Cooley LLP, a leading US law firm with deep roots in Silicon Valley, announced today that newly-elected partner, Christina Zhang, and associate Benjamin Qiu will join Cooley’s Shanghai office. Zhang and Qiu will be part of the international firm’s Business & Technology practice group, and will work closely with partners Brad Peck and Patrick Loofbourrow, who founded Cooley’s Shanghai office in December 2011.
Zhang joins Cooley from Johnson Controls, Inc. where since 2008 she served as Vice President and Asia Pacific General Counsel of its Power Solutions business. Having begun practicing law in New York with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in 1993, Zhang has nearly 19 years of legal experience both in the United States and China. At Johnson Controls, she provided legal support for all aspects of the Power Solutions business in the Asia Pacific region, with a heavy focus on China, including selection of investment vehicles, building “Greenfield” manufacturing facilities, setting up joint ventures, licensing, acquisitions, distribution and marketing, environmental protection, crisis management, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, antitrust, trade compliance, government investigations and employment.
“Cooley is the go-to firm for companies and investors in the technology, life sciences and clean technology sectors,” Zhang said. “I could not be more excited about being part of the Cooley team that will grow the practice and establish our brand in China.” Initially, Zhang will be resident in Cooley’s Palo Alto office, pending completion of registration formalities with the PRC Ministry of Justice.
Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Zhang spent a total of ten years as in-house counsel in the life sciences industry. She joined Merck & Co., Inc. at its global headquarters in New Jersey in 1998, and supported domestic and international manufacturing, procurement, sales and marking, acquisition, divestiture, licensing and alliance activities, including the Merck/Schering-Plough joint venture. Zhang became Wyeth’s Chief Counsel in China in 2006, and supported its infant formula and pharmaceutical business, including product registrations with China’s State Food & Drug Administration and the launch in China of Wyeth’s blockbuster vaccine PREVENAR. She was actively involved in issues facing life science companies in China through her participation in the activities of the Pharmaceutical Association Committee, and received its outstanding service award in 2006.
Benjamin Qiu is also a notable addition to the growing Cooley team in China. Prior to joining Cooley, he was Senior Counsel and Fund Director at Innovation Works, a prominent investment fund and start-up incubator for Chinese companies in the mobile computing, e-commerce and cloud computing sectors. In addition to being the initial member of the legal team of Innovation Works, Qiu supervised the formation of over 50 early-stage technology companies and their subsequent financing rounds. He was instrumental in negotiating financing terms on behalf of Innovation Works and its portfolio companies, and he advised the companies on corporate governance and technology protection and licensing. Qiu is a frequent speaker at local and international conferences on the subject of venture capital and the start-up company environment in China. Prior to Innovation Works, Qiu was an attorney with Lovells LLP (now Hogan Lovells) in China.
“We are committed to establishing and expanding our practice in China with the hiring of talented local attorneys,” said Brad Peck, Partner-in-Charge of Cooley’s Shanghai office. “With their extensive experience and deep local insights, Christina and Ben will add great value to our clients here. Moving forward, each of them will be integral to powering Cooley’s growth in China and we are thrilled to welcome them to the firm.”
