Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Expands Asia Practice

PALO ALTO, Calif. and SHANGHAI, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, today announced that Weiheng Chen has joined the firm as a partner in the corporate and securities practice and co-head of the China practice. With extensive experience in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets, Chen has been involved in some of the most significant M&A and capital markets transactions involving Chinese companies in recent years. He will add significant strength in the private equity and M&A arenas to the firm's on-the-ground China team and collaborate with the firm's U.S.-based attorneys on cross-border transactions. Chen will work closely with Carmen Chang, who heads the firm's China practice, to establish an office in Hong Kong in the coming months.  

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20040225/SFWSGRLOGO )

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040225/SFWSGRLOGO )

"Carmen and her team have done a remarkable job in expanding and solidifying the firm's presence in Asia and growing our China practice," said CEO Steve Bochner. "Now, with the continuing globalization of capital markets, the migration of many clients' operations to China, the increasing cross-border transaction volume between China and the U.S., and the thriving Chinese business climate, we're even more excited about the opportunities the region offers. Opening an office in Hong Kong -- a leading global capital market and one of China's key business centers -- is the logical next step, and Weiheng is the perfect partner to help Carmen lead the charge."  

"Weiheng will be an outstanding addition to our team in Asia with his impressive experience in private equity, M&A, and capital markets, his dedication to clients, and his extensive and deep client base," said Carmen Chang. "He is a highly accomplished attorney and a strong leader, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to build our capabilities in the region."  

Chen joins the firm from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy's Hong Kong and Beijing offices, where he amassed substantial experience in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, capital markets, and joint ventures. On the mergers and acquisitions front, he works on both inbound investments into China and outbound investments from China, and has been involved in some of the most significant M&A deals involving Chinese companies, such as China Huaneng Group's acquisition of Tuas Power in Singapore, State Grid International Development's announced acquisition of power transmission assets in Brazil, and Bank of China's strategic sales to Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, Temasek, and Asia Development Bank. Chen also has worked on many private equity, joint venture, and restructuring transactions in Asia with a number of private equity firms and multinational corporations, including Sequoia Capital China, Warburg Pincus Asia, New Horizon Capital, and Goldman Sachs. He has advised on many high-profile securities offerings, representing both issuers and underwriters, including the Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPOs and listings of Alibaba.com, Bank of China, and China Shenhua Energy, and the U.S. IPOs and NYSE listings of China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. and Mindray Medical International Limited. In addition, he provides general corporate and commercial law advice to clients in a wide array of industries, including energy, healthcare, telecommunications, utilities, banking, and consumer products.

Prior to joining Milbank, Chen was an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell, starting in their New York office and moving to their Hong Kong office in 2003. He is a native Mandarin speaker and graduate of Harvard Law School and Beijing University Law School.

About the China Practice

With a longstanding presence in Asia, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati formally opened its Shanghai office in 2008. The firm's China practice represents both U.S.- and China-based clients in a variety of international matters, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, foreign investment, branch operations, spin-offs, capital markets, and intellectual property counseling. It does the corporate and securities work for several notable U.S.-listed public companies with a significant Chinese component to their management and operations, including Ambow Education Holdings, Marvell Technology Group, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), Spreadtrum Communications, Tencent Holdings, and UT Starcom. The practice has extensive experience advising on public offerings by Chinese companies, including SMIC's $1.7 billion IPO. In addition, the China practice frequently teams with the firm's U.S.-based litigation department to represent clients headquartered in China in patent, securities, employment, and other litigation matters.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's broad range of services and legal disciplines is focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities class action litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With long-standing roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C. For additional information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

SOURCE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati