English | 中文
Professionals
  • Michael Zou
     Beijing
     Member of PRC Bar
  • Partner
  • Practices：
    Cross-border investment， General Corporate
  • Tel：
    8610 8587 0068
  • Fax：
    8610 8587 0079
  • Email：
    yongzhong.zou@chancebridge.com
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Practice Areas and Experience

With his core focus on general corporate matters, particularly foreign direct investment, outbound investment, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, acquisition finance, energy and infrastructure, and project finance, Michael is able to offer his clients' practical and tailored advice to suit their specific needs.  

He has been involved in various cross-border transactions, especially in inbound and outbound investments, cross-border mergers and acquisitions and project financings.

Prior joining Chance Bridge, Michael worked as a counsel at a leading international law firm where he represented multinational corporations, Chinese state-owned and private enterprises, Chinese and international banks and other financial institutions, in hundreds of cross-border investment and finance transactions.
 

Education

  • LLM, Peking University Law School
  • LLM, Northwestern University School of Law
 

Practices

  • foreign direct investment, outbound investment, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, acquisition finance, infrastructure and project finance
 

Working experience

  • September 2006 - May 2021, Counsel, Hogan Lovells International LLP
  • June 2021 to present, Partner, Chance Bridge Law Firm

Languages

Chinese、English
 

Corporate/M&A

  • Advising HNA Group on its multi-billion dollar acquisition of Carlson Hotels, Inc.
  • Advising HNA Group on its multi-billion dollar acquisition of Swissport from private equity firm PAI Partners.
  • Advising a leading multinational company on its multi-billion dollar sale of an automobile brand to a Chinese private automobile company.  
  • Advising a foreign state-owned company on the formation of a US$9bn joint venture with a Chinese state-owned enterprise for development, construction, financing and operation of a crude oil refinery in China.
  • Advising a Chinese state-owned company in connection with the negotiation of a multi-billion dollar long-term contract for import of gas by pipeline to China. 
  • Advising a leading multinational automobile company on its multi-billion dollar sale of certain automobile brands to a company in India.
  • Advising a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its acquisition of a steel company in Europe.
  • Advising HNA Hotel Group on the formation of a Chinese-foreign equity joint venture in China with Spanish hotel chain NH Hotel Group, the third largest European hotel chain. 
  • Advising an international investment fund on its multi-billion dollar acquisition of a high-end office building in Chengdu, Sichuan, China.  
  • Advising an UAE investment company on its US$600m acquisition of the global wind power business of a US energy company (including all wind power projects in China).
  • Advising an international investment fund in structuring a direct investment of approximately US$60m in a five-star hotel project in Shanghai, China. 
  • Advising a US company on its investment, operation and management of certain NBA standard arenas in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, China. 
  • Advising an international energy group on its investment, development, construction and financing of several power plants in Beijing, Hebei, Jiangshu and Hubei, China.
  • Advising a US power company on its joint venture project for development, construction and operation of a power plant in Henan province, China.

Financing

Acquisition finance

  • Advising HNA on its multi-billion dollar acquisition finance from a Chinese bank for HNA's acquisition of an international hotel group.
  • Advising a Chinese bank on its �60m acquisition finance for the acquisition of hotels in French Polynesia by a Chinese private company. 
  • Advising HNA on its acquisition finance from a Chinese state-owned bank for HNA's outbound acquisitions.

Project finance & infrastructure

  • Advising Sinosure and China Development Bank on the landmark US$1bn GNPower Mariveles 2x300MW coal-fired power project in Philippines - China Business Law Journal Infrastructure & Project Finance Deal of the Year.
  • Advising China Development Bank in US$1bn refinancing of GNPower Mariveles power project in Philippines.
  • Advising Sinosure on providing insurance for a hydropower construction project in South America which was financed by China Development Bank with US$600m loan.
  • Advising China Development Bank, Export-Import Bank of China and Sinosure on the GNPower Kauswagan power project in Philippines.
  • Advising a Chinese state-owned energy company on the approximate US$10bn project financing by certain Chinese state-owned banks and export credit agency of gas pipeline projects in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. 
  • Advising a Chinese state-owned bank on a syndicated loan to an expressway PPP project in Bangladesh.
  • Advising a Chinese state-owned fund on its financing for a road project to be constructed by a Chinese company in South Sudan.

Other financing

  • Advising a foreign state-owned oil company on the US$1.5 billion prepayment financing by a Chinese state-owned bank – China Law & Practice and China Business Law Journal Deal of the Year 2012.
  • Advising a foreign state-owned company on a US$20bn oil-for-loan financing provided by a Chinese state-owned bank.  
  • Advising a Chinese state-owned bank on a refinance the acquisition of an A380 aircraft for an airline company in the Middle East. This deal won the award for "Best cross-border airline or lessor financing by a Chinese financier" at the inaugural Airfinance Journal China Awards.
  • Advising an African government on a concessional loan provided by the Export-Import Bank of China.
  • Advising an African government on a commercial loan provided by the Export-Import Bank of China.
  • Advising China Development Bank on its multi-billion dollar finance to a foreign government in South America for domestic infrastructure projects.

Rating

•   Notable lawyer, IFLR 1000 – finance
•   Notable lawyer, Legal 500 – corporate, M&A, infrastructure/energy

Main Treatise

•   National Strategy: Policy and Investment of “Belt and Road” Initiative – Case Analysis of Several Countries along the Routes
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