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Lawyers

James C. Lin

Lawyers

One of the most seasoned and trusted advisers to companies and financial institutions in Asia with almost 25 years of experience in Asia.

James focuses on public and private corporate finance transactions, including initial public offerings, convertible and high-yield debt offerings and private equity investments, and mergers and acquisitions. He has almost 25 years of experience and has worked on some of the most significant capital markets transactions in Asia, including with companies from the technology, media, healthcare, financial services, natural resources, real estate and energy sectors.

He is recognized as a leading capital markets lawyer by publications including Chambers, IFLR1000 and Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Chambers says James “has a strong understanding of product technical and is reliable, with the ability to innovate structural developments to move the market forward.”

James is fluent in English and Mandarin.

Experience highlights

M&A

  • Black Spade Acquisition $23 billion combination with VinFast
  • Provident Acquisition $1.02 billion combination with Perfect
  • FiscalNote combination with Duddell Street Acquisition

U.S. Listings

  • Black Spade Acquisition, Gobi Acquisition, Magnum Opus Acquisition, Missfresh, Summit Healthcare Acquisition, Full Truck Alliance, Waterdrop, Onion Global, Tuya, Adagene, Provident Acquisition, Kuke Music, Gracell Biotechnologies, Genetron, Kingsoft Cloud, LIZHI, I-Mab, Molecular Data, 36Kr, ECMOHO, Youdao, 9F Inc., Up Fintech Holding (Tiger Brokers), Tencent Music Entertainment, MOGU, CNFinance, Studio City, Cango, Uxin, Puxin, iClick Interactive, Sogou, Zai Lab, Sea Limited, RISE Education, iDreamSky Technology, Xunlei, Zhaopin, JD.com, Cheetah Mobile, Taomee, ChinaCache, Xueda Education, Zuoan Fashion, RDA Microelectronics, Baidu, Changyou, Shanda Games, Himax Technologies

HKEX IPOs

  • Interra Acquisition, CANbridge Pharmaceuticals, HUTCHMED, Baidu, Antengene, NetEase, Akeso, Venus Medtech, CStone Pharmaceuticals, BeiGene, Razer, Orient Securities, AAG Energy, BAIOO, Kerry Logistics Network, Forgame, PICC, China Yongda Automobiles, China Communications Services, Prada, China Flooring, Air China, China Merchants Bank, Aluminum Corporation of China, KWG Property
Debt and Equity-Linked

Investment-Grade Debt

  • Tencent Music Entertainment debut $800 million SEC-registered notes offering
  • Tencent $300 million Reg S private bond offering
  • CNOOC $4 billion SEC-registered guaranteed notes offering
  • Baidu $1 billion SEC-registered notes offering
  • Sinopec $3.5 billion Rule 144A/Reg S notes offering
  • Temasek $1.7 billion Rule 144A/Reg S notes offering
  • PT Pertamina (Persero) $2.5 billion Rule 144A/Reg S senior notes offering
  • Several schedule B debt offerings by Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea Development Bank and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

High-Yield Debt

  • China Aoyuan Property $100 million Reg S high-yield notes offering
  • China Orienwise $100 million Rule 144A/Reg S high-yield notes offering
  • Asia Aluminum $535 million Rule 144A/Reg S high-yield notes offering
  • Galaxy Entertainment $600 million Rule 144A/Reg S high-yield offering

Convertible Bonds

  • Convertible and exchangeable bond offerings by Zhongsheng Group, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Asia Cement, 51job, YY Inc., Canadian Solar, China Power International, Ctrip, JinkoSolar, ReneSola, Shanda Interactive, Solarfun Power and SK Telecom
View more experience

Insights

SEC adopts final SPAC rules

Credentials

Recognition

Asia Legal Awards – “Southeast Asia Emerging Markets Dealmaker of the Year,” 2024

Chambers Global and Greater China Region – Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms), China 

IFLR1000 – Capital Markets: Equity, Hong Kong, Highly Regarded

Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Capital Markets (Equity), Hong Kong

American Lawyer – “Emerging Star,” 2010

Education
J.D., Harvard Law School
  • cum laude
D.Phil., University of Oxford
  • Rotary Foundation Scholar
  • St John's College
M.Phil., University of Oxford
  • Rotary Foundation Scholar
  • St John's College
A.B., Harvard University
  • summa cum laude
  • Phi Beta Kappa
Professional history
  • Partner, 2007-present
  • Davis Polk since 1998
Qualifications and admissions
  • Hong Kong
  • State of New York
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