Guantao Law Firm was established in 1994 and is a full-service law firm headquartered in Beijing.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm’s practice areas cover capital markets, corporate and M&A, banking and finance, restructuring and insolvency, private equity and venture capital.
Key clients
Main clients of Guantao include China Development Bank, China CITIC Bank, China Merchants Bank, China Life Investment, China Reinsurance, Beijing Building Material Group, China Energy Engineering Group, China Communications Construction Group and Huayi Tencent.
Research period review: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
In 2022, the firm represented The National Trust, Bank of Dalian, China Fortune International Trust and China Jiangsu International Trust in financing. The team also represented fund manager China Insurance Investment (Beijing) in establishing and raising a Rmb10 billion ($1.4 billion) private fund within a tight schedule.
In 2021, the firm represented CK Asset Holdings in its HK$19.3 billion buyback of 380 million shares from the Li Ka Shing Foundation. Also, the firm has acted in several restructuring cases with significant deal value.
In 2020, the team acted in PipeChina’s $38 billion acquisition of PetroChina’s pipeline business and assets. Completion of this deal has resulted in the formation of one national oil and gas pipeline network.
In another significant mandate, the firm assisted Liaoning Huishan Dairy Group – the largest enterprise group producing dairy products in the entire industry chain in China – complete its reorganisation. The case is the largest among 83 successful reorganisation cases in China’s substantial mergers and reorganisations in 2020. The case lasted for three years and finally succeeded last year.
Deal highlights: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
The National Trust’s Rmb5.5 billion financing.
China Insurance Investment (Beijing)’s fund setup.
Liaoning Huishan Dairy Group’s restructuring.
PipeChina’s $38 billion acquisition of PetroChina pipeline business and assets.
Client feedback: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
Financial services regulatory
“Dedicated work with professional legal advice on behalf of the client.”
Insolvency
“The team is led by partners with abundant experience in bankruptcy and capital markets. The team always provides timely feedback and positive response to our inquiries and has cooperated with us in communicating and coordinating with the court, local government, administrator, listed company, creditors, original shareholders and other investors, as well as securities regulators, stock exchanges, and China Securities Registrars, during the course of the project.
Although this project faced several complicated and individualised special issues, the team of lawyers, based on the accuracy of the application of the law and the successful experience and practice of past cases, combined with the actual situation of this project, put forward a number of creative opinions and suggestions in the process of solving difficult and complicated issues.”
Lawyer feedback: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
Xiaochuang Chen
“Professional services and very dedicated working.”
Yucheng Jin
“Very professional and responsive to our questions.”
