Charles Chau has represented clients in more than 100 public and private company acquisitions, joint ventures, financings, and pre-IPO investments. He advises on M&A, capital markets (including listings and public offerings), securities regulatory compliance, joint ventures, and other commercial transactions across Hong Kong, mainland China, and the Asia-Pacific region. Charles has 20 years of extensive experience in a wide variety of industry sectors, including banking and financial services, health care, biotech, retail, real estate, and manufacturing. He also has represented Chinese companies on their outbound acquisitions in the United States.
Prior to joining Jones Day in 2017, Charles acted for China CNR Corporation Limited in its US$26 billion merger with CSR Corporation Limited, which was the first merger of two companies listed in both Hong Kong and Shanghai. In addition, he worked on many IPOs and securities placement transactions, including the IPOs of Sinopharm Group, China CNR Corporation, Guodian Technology & Environment Group, and the A+H rights issue of China CITIC Bank.
Charles holds positions in several public organizations, including as an adjudicator of the Registration of Persons Tribunal and as a member of the Legal Committee and the Young Executive Club of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.
Expérience
The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.
Represented CLSA, Credit Suisse, Haitong International, and Jefferies as placing agents in Guangzhou-based Evergrande Real Estate Group's US$600 million top-up placement.
Represented Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Limited in its US$100 million cornerstone investment in Red Star Macalline Group Corporation's IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Represented Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Limited in its US$200 million cornerstone investment in Dailian Wanda Commercial Properties' IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This IPO was one of the most high-profile capital markets transactions in 2014.
Represented the sole sponsor, Haitong International Capital Limited, and the underwriters, Haitong International Securities Company, J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific), J.P. Morgan Securities, KGI Capital Asia, and RHB Securities Hong Kong, in relation to life science research and application services company Genscript Biotech Corporation's HK$524million IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Represented China VAST Industrial Urban Development Company in its US$132 million IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. China VAST is a leading service provider in the planning, development, and operation of large-scale industrial towns in China, focusing on land areas of 10 million square meters or more.
Represented China International Capital Corporation (CICC), UBS, and Morgan Stanley as placing agents for Sinopharm Group Co.'s New H-Share placement raising HK$4 billion (approximately US$515 million).
Represented China International Capital Corporation (CICC) and CITIC Securities as joint underwriters in the US$4 billion A+H Share rights issue of China CITIC Bank Corporation. China CITIC is China's seventh largest lender in terms of total assets.
Represented China International Capital Corporation, UBS AG, and Morgan Stanley & Co. International (as placing agents) on the US$442.5 million H-share placement of Sinopharm Group Co., the largest distributor of pharmaceutical and health care products in China.
Represented BOCI Asia Limited and UBS AG (as placing agents) in the US$684 million placing of shares of Sino-Ocean Land Holdings Limited by its shareholder COSCO International Holdings Limited.
Represented HL Technology Group Limited in its US$65 million initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Piper Jaffray Asia Securities Limited was the sole lead manager of the transaction.
Represented Templeton Strategic Emerging Market Fund III, LDC, Sinochem Europe Capital Corporation, CCB International Asset Management, and New World Strategic Investment Limited in their US$35 million investment in ShiFang Holding Limited, an electronic and printed media content provider in Fujian.
Represented China ITS (Holdings) Co., a leading traffic engineering and intelligent traffic system company in Beijing, in its various rounds of pre-IPO financing, introducing Baring, Investor AB, China Merchant, Temasek Capital (Private) Limited, GE Capital, Intel Capital, Mizuho, and NWS Holdings as shareholders.
Represented the group of underwriters, which included China International Capital Corporation, UBS AG, Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, Deutsche Bank AG, and Citigroup Global Markets Asia Limited, in the US$1.1 billion initial public offering of Sinopharm Ground Company Limited in Hong Kong. Sinopharm is China's largest distributor of pharmaceuticals and is managed by state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group. The IPO was awarded "Best IPO of the Year" by FinanceAsia and named as "Best Equity Deal" on IFRAsia's 2009 Roll of Honour.
Represented the group of underwriters, which included Merrill Lynch Far East Limited and BOCI Asia Limited, in the US$400 million IPO and listing of shares of China South City Holdings, a leading developer and operator of large-scale logistics and trade centers in China, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Represented the group of underwriters, which included CITIC Securities Corporate Finance (HK) Limited, UBS AG, J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd., and Macquarie Capital Securities Limited in the US$1,380 million IPO and listing of shares of China Zhongwang Holdings Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Represented the group of underwriters, which included BOCI Asia Limited, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, and UBS AG, in the US$435 million IPO and listing of shares of Renhe Commercial Holdings Commercial Limited, a leading underground shopping mall developer and operator in China on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Represented Cazenove Asia Limited (as placing agent) in the HK$388 million placing of H shares of Zhejiang Glass Company (representing 8.9% of the issued share capital of Zhejiang Glass).
Represented Maoye International Holdings Limited, a leading department store operator, in its US$343 million Hong Kong Stock Exchange initial public offering.
Represented Kingsoft Corporation Limited, a leading China-based software developer, distributor, and service provider, in its US$115 million IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Represented China Resources Power Company Limited in its US$626.4 million top-up share placement that raised approximately (HK$4.6 billion) of 200 million shares (with Morgan Stanley & Co. International and Citigroup Global Markets Asia Limited as joint placing agents).
- University of Cambridge (LL.M. 1999); University of Hong Kong (P.C.LL. 1998; LL.B. 1997)
- Hong Kong
- Recognized numerous times in the areas of M&A and equity capital markets by: IFLR1000, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and Chambers Asia Pacific
- English, Cantonese, and Mandarin