Sidley boosts Chinese M&A practice with O’Melveny hire

Sidley Austin has hired a new partner in New York to boost its Chinese M&A practice.

Wenseng Pan joins the firm from O’Melveny & Myers where she was of counsel advising on cross-border transactions between the US and China in the life sciences and technology sectors.

Thomas Albrecht, Asia-Pacific managing partner of Sidley Austin said of the hire: "Chinese companies’ growing interest in investment and M&A opportunities outside China signals an increasing demand for the deep knowledge and insight Wendy brings to the table, particularly in terms of cross-border M&A deal experience, IP experience and ties to the life sciences industries on both sides of the Pacific."

Pan is based in New York at the moment but will relocate to the firm’s offices in Shanghai. She advises investors in financing, private equity, mergers and joint ventures in life sciences, technology, manufacturing, publishing, retail and financial services.

At O’Melveny she acted on the first ever acquisition of a US public company by a Chinese firm when genome sequencing company BGI-Shenzhen bought genome technology firm Complete Genomics for $118 million.

With 1900 lawyers in 18 offices across the world, Sidley has a solid track record in acting for Chinese companies in outbound M&A deals. It is particularly known for its regulatory practice and is strong in the life sciences.