On March 4, the renowned legal media China Business Law Journal released the list of winners for the Deals of the Year Award 2025.
 
Through continuous reporting on China’s legal market, and independent analysis, China Business Law Journal has selected 275 standout deals and cases from thousands of submissions in the past year. Key evaluation criteria include deal size, industry impact, structural innovation, judicial precedent setting, and social contribution.
 
Two matters advised by Chance Bridge Law Firm were selected:
The strategic investment in Jinchuan Nickel & Cobalt Co., Ltd. by Minmetals New Energy (688779), a subsidiary of China Minmetals, led by Ms. Zhu Ning, Managing Partner of Chance Bridge;
The defense of Anhui Gold Star Titanium Dioxide and its subsidiaries in the EU anti-dumping investigation on titanium dioxide (TiO₂), led by Mr. Pu Lingchen, Partner of Chance Bridge.
 
PE/VC: Jinchuan Group's RMB9.7bn equity financing
CATEGORIES: Strategic investment; non-ferrous metals
KEY POINTS: Jinchuan Group Nickel and Cobalt, a core subsidiary of Jinchuan Group, completed a strategic equity financing of RMB9.7 billion (USD1.35 billion), bringing in 12 investors including Minmetals New Energy Materials and a state-owned enterprise mixed-ownership reform fund. According to Chance Bridge, the financing set a record in recent years for private equity fundraising size in China’s non-ferrous metals sector.
The transaction’s value went beyond pure financing, achieving deeper strategic alignment with industrial capital. Through the investment, Minmetals New Energy Materials also entered into agreements with Jinchuan Group companies to secure a long-term supply of battery-grade nickel sulphate each year, sufficient to meet demand for batteries for tens of thousands of electric vehicles.
The deal not only injected capital into Jinchuan but also linked its globally leading nickel and cobalt resources to core demand in the new-energy supply chain, offering a reference case for traditional industrial champions seeking to transform into suppliers of critical materials for the new-energy sector.
  
International Trade Investigations: Gold Star wins EU anti-dumping duty
CATEGORIES: Anti-dumping; chemicals
KEY POINTS: Following a complaint filed by the European Titanium Dioxide Ad Hoc Coalition in September 2023, the European Commission initiated an anti-dumping investigation in November into titanium dioxide originating from China.
A key challenge in the case lay in the EU’s anti-dumping rules, which reject the use of a Chinese exporter’s own cost data in favour of calculations from a third country under the special methodologies designed for Chinese exporters, creating uncertainty in cost assessment and evidentiary standards.
Chance Bridge Law Firm aligned legal criteria with the client’s operational data, carefully navigating the regulatory framework and submitting highly relevant supporting evidence, persuading the commission to adopt a favourable methodology.
In January 2025, the commission issued its final determination, imposing anti-dumping duties ranging from EUR0.25 (USD0.30) to EUR0.74 per kilogram. Gold Star received a rate of EUR0.25 per kilogram, the lowest in the case, lower than other responding and non-responding parties, as well as the provisional rate previously applied. This outcome secures Gold Star’s access to the EU market and strengthens its competitive edge. The case provides a valuable reference for Chinese exporters navigating similar trade remedy investigations.