transactions in high-tech fields covering online education, SaaS, fresh food retail platforms, robots, smart retail service providers, artificial intelligence, intelligent retail, and cross-border e-commerce

  • Advised One Rock Capital Partners on its USD 625 million acquisition of Therm-O-Disc, a leading sensors business, from Emerson Electric Co.

  • Advised Barrick Gold Corporation on few transactions, including 1) the strategic cooperation with and USD 960 million sale of Veladero Mine to Shandong Gold Group (SDG), 2) the USD 600 million cross-shareholding investment between the two companies, and 3) the sale of SDG shares for USD 210 million

  • Advised Koch Industries for its energy division on settlement of a USD 800 million syndicated loan transaction in relation to a global acquisition

  • Advised Halma on a number of global acquisitions involving Chinese assets and equity interests of various industries

  • Advised Halma on a reorganization project involving a dozen subsidiaries in China

  • Advised Trafigura on collection and settlement of debts up to USD 130 million from sales of oil

  • Advised INVISTA on its PRC restructuring project involving 16 subsidiary companies and USD 10 million

  • Advised INVISTA on a relocation project in China involving a large amount of compensation

  • Advised Carlyle Group/Onex group on its USD 5.6 billion global acquisition of Allison Transmission Division from General Motors

  • Advised Ozburn-Hessey Logistics on its global acquisition of Delta Airline

  • Advised Gores Group on its USD 100 million global acquisition of Power System Division from Tyco International

  • Advised Tetra Pak on its acquisition of the state-owned publicly listed Chinese partner’s equity interests in a joint venture

  • Advised K2 on a number of acquisitions in China and Jarden Corporation on merger of China subsidiaries and business expansion projects

  • Advised FLSmidth on a number of joint ventures and acquisition projects in China

  • Advised TRW Automotive on its joint venture with an SOE and sales of a number of business divisions involving China

  • Represented J.P. Morgan as lead arranger in financing the acquisition by SunEdison of three wind power generation projects in China with USD 150 million

  • Advised Symrise on a few transactions in China, including a greenfield investment project for business expansion, and construction of a new R&D center and new plants

  • Advised a European leading sports event company on bringing the first “Longines Global Champions Tour", the World’s premier five-star show jumping event, to Shanghai

  • Advised Christie’s on setting up a WFOE and becoming the first international fine art auction house to operate independently in China

  • Advised Booking.com on becoming the first foreign company to independently operate VAT e-commerce business in intangible asset operation in China

Honors and Awards

For Individual

Leading Individual, Chambers & Partners/Global &Asia Guide, 2008-2024 - China (Corporate/M&A)

Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2021-2023 - China (Corporate/M&A)

Highly Regarded Lawyer, IFLR 1000, 2022-2024 - China (Corporate/M&A)

Recommended Chinese Lawyer, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2004-2020 - China (Corporate/M&A)

Top 15 Women Lawyers in China for 2012, Asia Legal Business, 2012 - China

Top Woman Lawyer in Shanghai, Shanghai Bar Association, 2011 - Shanghai

Leading Lawyer, Asia Law & Practice, 2007-2010 - China (M&A)

Memberships & Affiliations

Vice Chair, Membership, International Bar Association (IBA) Insolvency Section

Member, Panel of Arbitrators, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)

Member, Panel of Arbitrators, Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC)

Member, Panel of Arbitrators, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)

Member, Panel of Mediators, Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC)

Global Adjunct Professor, New York University of Law’s NYU Law in Shanghai program

Member, China Advisory Board, Thomson West (New York)

Fellow of Young Leaders Forum, National Committee on US-China Relations (New York)

Member of Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, Asia Society (New York)

Publications

“Joint Venture Structures Q&A: China”, Cross Border Resource Centre, Practical Law, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023

“IBA-Doing Business in Asia Pacific - Restructuring and Insolvency”, IBA Asia Pacific Regional Forum, March 2020

“China International Insolvency & Restructuring Report 2020/21”, International Insolvency Institute, July 2020

“Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions in China for Foreign Investors”, written (co-author) on behalf of PRC Ministry of Commerce for the China-Germany government cooperative project, 2015-2016

“Thought on Developing Convention on Enforceability of Settlement Agreements Reached Through Conciliation”, Asia Pacific Regional Arbitration Group (APRAG) Newsletter, July-December 2014

“Annual reports on ‘Doing Business and Employing Workers Survey’ for China” (contributor), World Bank Group, 2011 to 2020

“China Chapter of the International Asset Transfer, An Overview of the Main Jurisdictions” (co-author), Germany Press De Gruvter Recht, November 2009

“Approaches to Revision of 1994 Arbitration Act of the PRC”, co-author, Journal of International Arbitration Vol.20 No. 2, Kluwer Law International, April 2003

Related

  • Bar Admissions/Professional Qualifications

    PRC Bar, 1994

  • Education

    LL.M., New York University School of Law
    LL.M., Wuhan University School of Law
    B.A. and graduate diploma, Beijing Foreign Studies University

  • Professional Experience

    Partner, Zhong Lun Law Firm Shanghai Office, 2006 to present
    Partner, Concord & Partners, 1997-2005China International Economic & Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) Legal Department/China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, 1989-1996

  • Languages

    Chinese
    English