James Chang

Partner

Emailjames.chang@akd.partners

Call+86 10 8520 0608

Beijing

About

James Chang is a Partner in the Corporate team, based in Beijing.

James' practice focuses on public and private cross-border M&A and private equity transactions, corporate governance, securities law and leveraged finance. He regularly advises acquirers, sellers, boards, management and sponsors in M&A transactions as well as related debt and equity financings. He also has wealth of experience advising investors and companies on early stage and growth capital investments, as well as advising leading corporations and investment funds on US securities regulations and corporate governance matters. James' practice involves a wide range of sectors including technology, media, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, energy and advanced manufacturing. He is also a member of our Global Insurance Sector Group.

In recent years, James has worked on a number of high profile cross-border acquisitions involving US and European targets. He also actively advises multinationals in their acquisition and investment activities in China.

James is one of few lawyers in Greater China with experience in proxy contests and shareholder activism. He has helped both management and shareholders secure victories in hard fought activist campaigns on multiple occasions.

James is a regular speaker on corporate and securities law topics. He has lectured at a number of law schools including the Renmin University School of Law and the Beijing Foreign Studies University International School of Business in China, and the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research in India.

Areas of FocusEnergy and Natural Resources Insurance Life Sciences Media, Sport and Entertainment Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions Private Equity Technology

AdmissionsNew YorkMassachusetts

EXPERIENCE

Advised Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., a leading global manufacturer of home appliances, on multiple complex transactional matters, including its acquisition of Electrolux Group’s complete equity interests in its subsidiary Electrolux South Africa Proprietary Limited (ESA) (dba "Kwikot") for ZAR2.45 billion (approximately RMB980 million).
Advising Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd., and its affiliates and subsidiaries in multiple matters, including representing Bo Yu in its proposed privatization of OneConnect Financial Technology, a technology service platform for financial institutions dual listed in NYSE and SEHK, and in the dual-track Hong Kong and US tender offer for all outstanding shares of Lufax Holding Ltd., a leading technology-empowered personal financial services platform in China dual-listed in NYSE and SEHK, including the successful obtaining of a waiver from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the Hong Kong tender offer to be governed solely by Hong Kong securities rules, the first waiver of such nature granted by the SEC since 2007; advised Yun Chen Capital Cayman on the sale of approximately 43% of ordinary shares in Autohome to Cartech Holding Company (Cartech), a subsidiary of Haier Group, for a purchase price of approximately US$1.8 billion.
Advised Silk Road Fund Co. Ltd., a sovereign wealth fund in China specializing in investments in the Belt and Road regions, in multiple matters, including its acquisition of shares from COSCO Shipping in Orient Overseas (International) Limited, a Hong Kong-listed leading shipping company in the world, valued at approximately USD 50 million; and multiple fund-to-fund investments in the infrastructure sector.
Advised Templewater Hong Kong Limited, an Asia-based private equity firm and its affiliates and portfolio companies, in multiple matters, including advising Templewater in its acquisition of Knight Auto Precision Engineering, a provider of precision engineering solutions for the semiconductor industry headquartered in Singapore; and advised Knight Auto Precision Engineering in its acquisition of Singapore-based Champion Precision Manufacturing, a supplier of precision components for semiconductor bonding machines and wafer testing processes.
Advised XTC New Energy Materials Europe GmbH (XTC Europe), a subsidiary of XTC New Energy Materials Co. Ltd., a Xiamen headquartered and A-Share listed manufacturer of EV batteries materials, in its joint ventures with Orano, a French state owned conglomerate in the nuclear power sector, to manufacture cathode active material (CAM) and pre-cathode active material (PCAM) in Dunkirk, France, a deal publicly commended by the President of the French Republic.
Advised JD Property, a leading infrastructure investment and asset management platform which is part of the Chinese e-commerce company JD.com, on its acquisition of the LiFung Center. JD Property acquired the 487,350 square foot logistics property located in Shatin, Hong Kong from London-based firm M&G Real Estate.
Advised Global IBO Group Ltd., an integrated AI-generated content animation streaming platform in Asia, on a de-SPAC transaction entering into a definitive Business Combination Agreement with Bukit Jalil Global Acquisition 1 Ltd., a publicly traded Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC).
Represented Newater Technology, Inc., in its privatization efforts led by its management and the concurrent successful litigation efforts against an activist shareholder who put in an alternative bid to privatize the company.
Representing Advantech, a healthcare and life sciences focused private equity fund and shareholder of Sinovac, in a subsequent proxy contest to replace the then board of directors of Sinovac, and associated litigation and arbitral proceedings in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and multiple other dispute resolution forums.
Represented Blue Ocean, as shareholder, in the proxy contest to replace the board of Global Cord Blood Corporation, a previously NYSE-listed cord blood storage company in China, and the associated liquidation proceedings of Global Cord Blood Corporation in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.
Advised Nanofilm Technologies International (Nanofilm), headquartered in Singapore, on multiple matters, including the acquisition of AxynTeC Dünnschichttechnik GmbH, a professional thin film coating solutions company based in Augsburg, Germany.
Advising Cohu, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed U.S. semiconductor equipment company, in its sale of atg Luther & Maelzer GmbH, with operations in the United States, Germany, China and Taiwan, to Stockholm Stock Exchange-listed Swedish electronics company Mycronic AB.
CIRCOR International, Inc., a provider of flow control solutions and other highly engineered products for the industrial, energy, aerospace and defense markets, in the sale of its Reliability Services business to an affiliate of RelaDyne LLC for approximately US$85 million.
Meituan Dianping, the leading online food order and delivery platform in Chinese Mainland, on multiple corporate matters, including the expansion of its operations into Hong Kong.
Buyer consortium, consisting of Qumei, a Shanghai A-share listed Chinese furniture company, and Huatai Securities, a leading financial service group in China, in their tender offer to acquire 100% of outstanding shares of Ekornes, a leading Norwegian furniture company listed on Oslo Stock Exchange, valued at approximately USD 630 million; and Ekornes, in its subsequent receipt of equity investment from Hillhouse.

Languages

Recognitions

Ranked in Chambers Greater China (2025), Corporate/M&A: Mainland China-based (International Firms) Band 3
Ranked in Chambers Greater China (2022-2024), Corporate/M&A: Mainland China-based (International Firms)
Ranked in Chambers Greater China (2023-2025), Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (International Firms)
Ranked in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2025), China Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms, “Leading Partner”
Ranked in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2022-2024), China Private Equity: Foreign Firms, “Next Generation Partner” and China Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms, “Next Generation Partner”
Ranked in Chambers Asia Pacific (2020,2021), Corporate/M&A: Mainland China-based (International Firms)
Recognized in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2018-2021), China Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms
Recognized in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2019-2021), China Private Equity: Foreign Firms
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in China (2020), Mergers & Acquisitions Law