Katten represented China Shanxi-based Tianshuo Investment Company and its shareholders United Magnesium Group and Wanfeng Auto Group in the acquisition of 100% of the ownership interests in Meridian Lightweight, the world’s largest supplier of magnesium die casting components and assemblies with operations primarily in the United States and Canada.
Feng Xue, head of the China practice and managing partner of the Shanghai office, led the Katten team which advised the client on transaction structures and drafted and negotiated the acquisition agreements. The Katten team also included Chicago Corporate partner Brooks Giles, Shanghai senior China counsel Shaun Gao, Shanghai associate Min Li and a host of attorneys from various practice areas throughout the firm’s offices.
Katten’s China office—opened in Shanghai in early 2011—has been very active in assisting Chinese clients in making outbound investments into the United States and Europe. In addition to the Tianshuo representation, Katten’s China team has recently handled a number of transactions for well-known Chinese companies including WanXiang, Septwolves, XiangEQing, Beijing FITO and Shanghai ECADI. Feng attributes this success to the seamless cooperation among various Katten offices: “Chinese clients trust us and particularly like our true one-firm culture. For many of our clients, this has been their first deal(s) outside China and they are understandably inexperienced and nervous. We make sure to be very responsive and hands-on; our Shanghai-based lawyers function as a nerve center and attorneys from the various offices work as one team around the clock. This means a lot to Chinese clients.”
Chicago
