Languages Chinese (Mandarin) English Admitted to Practice | California, 1994 | | New York, 1991 | | People's Republic of China |
| Jim Fang has more than 25 years of experience in China-related international business transactions. He represents U.S. and international manufacturing and private equity clients with structuring, documenting and negotiating strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructuring, asset-based financing, and equipment leasing. In addition, Jim regularly provides advice in intellectual property protection strategies and in handling troubled business workouts in China.
Jim also represents China-based companies doing business in the U.S. Given his profound understanding of the culture, business and legal systems in both China and the U.S., Jim provides his clients with valuable insight regarding their investments. Jim is one of the founders of the firm's Shanghai office.
Jim assists clients in an array of industries, including financial, insurance, automobile, retail, chemical, semiconductor, clean energy, machinery, technology, and pharmaceutical. His clients include: Bank of China, China Eastern Airlines, Genencor International, W.L. Gore & Associates, The Timken Company, and WPMI LLC, a WellPoint company.
Practice Highlights
- Counseling companies and their management teams in a number of preference share financing transactions
- Assisting U.S. manufacturers in merger and acquisition transactions of various types, including asset purchase and equity acquisition, particularly in equity acquisition by subscribing capital increase and partner buyout/sellout, in both the state-owned and private sectors
- Counseling on the structure and exit strategies of a private-equity investment green-energy project
- Helping U.S. biotech and manufacturing clients with complex corporate restructuring projects in China, featuring simultaneous closing of three interdependent transactions: buyout, sales of existing facilities to the government and relocation, and tax planning
- Representing U.S. energy companies in a complicated administrative proceeding before customs and other regulatory agencies, involving the seizure of inventory, resulting in inventory return
- Representing U.S. manufacturers in negotiation and documentation for a strategic alliance and joint venture investment projects in various locations in China
- Instructor for various training programs of clients on business ethics, anti-trust law and business concepts
- Regularly serving as an expert witness in a number of proceedings on a variety of subjects concerning Chinese law
Selected Experience Advising leading health care insurance providers on China regulatory matters and on corporate acquisition in pursuing China market entry. Representing the surviving entity in the merger transaction with another company in Cayman Islands, and simultaneous and subsequent reorganization of related subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Representing a leading power automation manufacturer in establishing its R&D and distribution center in Northern California. Representing a mid-west based auto component manufacturer in relocating the operation of its subsidiary and possible related corporate restructure in Shandong Province. Advising a design/build consortium from Mainland China on the structure, prequalification and tender offering process for a major infrastructure project in the U.S. Represented a Midwest-based plumbing and toilet manufacturer in the merger of a foreign invested commercial enterprise into its wholly-owned manufacturing subsidiary. (2010) Represented a new company in a spin-off of assets from an existing company; and Series A Preferred Stock financing by a Cayman Islands holding company with a subsidiary operating in Shanghai, China. (2010) Additional Qualifications
- Foreign Arbitrator of Shanghai Arbitration Commission
- Law Professor, International Business Law; Director, International Law Department – East China Institute of Political Science and Law (1982-1985)
- Part-time practice and senior counsel with an international law firm under the China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shanghai Council (1983-1985)
- Foreign Attorney, Brown & Wood, New York, N.Y. (1987)
- Foreign Legal Consultant, Preston, Thorgrimson, Ellis & Holman, Seattle (now K&L Gates) (1986-1988)
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Professional and Community Activities
- American Bar Association
- All China Lawyers Association (inactive)
- Law Professor and Deputy Dean, International Law Department, leading Chinese law school (prior to U.S. immigration)
- Frequent speaker to various forums, including American Conference Institute, American Corporate Counsel Association, State Bar of California, Prince Wales Business Leader Forum, China's Ministry of Justice and a number of municipal and provincial governments in China
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Professional Recognition
- John Davis Award for Outstanding Legal Expertise (firm award), 2000
- Selected to "California Super Lawyers," Law & Politics, 2004
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Education Ph.D., Comparative Law, University of Washington School of Law, 1991 LL.M., Comparative Law, University of Washington School of Law, 1986 Master of Laws, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Law Institute, 1982 | |