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Wayne Lee

Partner

Email

wayne.lee@aoshearman.com

Phone

+86 21 2036 7168

Offices

Shanghai

V-CARD
Wayne has extensive experience advising multinational corporations, private equity sponsors and institutional investors on mergers and acquisitions and investment transactions in Asia.

He has advised major international clients on a wide range of transactions, including public and private company acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, significant minority and strategic investments, consortium arrangements, investment platform establishment, business and asset portfolio disposals, joint ventures and corporate group restructurings. 

Wayne works closely with private equity, sovereign wealth and pension fund clients on equity investments across jurisdictions and in multiple sectors, including consumer, digital infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, industrials, real estate and technology.

He has practised for over 25 years and is recognized as a leading practitioner in the field.

Experience

Representative matters

  • A leading international sovereign wealth fund on a number of its investments in China, including: Yaneng BIOscience (a PRC-based biotech company), Xpeng (a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company), Xingsheng Youxuan (an online-to-offline grocery seller), Wumart Group (one of the earliest and biggest retailers in China), Chicecream (a Chinese premium ice cream company); Novotech (a full-service contract research organization), NewTech Textile (a leading Chinese textile printing technology company); JD Industrial Products (a China-based industrial product B2B e-commerce platform under JD.com); and Shiyue Daotian (a modern agriculture enterprise group in the PRC).
  • A prominent global technology fund on a number of its investments in China, including Ziroom Inc. (an apartment rental services and residential services company), Zuoyebang (an online education platform), Oneconnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (a leading fintech company), and the establishment of a fintech/insuretech joint venture with ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Ltd. (an online insurance company).
  • A number of private equity, sovereign wealth and alternative investors (including a group of clients and its investee companies (ESR, DNE and Nova)) on the establishment of investment platforms and joint ventures to invest in real estate (including logistics, industrial, office, commercial/retail and residential) projects in China.
  • DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners on its auction sale of a portfolio of 11 logistics assets in China. The deal was recognized as one of “Cross-border Deals of the Year 2023” by China Business Law Journal Awards.
  • Multiple institutional investors on their participations in the international tranche of a large digital payment and diversified fintech company’s USD14 billion Series C fundraising, the largest ever fundraising round by a private company. The deal won “Private Equity Deal of the Year” from China Law & Practice Awards 2018.

Recognition

“Wayne is very prudent, smart and diligent. He is appreciated by clients for his high responsiveness. Wayne is a very strong negotiator. ”
Chambers Greater China 2024 Edition: Real Estate
“Wayne Lee can be relied on for sophisticated transactions and can find practical solutions to complex problems.”
Chambers Greater China Region 2023: Real Estate (International Firms) - China

Awards

  • A highly regarded lawyer for M&A in China, IFLR 1000 2019-2023
  • Leading Individuals: Wayne Lee
  • Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 - 2024: Real Estate And Construction: Foreign Firms – China

Qualifications

Admissions

Admited as attorney, New York, 2007

Admitted as solicitor, Victoria, Australia, 2000

Academic

B. Com. (Hons), LLB, The University of Melbourne, 1998

Languages

Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), English
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.