LI, Likun

Likun Li specializes in major civil and commercial litigation and arbitration, corporate governance and M&A, private equity investment, banking and finance.

After passing the lawyer qualification examination of the Ministry of Justice in 1999, Likun has been practicing in ShenZhen since 2001. With the dual and professional background of law and management, he provides long-term legal advisory and special legal services to many listed companies, group companies, financial institutions and fund companies. He also have represented a large number of major litigation and arbitration cases, achieved good agency effects with his professional and precise work attitude and enjoyed good reputation among clients.

He led his team in meticulous and full efforts in designing litigation and arbitration plans, anticipating and coping with risks, and fine pretrial preparations. He is skilled at quickly grasping the core issues of cases, and assisting his clients to formulate forward-looking solutions. He has excellent representation in a number of major, complex, and difficult cases. Representative cases with subject matters over RMB 100 million include: representing a company and the actual controller of a listed real estate company in debt restructuring cases (a total subject matter of RMB 8.6 billion), representing the founding shareholder of a listed company in a series of disputes over entrusted holding of equity interest (a value of the equity is over RMB 2.3 billion), representing a founding shareholder of a listed company in equity gift dispute cases (a value of the equity is over RMB 1.9 billion), representing a series of construction contract disputes cases between a real estate company and a constructor (a total subject matter of RMB 1 billion), representing the arbitration case of earnout repurchase and guarantee between a fund and the controlling shareholder and actual controller of a listed company (a total subject matter of RMB 670 million), representing the arbitration of a fund and a pharmaceutical group in a guarantee case(a total subject matter of RMB 500 million), representing a loan contract dispute case between a bank and a technology enterprise (a total subject matter of US $61.5 million), representing a guarantee arbitration of a bank and an overseas entity in offshore (a total subject matter of RMB 376 million), representing a real estate group and a listed company in subrogation due to false announcement (a total subject matter of RMB 220 million), representing a partnership agreement dispute case between a fund and an investment management company (a total subject matter of RMB 172 million), representinga partnership agreement dispute case between a fund and an investment management company (a total subject matter of RMB 172 million)., on behalf of a bank acceptance case (the subject matter of RMB 265 million) sued on behalf of bank against a company; the loan guarantee contract dispute case (the subject matter of RMB 100 million) sued on behalf of bank against international international transportation company; the valuation adjustment arbitration dispute between an agent investor and the actual controller of a company in Quanzhou (the subject matter of RMB 60 million); the valuation adjustment arbitration dispute between an agent investor and the actual controller of a company in Shanghai (the subject matter of RMB 41 million) and so on.

In addition, he has acted as the attorney for a number of well-known investment institutions in China and represented dozens of arbitration cases involving buy-back, supplementary performance and cash compensation brought by investors against the actual controllers of invested companies. He also handled a large number of banking and financial cases, winning a number of landmark judgments and awards, some of which have been selected as the typical cases of the Company Law of Guangdong Province.

In terms of corporate governance, Likun has participated in corporate structure design, control right arrangement, deadlock resolution, etc., and has extensive practical experience in corporate governance matters. With respect to corporate liquidation, he has participated in the liquidation of several large enterprises and acted as project manager.

In the field of investment and financing, Likun has advised many domestic and foreign fund management companies on private equity due diligence projects, investment agreements and special legal services for private equity investments, involving stages of fund raising, investment, management and exit. He has helped the clients complete dozens of PE and VC investments, M&A, and exits, etc.

The team led by Likun has handled a large number of cross-border practice, established long-term cooperation with many foreign law firms, handled a large number of cross-border M&A, mediation, arbitration, and enforcement cases, as well as overseas enforcement cases, thus gaining rich experience.

He focuses on professional research and summarization, and has co-published several monographs on company law practice: Journal of Company Law Practice (published by Law Press in February 2023, and editor-in-chief), Lawyers' Practical Commentaries on the Key Clauses of the Company Law (published by Law Press in June 2024, and Associate Editor-in-chief) and Handbook of Lean Management for Law Firms (published by Law Press in March 2014, and Associate Editor-in-chief). He has also published several papers on practice during his practice.

Social Functions

• The Deputy Director of Company Law Professional Committee of All China Lawyers Association
• The Director of Corporate Legal Professional Committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association
• Arbitrators and Mediation experts of Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (South China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission,) were included in the China (Shenzhen) Securities Arbitration Center's Register of Recommended Arbitrators in Securities and Futures Civil Compensation Disputes
• The Arbitrator of Guangzhou Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Tianjin Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Xiamen Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Chengdu Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration
• The Arbitrator of Hefei Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Nanjing Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Xiamen Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Shantou Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Lanzhou Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Jiangmen Arbitration Commission
• The Arbitrator of Maoming Arbitration Commission
• The Mediator of Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone People’s Court,
• The International Mediation Expert of International Dispute Resolution and Risk Management Institute
• The International Mediation Expert of Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Mediation Centre
• Experts of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the PRC
• Experts Selected for the Financial Law Expert Bank of Guangdong Province
• MBA tutor of HSBC Business School of Peking University

Honorary Title

• Thomson Reuters ALB China Top 15 Litigation Lawyers (2021)
• Chambers (Chambers and Partners) "Company / Business: Guangdong Region" Recommended Lawyer (2024)
• Chambers (Chambers and Partners) "Company / Business: Guangdong Region" Recommended Lawyer (2023)
• Chambers (Chambers and Partners) "Company / Business: Guangdong Region" Recommended Lawyer (2022)
• LEGALBAND, Top 15 Arbitration Lawyers (2022)
• The Legal 500 Dispute Resolution (Litigation) Recommended Lawyer (2022)
• Benchmark Litigation Litigation Star of China (2023)
• Benchmark Litigation Litigation Star of China (2022)
• Benchmark Litigation Litigation Star of China (2021)
• Guangdong Province Excellent Lawyer (2017-2021)
• Director of Excellent Professional Committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association (2023)
• Director of Excellent Professional Committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association (2022)
• Director of Excellent Professional Committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association (2020)
• Director of Excellent Professional Committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association (2019)
• Director of Excellent Professional Committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association (2018)
• The company law cases handled were selected as the typical cases of the Ministry of Justice and the "typical cases" of Guangdong Lawyers Association (2018)
• Top Ten Outstanding Young Lawyers in Shenzhen (2012)