Linklaters has added Christine Xu and Oliver Zhong in a bid to drive the development of the new economy sector across greater China and Asia.
Xu is a partner and head of greater China enterprise content management, and Zhong is special senior adviser and new economy team leader for greater China.
Formerly a partner at Clifford Chance, Xu brings two counsels, Queenie Tong and Samson Chan, as part of her move to Linklaters. Zhong was a partner at Sidley Austin before joining Linklaters.
Xu specialises in equity capital markets with a focus on industries such as technology, media, healthcare, life sciences and consumer. One of her recent transactions involved advising Hong Kong-listed SciClone Pharmaceuticals on its HKD8.79 billion (USD1.13 billion) privatisation.
Zhong focuses on corporate finance and capital markets, including IPOs in Hong Kong and the US, and bond issuances under Rule 144A and Regulation S. His past clients primarily came from the healthcare, consumer, technology and real estate sectors.
As a firm known for its strength in corporate business, Linklaters highlighted the development direction of the “new economy sector”. Linklaters’ Asia managing partner, William Liu, said Xu and Zhong, as leaders in the new economy sector, were well-suited to guide the new generation of unicorn companies in greater China and Asia.
Despite laying off at least 20 lawyers from its Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong offices last September, Linklaters’ managing partner, Paul Lewis, emphasised its commitment to the Chinese market during the appointment of the new China managing partner, Andrew Chung, in March, saying that “China continues to be an important market for Linklaters”.
