20 March, 2012
Shearman & Sterling continues to expand its global and China project finance capabilities with the addition of partner Sean Xiaogang Wang, who will bring Chinese, US and global experience when he establishes his practice in the firm's Shanghai office.
The addition of Mr. Wang follows the recent announcement that partner John Inglis has joined the firm in London and is part of the firm's continuing efforts to grow its highly regarded project finance practice worldwide. Mr. Wang joins an Asia project finance practice that features partners in Tokyo, Singapore and Shanghai and does considerable work with state-owned enterprises, governments, corporates, and financial institutions. He arrives from White & Case, where he was a partner in the Beijing office.
"A key strategic priority for us has been the continued expansion of our project development and finance practice worldwide, and Sean's arrival in Shanghai will provide a significant boost to our market-leading Chinese and pan-Asia practices," said Rohan S. Weerasinghe, Shearman & Sterling's senior partner.
Tim Pick, the London-based global head of the firm's project finance group, added: "Sean has strong capabilities on the development and financing side and a great understanding of the regulatory market in China. He has also worked on a number of complex, multi-billion dollar projects in China, Asia and the Middle East. He is a great addition for our firm, and I know he will be well received by our clients."
Added Andrew Ruff, a Shanghai-based partner who leads Shearman & Sterling's project finance practice in China, "Sean will round out our strong capabilities in China and, more broadly, throughout Asia. His experience is very complementary to our current portfolio of work, and we see significant opportunities to broaden our offering to our clients."
Mr. Wang is a PRC national who is bilingual in Mandarin and English and is both New York and China qualified. He has extensive experience in a wide range of project development and financing transactions in China, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean. In addition, he has significant experience in representing financial institution clients in their China investments and in representing Chinese financial institutions in outbound investment.
"This is a very interesting time for China project finance initiatives," Mr. Wang said. "There are opportunities and challenges, and I am confident that our new, expanded team in China will be prepared to deliver strong results for the firm's clients."
Shearman & Sterling's global project finance group advises on important infrastructure projects in every corner of the world. Operating from major business centers in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the firm's lawyers are knowledgeable in a wide spectrum of corporate practices. The group advises on initial development and financing of projects; restructuring and refinancing of projects; project mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions; sovereign and project restructurings, political risk insurance, and other novel split-risk arrangements, as well as experience with export credit agencies and multilateral lending institutions; and dispute resolution as it relates to projects. The firm counsels all types of clients, including sponsors, project companies, lenders, private commercial and investment banks, placement agents, underwriters, export credit agencies, multilateral lending institutions, suppliers, contractors, off-take purchasers and advisors.
For further information, please contact:
Winnie Tang, Shearman & Sterling