ENG

CV

Zhonghua ZHANG

Mr. Zhang Zhonghua's primary practice areas cover investment, merger & acquisition (M&A), corporate governance, engineering and project development, as well as litigation and arbitration. He has developed in-depth expertise and profound industry insights in the hospitality/tourism and culture/entertainment sectors.

In terms of professional capabilities, Mr. Zhang specializes in complex investment and financing transactions, design of corporate governance structures, and compliance and risk control. He is well-equipped to provide enterprises with full-cycle legal support spanning project development, operation management, equity transfer, and asset exit. Meanwhile, he has demonstrated outstanding performance in dispute resolution, having represented clients in numerous major arbitration and litigation cases. He has particularly achieved favorable outcomes in disputes arising from hotel management contracts and joint venture cooperation, and excels at fulfilling clients' objectives through diversified approaches including negotiation, arbitration and litigation.

In terms of industry focus, Mr. Zhang has long been providing legal services for domestic and international projects such as high-end hotels, tourist resorts, and cultural & tourism complexes, covering project development, brand introduction, management contract negotiation and dispute resolution. In the culture and entertainment industry, he has rendered specialized legal support for large-scale theatrical performances, theater operations, concert investments, and film & TV cultural tourism projects, with a solid grasp of the characteristics and operation models of these sectors.

Representative Matters

Investment, Merger & Acquisition (M&A) and Corporate Governance

  • Provided retainer-based legal services and special legal services to multiple subsidiaries under different business segments of China Arts & Entertainment Group (CAEG)

  • Provided retainer-based legal services and special legal services to multiple subsidiaries of China National Salt Industry Group (CNSIG)

  • Provided legal services to Future Science City Group on the acquisition of a hotel/serviced apartment/commercial complex project in Beijing and the entrusted management project thereof

  • Provided full-cycle and comprehensive legal services for the joint venture cooperation exit project between Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (now Radisson Hotel Group) and China National Convention Center Group Corporation (CNCC Group)

  • Provided legal services to Changchun Film Group Corporation (CFGC) for the equity transfer project of its large-scale theme park in Hainan

  • Provided legal services to a large state-owned enterprise in Guizhou Province on matters including brand positioning and introduction, project cooperation negotiations, and project operation for a complex project (covering multiple formats such as hotels and commerce) developed in the core urban area

  • Conducted project feasibility studies for COFCO Corporation on the sale of a luxury hotel project in Beijing, and provided legal services for the transaction schemes such as equity transfer and listed sale thereof


Litigation and Arbitration

  • Represented InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and provided full-cycle legal services for multiple arbitration cases in Beijing, Xi'an, Taiyuan, Changshu and Dalian respectively

  • Represented Meliá Hotels International (Spain) and provided full-cycle legal services for several arbitration cases it involved in China

  • Represented the owner of a luxury hotel cluster in Beidaihe in handling disputes related to the termination of the agreement with the hotel management company

  • Represented a hotel management company in handling management contract disputes with the hotel owner for a hotel project in Qingdao

  • Represented a hotel owner in handling disputes with the hotel management company regarding debranding, operation and other matters for a hotel project in Harbin

  • Represented a hotel management company in addressing potential disputes with the hotel owner for a hotel project in Xi'an

  • Represented a subsidiary of China Arts & Entertainment Group (CAEG) and provided legal services for its large-sum execution cases and several cross-border litigation cases


Hospitality/Tourism Sector

  • Provided comprehensive legal services to Accor Group for the expansion, management, franchising, M&A and other matters of hundreds of hotels, serviced apartments and branded residences under all its brands in the Greater China region, including Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, Fairmont, Raffles, Mondrain, Mövenpick, MGallery, Swissôtel, Pullman, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure

  • Provided retainer-based and special legal services to Sanya Edition Hotel (the first Edition Hotel in the Asia-Pacific region and the fourth globally)

  • Provided legal services for the brand renewal and upgrading of Peace Hotel Shanghai by Fairmont

  • Provided legal services for Bulgari Residences Beijing

  • Provided legal services for Tianjin LXR and Doubletree by Hilton

  • Represented China Central Place Group (CCPG) and provided legal services for The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing, The Ritz-Carlton, Suzhou and Marriott Executive Apartments Suzhou

  • Provided legal services for The St. Regis Shanghai The Bund project of Sinar Mas Group (Singapore)


Culture/Entertainment Sector

  • Provided retainer-based legal services to Jin Guizi (Shanghai) Cultural Center

  • Provided legal services to Beijing Sihai Yijia Culture Communication Co., Ltd. for its participation in the "2025 Zhang Jie [Wei·LIVE] Tour to 1982 - Guiyang Station"

  • Provided legal services to China National Performance Arts Group Corporation (CNPAG) for its participation in the "2025 Angela Zhang World Tour - Linyi Station"

  • Provided legal services to China National Performance Arts Group Corporation (CNPAG) for the introduction of internationally renowned musicals Elisabeth and Mozart!

  • Provided legal services to China National Performance Arts Group Corporation (CNPAG) and the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports of Futian District, Shenzhen for the Shenzhen International Performing Arts Center

  • Provided legal services to China National Performance Arts Group Corporation (CNPAG) and Shanghai Jing'an Haishang Culture Management Center for the Shanghai Daning Theater

  • Provided legal services to China National Performance Arts Group Corporation (CNPAG) and Luzhou Yuyang Investment and Development Co., Ltd. for the Luzhou Jiangyang Cultural and Sports Center Theater

Honors and Awards

Recommended Lawyer for Hospitality Industry Legal Services, Asia-Pacific Region (THE HVS ASIA-PACIFIC Hotel Law Guide, 2020)

Memberships & Affiliations

Invited Expert, Immersive Cultural and Tourism Specialized Committee of China Culture Industry Association

Legal Expert Consultant, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Artificial Intelligence Society

Publications

"Practical Operations of Tourism Industry Projects: Investment/Development/Operation", Tourism Education Press

  • Bar Admissions/Professional Qualifications

    PRC Bar

  • Education

    LL.M., Transnational Law and Business University (TLBU), 2014 -2016
    LL.B., Law School of Jilin University, 2010-2014

  • Professional Experience

    Non-equity partner, and associate, Zhong Lun Law Firm, 2016 to present

  • Languages

    Chinese
    English