Overview

Chuan Li is a senior corporate partner based in the Firm’s mainland China offices, splitting his time between Beijing and Shanghai.

Chuan focuses his practice on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and other complex corporate and private equity transactions. Chuan has extensive experience in representing strategic and private equity clients in a variety of transactions including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts, going private transactions, PIPEs, growth equity investments and formation of private equity funds in the U.S., Greater China and other Asian countries. Chuan has also represented Chinese companies in their outbound investments and other strategic and financing transactions outside China.

A native Chinese speaker with legal training in both China and the U.S., Chuan joined the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis in 2001 and is a founding partner of the Firm’s Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing offices. Chuan has been recognized as a leading lawyer in private equity and corporate/M&A in Hong Kong and China by Chambers Asia Pacific, Chambers Global, IFLR 1000, and Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

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Thought Leadership

Publications

"China's National Security Review for Inbound Acquisitions," Kirkland Private Equity Newsletter (PEN), March 11, 2011 (with Pierre-Luc Arsenault and Jing Li)

"RMB Funds: New Shanghai Pilot Program," Kirkland Private Equity Newsletter (PEN), January 11, 2011 (with Justin Dolling and Carol Liu)

"China's New Antitrust Law Puts New Burdens on Companies Doing Business in China," Kirkland Private Equity Newsletter, August 22, 2008, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP Alert, August 2008 (with Mark L. Kovner, Micah N. Hildebrand and David Patrick Eich)

"The Evolution of Entrepreneurialism: An Introduction to Private Equity," Private Equity, Does China Need It? April 2007 (with David Patrick Eich and Jesse Sheley)

"China Oks Equity Incentives for Managers," Buyouts, March 5, 2007 (with David Patrick Eich and Camden Hutchison)

"Private Equity Investments in China: Impact of Recent Legal Reforms," Venture Capital Review, Fall 2006 (with David Patrick Eich)

"A Moving Target: A Guide to Recent Chinese M&A and Private Equity Reform," International Finance & Law Review, October 2006 (with David Patrick Eich and Tai Hsia)

"New Rules for Chinese Company M&A Transactions Involving Foreign Investors," Kirkland Private Equity Newsletter (PEN), September 1, 2006 (with David Patrick Eich and Tai Hsia)

"Non-Performing Loans in China: A Potential Win-Win Opportunity for Foreign Investors and China's Economy," Financier Worldwide Global Restructuring & Insolvency Review, June 2004 (with James Sprayregen, Jonathan Friedland and Nicole Miller)

"Gauging the Hurdle to Strike Suits: Reconciling the Circuit Split over the Proper Interpretation of the Heightened Pleading Standard under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995," Journal Of Corporation Law, Winter 2001

Seminars

Lecturer, "Chinese Private Equity Investment Transactions and Legal Documentation," Beijing Private Equity Association, Beijing, China, October 22, 2010

Lecturer, "International Practice of Private Equity Funds," Shanghai Private Equity Association, Shanghai, China, September 28, 2010

Lecturer, "Doing the Deal: Emerging Issues in M&A by Outbound Chinese Investors," Tsinghua University China Center of Financial Research, Private Equity and Venture Capital Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, May 14, 2010

Lecturer, "International Practice of Private Equity Funds," Beijing Private Equity Association, Beijing, China, April 15, 2010

Lecturer, "Doing the Deal: Minority Private Equity Investments in China," Tsinghua University China Center of Financial Research, Private Equity and Venture Capital Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, March 23, 2010

Speaker and panelist, "Emerging Issues in Cross-Border Acquisitions: Japan, China and the U.S.," a joint client seminar by Mori Hamada & Matsumoto and Kirkland & Ellis International LLP, Tokyo, Japan, December 2009

Panelist, "Understanding Private Equity Investment in the PRC for Optimal Strategy Implementation," Private Equity Asia IQ 2009 Conference, Hong Kong, February 18, 2009

Speaker, "Amplifying Entrepreneurship: The Power of Private Equity," Inaugural Workshop of the Tsinghua University Private Equity Institute, Beijing, People's Republic of China, April 17, 2008 (with David Patrick Eich)

Moderator, "An Introduction to Private Equity in China," Inaugural Workshop of the Tsinghua University Private Equity Institute, Beijing, People's Republic of China, April 17, 2008 (with David Patrick Eich)

 

Recognition

“Leading Individual”, Private Equity: Foreign Firms – China, Legal 500 (2019–2023)

Recommended as a "Global Leader" for M&A, Who's Who Legal (2022)

Recommended as a “National Leader” for M&A, Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR, Who's Who Legal (2022)

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2001Illinois
  • 1999New York

Languages

  • English
  • Mandarin

Education

  • University of Iowa College of LawJ.D.2001
  • University of Georgia School of LawLL.M.1998
  • School of Law, University of International Business and EconomicsLL.B.1994