Shantel
Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Rongjing Zhao, as a partner in the firm’s Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups, based out of its China offices. Zhao brings to Morrison Foerster more than 15 years of experience representing private equity firms, as well as public and private companies, in a variety of complex cross-border transactions. Zhao’s addition underscores the continued expansion of the firm’s leading private equity capabilities in Asia, where Morrison Foerster is ranked in Band 1 for Private Equity in the latest edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific and Tier 1 for China: Private Equity in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021-2023, and across the firm’s global offices. She is the fourth private equity partner to join the firm this quarter, following the additions of Steven Tran and Tabitha Saw in Singapore, and James Beach in San Francisco.
Zhao has extensive experience advising private equity firms, institutional investors, and major corporations on complex cross-border transactions, including control deals and leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, growth capital investments, spin-offs, and distressed M&A transactions. She primarily represents private equity funds on investments and acquisitions in China and the rest of Asia. Zhao also advises clients on take privates of U.S.-listed companies and other U.S. public and private company M&A transactions.
“Rongjing is a highly sophisticated, U.S.-trained lawyer and Mandarin native speaker with extensive private equity M&A experience in China, Asia, and the U.S.,” said Marcia Ellis, global co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Private Equity Group. “Rongjing’s addition significantly enhances our PE and M&A offering in China. Her strong technical skillset and relationships with private equity funds and leading corporations present significant opportunities and synergies for our clients in Asia and across our global platform.”
“Morrison Foerster is a premier international firm with an impressive private equity and M&A practice. I was particularly attracted to MoFo by the fact that MoFo has, on the ground in Asia, a deep talent pool and all of the practices required to support PE firms and their portfolio companies throughout the entire investment life cycle,” said Zhao. “I look forward to growing my private equity and M&A practice in China and in other geographies in Asia, while working together with my colleagues across the firm’s global offices to tackle our clients’ most strategic and important transactional needs.”
Prior to joining MoFo, Zhao was a partner at a leading international law firm where she worked in the firm’s Hong Kong and Shanghai offices for several years. Prior to that, she worked in the Shanghai and Los Angeles offices of another prominent global firm. Zhao earned her LL.B. cum laude from Fudan University and her LL.M. from New York University School of Law, where she was also editor of the Journal of Law and Business. She is admitted to practice in New York and in the People’s Republic of China (non-practicing).
About Morrison Foerster
Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of Morrison Foerster’s presence in Asia. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster was recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s 2021 and 2022 A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment. For more information, visit http://www.mofo.com.
