As one of the leading M&A law firms in China, Hye advises on the utilization of M&A strategies at every phase of investor involvement in China. At the entry stage, mergers with or acquisitions of existing PRC companies can provide a foreign investor with an accelerated means of entering a market, obtaining a pool of experienced employees or gaining access to established distribution channels. For companies already established in China, a wide variety of M&A options can be used to restructure, expand or refocus the existing presence. M&A transactions can serve a valuable function as an exit strategy for foreign investors. Hye routinely advises clients on structuring appropriate exit vehicles, including listing on PRC exchanges or private sale to PRC or foreign parties within China or abroad.
Our clients include top-tier international corporations, institutional investors, private equity and venture capital firms, and private PRC companies and state-owned enterprises. The firm also handles M&A transactions on behalf of clients in the small to midsize range, including acquisitions and dispositions of assets, businesses and subsidiaries, the sale or purchase of equity in cooperative and contractual joint ventures, and strategic investments.
Hye impressive record of experience with the most complex and challenging issues affecting any M&A project in China – including employee and management settlements, off-the-book or hidden liabilities, social security obligations, pre-existing irregular practices and arrangements, industry compliance issues – and our unparalleled ability to address those issues, provide our clients with the factual intelligence as well as the legal analysis they need to make the most informed business decisions. Our due diligence capabilities are one reason for our reputation in the M&A field, and the firm has committed itself to developing one of the best due diligence sub-practices in China. With the capacity to draw on over 150 lawyers with skills across a wide spectrum of legal areas, Hye expert due diligence teams provide the factual and legal foundation essential to any M&A project.
The firm recognizes that the complex and multi-disciplinary nature of most M&A transactions requires an interdisciplinary approach ensuring client access to a comprehensive range of legal services. Hye emphasizes a cross-discipline team approach that incorporates the expertise of our tax, finance, antitrust, intellectual property, IT, litigation and labor law lawyers into any M&A transaction requiring such advice. Our clients also benefit from our PRC regulatory expertise.
The types of M&A matters in which JT&N lawyers engage cover the full spectrum, including:
· Advance preparation for prospective targets
· Asset sales and purchases
· Corporate governance advice
· General corporate counseling
· Joint ventures
· Private equity
· Recapitalizations
· Spin-offs
· Stock sales and purchase offers