David Boitout, partner, specialises in mergers, joint ventures and cross-border acquisitions with a particular focus on transactions in and from growth markets. With more than 24 years of experience, including 15 years as managing partner of the Gide Shanghai office and Gide China, he has extensive experience advising leading European corporates on their cross-border acquisitions and foreign operations in the complex and uncertain legal environment of emerging economies. He also advises major players from growth markets investing in Europe. In addition to his focus on China-related transactions, whether inbound or outbound, in various sectors (industrial, real estate, retail, tourism, banking and finance), David has developed and been involved in the M&A aspects of infrastructure and privatisation in France, China and Africa. David is in charge of Gide’s practice in Asia and shares his time between Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
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Lawyers
Jiannian is managing partner of Gide's Shanghai office and specialises in cross-border M&A. He advises multinational, public and private-sector clients on their activities in Greater China across a broad range of sectors, including the automotive, equipment manufacturing, industrial gas, biomedicine and fashion retail industries. Jiannian's track record notably includes advising the SEB Group on an acquisition of a majority stake in Zhejiang Supor Co., Ltd., followed by a further acquisition of a 20% stake (valued at approximately EUR 750 million in total) and advising Veolia Environnement on the filing of the Panda Bonds issuance plan in the Chinese domestic bond market and all subsequent issuances, with a total amount of EUR 2 billion. In recent years, he has advised a number of Chinese enterprises on overseas investment projects, including assisting Kweichow Moutai, a leading Chinese liquor enterprise, in the acquisition of Chateau Loudenne ("AOC Médoc" winery in Bordeaux) and real estate in Paris, France, assisting ICICLE group in acquiring French luxury brand Carven and restructuring multinational group ICCF, and assisting Zhejiang Semir Garment Co., Ltd. in acquiring Kidiliz Group, the European leader in premium kidswear fashion. He also served as the deputy director of the specially invited member committee of Shanghai Bar Association in 2018, in charge of the coordination of all foreign law firms registered with Shanghai Bar Association. He contributed, as Executive Deputy Editor-in-Chief, to the drafting and publication of a legal guide entitled “A Practical Guide to In-House Counsels” published in 2019 by Law Press.
A member of the PRC Bar and Institute of Certified Public Taxation Consultants of China, Guo Min is managing partner of Gide's Beijing office and the head of Gide's China Tax Practice. She joined Gide's Beijing office in 2005 after working in the Tax Department of one of the Big Four accounting firms as a tax consultant. Having advised many companies on their foreign investments in China, she has extensive experience in M&A and JV projects in China, including in relation to corporate advice, restructuring and tax optimisation. She also has specialist experience in customs law, foreign exchange control and corporate legal matters. She has worked on a wide range of notable M&A, JV project and cross-border restructuring matters for global clients.
Admitted to the Paris bar, Chen Xi is a counsel in Gide's Beijing office. His practice focuses mainly on assisting Chinese clients on their investments and acquisitions outside China, and European clients on their projects in China. Before joining Gide's Beijing office, he was a member of the Competition and Project teams in Gide's Paris office. Chen Xi has extensive experience in advising public and private clients (mostly Fortune Global 500 and listed companies) on their investments in Africa, Europe and China, in various sectors such as mining, energy, infrastructure, agriculture/fishery, pharmaceutical, industry and banking, and involving both acquisitions and greenfield projects. He recently acted for IFC on a major water PPP project in China, Chinalco on the Simandou iron ore mining project (one of the world’s largest mining projects), Chalco and COSCO Shipping on a bauxite mining project in Guinea. Chen Xi has also developed significant expertise in Chinese competition law, helping European clients obtain merger control clearance and advising them on competition law compliance issues in China.