Mountain View, CA (May 7, 2014)– Fenwick & West, a leading technology and life sciences law firm, announced today the continued expansion of its China Practice with the opening of a licensed representative office in Shanghai. Fenwick partner Eva Wang, who joined the firm a year ago, will lead the Shanghai office along with four additional U.S. qualified attorneys who are resident in China: Ben Li, Ruomu Li, Jen Z. Liu and Eric Yao.
“The move to open an office in Shanghai is very much driven by client demand,” said Fenwick chairman, Richard Dickson. “In response to increasing work for technology and life sciences clients based in China as well as U.S. companies doing business in China, we’re making additional investments including recruiting lateral partner Eva Wang a year ago, and now, opening an office in Shanghai and expanding the team to 20 attorneys, including those who reside in the firm’s U.S. offices. Fenwick’s new office, staffed with five talented attorneys, further bolsters our active China practice.”
Eva Wang’s clients include U.S. and China based venture capital funds that invest in China, emerging growth companies based in China and the U.S., and public companies based in China and listed on the U.S. and Hong Kong stock markets. She has been in private practice focused on China for the past 16 years, resident in China for the past 10 years and served as general counsel of Spreadtrum Communications during its IPO on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
“I have been working closely with Ben Li, Jen Z. Liu and Eric Yao for several years and am excited to have them officially join Fenwick, along with Ruomu Li who is rejoining the firm after spending three years in Hong Kong,” said Wang. “It’s an excellent group to service the steady increase in client needs in the region. Fenwick’s investments in the China practice over the course of several years have paved the way for a number of recent successes.”
Fenwick’s work handling high-profile matters in China includes:
The firm also recently received several accolades and awards for its work in China. Fenwick’s representation of Spreadtrum in its acquisition was awarded 2013 “Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Journal.
Alibaba Group’s $7.1 billion share buyback agreement with Yahoo, in which Fenwick served as special intellectual property counsel, was recognized as M&A Deal of the Year and Equity Market Deal of the Year by Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards as well as China’s Technology, Media and Telecom Deal of the Year. Eva Wang was among five attorneys shortlisted as Dealmaker of the Year for the 2014 Asian Legal Business China Law Awards.
Leading the Shanghai office, Wang focuses on U.S. corporate and securities law for Chinese technology companies, and for American companies doing business in the region. Counsels Jen Z. Liu and Eric Yao, along with associates Ben Li and Ruomu Li, add deep experience in general corporate matters, venture capital financings, private equity investments, M&A, joint ventures, capital markets and corporate governance.
“The firm has long been involved in China and other Asian markets, as our U.S.-based clients have expanded into those markets through direct investments, acquisitions and joint ventures, and as more Asia-based companies have sought out Fenwick for advice and representation on U.S. legal issues, venture capital financing and acquisitions, as well as complex IP matters and litigation,” said Gordon Davidson, Fenwick’s former chairman and a leader in the China practice. “This is an exciting opportunity to further expand and deepen our China-related work.”
About Fenwick & West:
Fenwick & West provides comprehensive legal services to groundbreaking technology and life sciences companies at every stage of their lifecycle. We craft innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions for established and emerging companies on issues ranging from venture capital, public offerings, joint ventures, M&A and strategic relationships, to intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, taxation, antitrust, and employment and labor law. For more than four decades, Fenwick has helped some of the world's most recognized companies become and remain market leaders.
Contact:
Melita Jampol
650.335.7392
mjampol@fenwick.com