Shanshan Han

Full Profile

Shanshan Han specialises in cross-border dispute resolution (international arbitration and litigation), cross-border investment and M&A, general corporate, and corporate compliance.

She has over a decade of legal experience and previously served in government, where she participated in key national- and provincial projects, undertook secondments with state-owned enterprises, and was posted to the Chinese embassies in France and in a Belt and Road country in Africa. Shanshan has held senior roles at leading domestic and international law firms, including leading foreign-related practices at a top-tier “Red Circle” firm, and spent several years at a premier European law firm. Her practice focuses on cross-border M&A and international arbitration, encompassing both investment and commercial arbitration. She has been involved in numerous proceedings administered by major arbitral institutions such as ICC, LCIA, SIAC, ICSID, CIETAC and BAC, including some landmark cases, and has been appointed as an international expert by some institutions.

Shanshan is fluent in Chinese and English and proficient in French.

She is qualified to practise law in multiple jurisdictions, holding practising certificates in China and England & Wales, and has also practised in France. She is a member of Young ICCA, listed in the Beijing Dongcheng District Foreign-related Legal Talent Pool, and a member of ICC China.

Shanshan has published dozens of articles in national core academic journals in her practice areas, some of which are award-winning scholarly works. She has been repeatedly invited to speak at high-level arbitration seminars and events organised by UNCITRAL, the Ministry of Justice, CCPIT, and leading domestic and international arbitration institutions such as ICC China, CIETAC, SHIAC, BAC, as well as various international law firms. She has served as a guest speaker, panellist, and moderator, with a cumulative audience exceeding 600,000 attendees.

Furthermore, Shanshan has successfully assisted numerous leading enterprises and clients in achieving milestone legal outcomes, particularly in cross-border investment projects and dispute resolution under the Belt and Road Initiative across Asia, Europe, and Africa. To date, the total value of cases and projects in which she has provided legal services exceeds several hundred billion US dollars.

Experience

Cross-Border Dispute Resolution

Shanshan has long pursued an integrated approach combining non-contentious and contentious practice. She has represented a wide range of clients before arbitration institutions and courts in China and abroad. Representative dispute resolution matters include:

• Assisting the arbitrator in an ICC arbitration involving Italian multinational groups Aastaldi and Webuild and a joint venture with French multinational Vinci in Chile, concerning airport construction projects and related corporate merger and construction disputes.
• Acting in a joint venture dispute between a Chinese shareholder and foreign shareholders, resolved under ICC Rules and governed by PRC law.
• Providing legal advisory services in SIAC arbitrations governed by Indonesian law in connection with disputes arising from the Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Railway project, including consolidation of two ongoing cases.
• Representing a leading German enterprise in a foreign-related arbitration before CIETAC, governed by Singapore law.
• Representing a central SOE in international arbitration seated in Mongolia under local law.
• Representing a central SOE in a cross-border arbitration concerning mining disputes in Mexico, governed by Mexican law.
• Acting in a cross-border trade dispute between a Chinese investor and a Singaporean company governed by the CISG.
• Representing a NASDAQ-listed Chinese automotive manufacturer in a foreign-related arbitration before CIETAC, governed by Florida law, involving a corporate control transfer and equity disputes.
• Co-representing, together with a leading U.S. law firm, a U.S.-listed Chinese automotive company in four litigation matters in New York State.
• Representing a multinational corporation in an international commercial arbitration governed by the CISG and Singapore law, successfully achieved a settlement.
• Representing AUX Group in three litigation matters in Indonesia, together with local counsel, concerning trademarks, intellectual property, and antitrust issues.
• Representing a well-known enterprise in arbitration proceedings before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and successfully achieved a settlement.
• Representing a leading insurance company in disputes concerning debt investment claims amounting to several hundred million RMB before the Beijing Arbitration Commission.
• Participating in two equity repurchase disputes involving state-owned asset clients before the Beijing High People’s Court, with an aggregate amount of RMB 1 billion, and obtained favorable judgments.

Cross-Border Corporate & Transactional Work

Shanshan has represented central SOEs, state-owned enterprises, large private companies, Fortune 500 companies, and US-listed and European companies. She has provided Belt and Road–related outbound ODI, M&A, and investment and financing legal services across multiple industries, including construction, energy, biopharmaceuticals, aviation, food, and machinery. Representative matters include:

• Acting for a power-sector central SOE directly under SASAC on general corporate and cross-border matters, including transaction structuring and contractual arrangements.
• Advising Huadian (a leading energy SOE supervised by SASAC) and its affiliates on domestic general corporate and M&A matters, including transaction structuring and contracts.
• Providing general corporate and cross-border due diligence and investment services to China National Nuclear Corporation and its subsidiaries.
• Advising China Uranium Corporation on general corporate matters and overseas services in connection with its IPO.
• Advising a CCCC-affiliated central SOE on outbound investments exceeding USD 10 billion in Belt and Road countries, including due diligence, transaction structuring, transaction documents, and negotiations.
• Advising Wallace on global outbound ODI and M&A projects, including acquisitions in Southeast Asia, establishment of new entities, SPV structures, and tax planning.
• Advising CATL on an overseas due diligence project.
• Advising China Energy Investment Group and one of its overseas subsidiaries on outbound business matters.
• Advising ABC on a RMB 1 billion debt-to-equity swap project involving an SOE.
• Advising a CNOOC subsidiary on general corporate and special matters in the Middle East.
• Advising Midea Group on legal matters relating to domestic authorised distributorships.
• Providing legal services to XCMG, LGMG, and other enterprises on cross-border sales, commercial cooperation, and ODI projects in jurisdictions including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Mongolia, and Zambia.
• Advising a furniture enterprise on the acquisition of equity interests in an overseas manufacturing facility;
• Providing general corporate legal services for domestic and overseas sales of chemical products of a Sinochem subsidiary.
• Advising a US-listed pharmaceutical company on foreign direct investment in China, including mergers with local Chinese companies and establishment of new entities.
• Advising the Chinese subsidiary of a European company on operational and dissolution matters, including due diligence and preparation of English memoranda and reports.
• Conducting project due diligence and drafting transaction documents for a RMB 1 billion debt-to-equity swap project for ABC.
• Acting as lead counsel for the RMB 1.69 billion equity investment by Ping An Real Estate in a subsidiary of Agile Group (03383), covering due diligence, transaction structuring, commercial negotiations, transaction documentation, and post-investment disputes.
• Acting on the acquisition of 100% equity interests by SDIC Wanhe in a company holding a Class II qualification, including due diligence and the entire transaction process.
• Advising on a RMB 990 million asset income rights project involving Ping An Real Estate and a Guangzhou-based Aoyuan affiliate, as well as cooperation projects involving Minsheng Trust and Minsheng Wealth, including fund transfers, repurchases, and return swaps.
• Advising on a non-public corporate bond issuance of up to RMB 1 billion (affordable housing) by an urban development and construction company.
• Advising on the Jinan Shengfu Aoti Middle Road project for Jinmao Capital.
• Advising Beijing Jinmao Xintong on investment and asset acquisition projects.
• Advising China Resources Capital on investment and asset acquisition projects.
• Advising TBEA Real Estate on the acquisition of Xintai Yinhe Real Estate.
• Advising on the SOE restructuring of a Sinochem subsidiary.
• Advising on the acquisition of a RMB 480 million siheyuan (courtyard residence) property in Beijing.