ENG

  • Mingchun ZOU

    Equity Partner / Wuhan

  • Tel +86-27-8555-7988

    Email zoumingchun@zhonglun.com

  • Practices

    Cross-border Investment/M&A, Cybersecurity & Data Protection, Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Reorganization

  • Industries

    Information & Intelligence Technology

CV

Mingchun ZOU

Mr. Zou was honored as one of the first batch of “Top Ten Lawyers” of Hubei Province, and serves as vice president of the International Law Research Society of Hubei Law Society. Mr. Zou has been engaged in cross-border investment, mergers and acquisitions, international commercial arbitration, and other fields. His practice focuses on foreign-related legal services for enterprises in the sector of automobile and communications.
Mr. Zou has long been the legal advisor of state-owned enterprises, such as Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Fiberhome Group, and Metallurgical Group Corporation. He has assisted enterprises with their investment in Europe, the US, Malaysia, India, Brazil, Vietnam, and other countries and regions. He also has accumulated extensive experience in organizing, leading, and coordinating lawyers in other jurisdictions to provide cross-border legal services for Chinese enterprises. In addition, Mr. Zou is experienced in handling mandates in emerging industries such as new energy and smart vehicles, chips and communications technologies, and provides legal services to enterprises for sanctions, export controls, data compliance, among other matters.

Representative Matters

Cross-border M&A

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned engineering enterprise on its equity investment in and an EPC project of a large-scale intelligent steel plant in Malaysia

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on a theme park development project in Saudi Arabia

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on the establishment of an office agency in Vietnam 

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on automotive distribution compliance and GDPR compliance concerning export of vehicles to Poland

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its investment in a new energy vehicle company and a driverless car company in the US

  • Advised Dongfeng Motor Corporation on its vehicle distribution project in Brazil

  • Advised DFCV on its M&A and distribution financing projects in South Africa

  • Advised Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd. on the establishment of a legal entity and acquisition of assets in Russia

  • Advised an enterprise on a product manufacturing cooperation project in Iran

  • Advised an enterprise on compliance relating to its investment in Indonesia

  • Advised a Chinese central state-owned enterprise on a submarine fiber optic cable laying project in the Philippines

  • Advised a Chinese central state-owned enterprise on the establishment of a capital and finance center in Hong Kong

  • Advised a Chinese central state-owned enterprise on an equity merger and acquisition project in Sweden and Hong Kong

  • Advised a Chinese central  state-owned enterprise on a number of technology research and development projects in cooperation with high-tech companies in the US and Sweden

  • Advised a real estate development company on a joint development project in Colombo Port City with a Chinese central state-owned enterprise 

  • Advised an enterprise on a cable car construction investment project in Saipan

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its investment in an industrial park in Portugal

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its M&A and financing project in Cambodia

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on an EPC project and equity investment in Cambodia, Mongolia, and Tajikistan


Foreign Investment

  • Advised Administrative Committee of Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone on investment promotion of Korean biosimilars

  • Advised Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co., Ltd. on a joint venture for aluminum wheels with German Maxion Wheels Group

  • Advised Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co., Ltd. on a joint venture for steering gears with Nexteer Automotive

  • Advised Wuhan Huazi Dongjiang Auto Parts Co., Ltd. on its joint venture project with a French Company

  • Advised Wuhan Yatai Seasoning Foodstuff Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of asset of McCormick & Company, Inc.

  • Advised Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. on the development and manufacturing of high-performance engines in cooperation with Volvo Cars Group


Inbound M&A and Restructuring

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on the restructuring of the assets and business of its subsidiary (a joint venture company)

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on the restructuring of the business of three of its subsidiaries

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its acquisition of equity and control of a listed company

  • Advised Wuhan Zhongsheng Hongrun Logistics Co., Ltd. on its restructuring

  • Advised Dongfeng Renault (Sino-foreign joint venture) on its prepackaged reorganization

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its “Double Hundred Action” hybrid project

  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its employee share incentive plan

  • Advised Dongfeng Changxing Science and Technology Co. Ltd. on its “Double Hundred Action” hybrid project

  • Advised Dongfeng Forging Co., Ltd. on its “Double Hundred Action” hybrid project

  • Advised a manufacturing company on establishing a joint venture with a logistics company

  • Advised the subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co., Ltd. on the transfer of powder metallurgy assets and business

  • Advised Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. on a project of externalization of frame stamping parts

  • Advised Dongfeng Piston & Bearing Co., Ltd. on its restructuring

  • Advised Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co., Ltd. on the restructuring of its chassis system


International Commercial Dispute Resolution

  • Advised a Hubei-based company on arbitration of a joint venture dispute with a Brazilian company before London International Arbitration (LCIA)

  • Advised a Chinese central state-owned enterprise on arbitration of an investment dispute with a Brazilian company before the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration (ICC)

  • Advised a Chinese central state-owned enterprise in the technology sector on a trade secret infringement case with a US high-tech company before the US federal court and Virginia state court

  • Advised a Chinese construction company on an EPC dispute and liquidation before an Indian arbitration institution with an Indian company

  • Advised a listed machinery company on an international trade dispute with an Ukrainian company before the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)

  • Advised a communications equipment company on a dispute over the quality of communications equipment with a leading South Korean electronics company before ICC

  • Advised a Hong Kong group company on an equity investment dispute with a tobacco company in the Chinese mainland before CIETAC 

  • Advised China Dongfeng Motor Industry Import & Export Co., Ltd. on an automobile distribution and real estate lease dispute in the Middle East

  • Advised a communications technology company on a dispute with a Thai company over the performance of a communications project in Thailand

  • Advised a listed chemical company on an international letter of credit fraud dispute with a South Korean company before a Hong Kong court


Restructuring and Other Mandates

  • Advised a foreign-funded daily chemical products company on the liquidation of its plant in China

  • Advised Wuhan Schmitz Trailer Co., Ltd. (Sino-foreign joint venture) on its liquidation

  • Advised a German company on the disclosure of trade secrets in China

  • Advised a German pharmaceutical company on the exit from its investment project in China

  • Advised Dongfeng Motor Group on the restructuring of water, electricity, heating, gas, and property management services

  • Advised the State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company on its restructuring

  • Acted as retainer-based legal adviser to Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd.

  • Acted as retainer-based legal adviser to Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd.

  • Acted as retainer-based legal adviser to FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies Co., Ltd.

  • Acted as retainer-based legal adviser to Accelink Technologies Co., Ltd. 

  • Acted as retainer-based legal adviser to CITIC Pacific Special Steel Group Co., Ltd.

  • Acted as retainer-based legal adviser to Sky-Blue

Honors and Awards

Band 1 for Corporate/Commerce in Greater China Region, Chambers, 2022-2023

Band 2 for Corporate/Commerce in Asia-Pacific, Chambers, 2021

National Talent Pool of 1,000 Foreign-related Lawyers, the Ministry of Justice, 2018

Talent Pool of Belt and Road Initiative Cross-border Lawyer, All China Lawyers Association, 2017

The First of Top T en Lawyers in Hubei Province, 2001

Memberships & Affiliations

Arbitrator, The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission

Arbitrator, Wuhan Arbitration Commission

Arbitrator, Wuhan International Arbitration Center

Mediator, Wuhan Arbitration and Mediation Promotion Association

Member, Inter-Pacific Bar Association

Vice President, International Law Research Association Society of Hubei Law Society

Part-time Tutor of Master of Law, Wuhan University

Cooperative tutor of master of law, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

Director (Fifth and Sixth Session), International Law Committee of Hubei Bar Association

Invited Lawyer of the Legal Advisory Group of Overseas Chinese Enterprises Service (served), Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council

Member of Wuhan Lawyer Advisory Group (served), Wuhan Municipal Justice Bureau

Publications

“An Exploration of Export Control Compliance in Cross-border Technical Cooperation of Chinese Enterprises” (co-author), Research on Overseas Legal Practice of Chinese Enterprises Going Global, All China Lawyers Association, May 2020

“Essentials of Legal Practice of Foreign Debt Issuance under the New Regulations - Case Summary of US$300 Million Bond Project in Zhuzhou City”, Wolters Kluwer, November 2016

“Research on Legal Issues of Foreign Investors’ Merger and Acquisition of Chinese Enterprises” (co-author), Journal of China Lawyer and Jurist, July 2005

  • Bar Admissions/Professional Qualifications

    Securities Practice Qualification, 1996
    PRC Bar, 1988

  • Education

    LL.M., California Western School of Law (US)
    LL.M., School of Law, Wuhan University
    LL.B., Southwest University of Political Science and Law

  • Professional Experience

    Partner, Zhong Lun Law Firm
    Partner, Dewell & Partners
    Chinese legal counsel, Allen & Gledhill

  • Languages

    Chinese
    English