LI , David

David Li is a Senior Partner at AllBright Law Offices, based primarily in the Shanghai Office. He chairs AllBright’s Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Committee.

Since 2006, Mr. Li has been deeply engaged in foreign-related legal practice, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, cross-border investments and financing in industries including new energy, new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing, environmental protection, biomedicine, modern logistics, and digital infrastructure. He also maintains extensive and comprehensive practical experience in traditional areas such as cross-border landmark real estate M & A transactions, asset management, and real estate financing.

Mr. Li’s representative projects and clients since he joined AllBright in 2014 include:

■ Assisted Albemarle Corporation, a leading global specialty chemicals and lithium battery materials company listed in the United States and a Fortune Global 500 company, in its acquisitions of Guangxi Tianyuan New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., Jiangxi Jiangli New Materials Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Guorun Co., Ltd.
■ Represented Veolia, a leading French publicly listed company in the global environmental services sector, in its acquisitions of multiple new energy and green environmental protection industry enterprises
■ Assisted Schaeffler Group, a leading German enterprise in global automotive and industrial precision components and system solutions, in its acquisition and joint venture projects in China
■ Assisted A.P. Moller – Maersk, a leading global shipping and integrated logistics services group, in its joint venture projects in China
■ Represented Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund, a leading global real estate private equity investment firm, in completing a series of acquisitions, exits and asset management legal services in China (including office buildings, shopping malls, industrial parks, etc.)
■ Represented BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company, in its acquisition investments in China and the handling of project exits
■ Represented Huihua Fund Management Company and the National Civil-Military Integration Industry Fund in completing multiple investment projects in high-precision and cutting-edge fields
■ Represented AECC Aviation Industry Fund, under China Aero-Engine Corporation, in completing private equity investment projects in the aero-engine and related fields
■ Assisted China Life Asset Management Company in its equity investments in leading enterprises in the communications and digital infrastructure sectors
■ Represented Ping An Insurance in completing domestic and overseas private equity investment transactions
■ Represented China National Investment & Guaranty Corporation’s subsidiary fund in completing the negotiated acquisition of Walvax Biotechnology (SZ.300142) and the acquisition of a biological products company
■ Represented Shanghai Exhibition Center Group in handling joint venture and corporate governance matters for Sino-foreign joint venture
■ Assisted China-Poland Joint Stock Shipping Company, China’s first Sino-foreign joint venture enterprise, in its overseas investments
■ Represented JD.com in completing multiple domestic and overseas private equity investments in electronic communications, cloud storage, automotive and other fields
■ Represented a well-known state-owned enterprise in its domestic and overseas private equity investments in cell therapy R & D and production enterprises
■ Represented a U.S. publicly listed company in establishing a medical device joint venture in China and product registration
■ Represented Shui On Group in completing multiple landmark real estate project acquisitions, joint ventures, project management and asset management transactions in China
■ Represented ESR Group in completing dozens of domestic and overseas industrial and warehousing logistics project development, acquisitions, joint ventures, financing and other transactions
■ Represented Ziroom Group in forming a strategic joint venture platform with Invesco Real Estate, focused on China’s rental housing investment and asset management
■ Represented Guotai Haitong Securities in completing multiple complex asset-backed securitization projects
■ Represented overseas syndicates in completing several hundred-million-U.S.-dollar syndicated loan projects for the overseas wholly-owned subsidiary of Guotai Haitong Securities Co., Ltd.
■ Assisted Daimler Group in its asset securitization business in China
■ Assisted a globally renowned foreign bank in successfully extending a green special loan of several hundred million RMB for rooftop photovoltaic projects to the new energy segment of a large Chinese industrial group
■ Represented leading global data center solution provider GDS in completing data center project financing
■ Assisted Bank of China Shanghai Branch, Bank of Communications Hong Kong Branch, Export-Import Bank of China, China Huarong Shipping Financial Leasing, Bocomm Leasing, ICBC Financial Leasing and other financial leasing companies in cross-border ship financing projects
■ Provided legal services for WeEn Semiconductors’ listing and assisted it in becoming the first enterprise to pass the direct review and listing process at the Beijing Stock Exchange
■ Represented one of the largest Chinese creditors in handling the bankruptcy and reorganization case of LeEco founder Jia Yueting in the United States
■ Represented New World Development in completing the privatization of Hong Kong-listed New World Development Limited through a voluntary conditional cash offer
■ Represented a Fortune Global 500 company in handling responses to hacker attacks and data breach incident
■ Represented a Fortune Global 500 company in handling import and export trade compliance and controlled precursor chemicals regulatory matters
■ Represented a well-known robotics company in handling export control risks
■ Provided legal services to dozens of foreign-invested enterprises on corporate governance, business operations and structural adjustments during the transition period of the PRC Foreign Investment Law
■ Provided legal services for a leading automotive supply chain group in arbitration proceedings at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
■ Provided legal services for a well-known logistics group in domestic and overseas joint venture litigations and arbitration at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
■ Represented a Fortune Global 500 company in handling equity disputes in its Sino-foreign joint ventures and arbitration at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.
■ Provided legal services to a well-known real estate company in a series of control and corporate governance disputes in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong SAR, and Mainland China
■ Provided legal services to a Fortune Global 500 company in a cross-border acquisition transaction dispute and arbitration proceedings at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre

Mr. Li possesses profound practical experience in handling various high-profile cross-border transactions, including acquisitions, joint ventures, financing (including asset securitization) and refinancing. He regularly provides clients with high-quality legal advice on portfolio investments, exit strategies and complex cross-border regulatory matters. Mr. Li also frequently advises clients in international arbitrations (including as an expert witness), litigation proceedings in foreign courts and bankruptcy proceedings.

Mr. Li demonstrates exceptional cross-border transaction management capabilities and cross-cultural communication advantages. He obtained his LL.M. from Columbia Law School and is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, having worked at a renowned U.S. law firm for many years. He is well-versed in European and American legal systems and business practices. With his dual academic background in English literature and law, Mr. Li is fluent in English as a working language, precisely understanding and coordinating the differentiated needs of European, American and international clients and Chinese local clients across different legal cultures and business contexts, efficiently advancing cross-border projects within tight deadlines.

Before joining AllBright as a Partner in 2014, Mr. Li worked at Paul Hastings LLP, Zhong Lun Law Firm and King & Wood Mallesons.

Mr. Li received his LL.M. from Columbia University School of Law in 2013, his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Renmin University of China School of Law in 2006, his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in 2004, and his Bachelor of Arts in English from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2004.

Mr. Li is a practicing lawyer in China, and is also admitted to practice law in the State of New York, U.S.A. His working languages are Mandarin and English.

Education Background

LL.B., Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (2004)
B.A. in English, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (2004)
LL.M., Renmin University of China School of Law (2006)
LL.M., Columbia University School of Law (2013)

Honors and Recognitions:

Since being selected for the PRC Ministry of Justice’s “National List of 1,000 Foreign-Related Attorneys” in 2019, Mr. Li has been consecutively recognized as a recommended lawyer by globally renowned legal rating agencies Chambers & Partners (2024 – 2026) and The Legal 500 (2021, 2024). In 2025, he was honored on LEGALBAND’s “China Top 15 Recommended Lawyers: Emerging Industries” list.

Publications

English article entitled Unifying Laws on Private Investment Funds on China Law & Practice
English article entitled Lifting FDI restrictions on real estate slowly on China Law & Practice
Series of articles on Foreign Investment Law in China on Wolters Kluwer
Handbook on Legal Guidance for Investment in Industrial Parks in China
A Commentary on the Recent Amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL)

Social Positions

Mr. Li is one of the expert members of the “Shanghai Foreign Legal Talent Pool” published by Shanghai Law Society.
Mr. Li is one of the expert members of the Expert Pool for International Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Silk Road Core Area.
Mr. Li is an off-campus supervisor for Juris Master (International Lawyer) program at East China University of Political Science and Law, and he teaches international investment courses for Juris Master students.

Transactions and Cases

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