View speaker details

Thomas is the head of Gide’s Beijing office. With more than a decade of legal experience in international M&A transactions, his practice focuses on foreign direct investments, M&A, divestitures, joint ventures, and infrastructure/energy projects in Greater China. His recent work includes advising an Renault on its RMB 11 billion new car manufacturing JV with Dongfeng Motor Corporation in China, advising Capgemini on its first foray into China with its acquisition of Praxis Technologies, assisting Crédit Agricole on the USD 1.25 billion sale of CLSA to CITIC Securities, and advising Groupama on establishing an insurance joint venture with Aviation Industry Corporation of China. In addition, he assisted Soluxe International, a subsidiary of China Huayou Group Corporation (owned by CNPC), on a large construction and development project in the Republic of Chad, and is currently advising several Chinese companies and institutions on outbound transactions in both Europe and Africa.

View speaker details

Partner and head of Gide’s Shanghai office, Jiannian specializes in cross-border M&A and corporate finance. 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, real estate, and fashion industries. Notably, he assisted the SEB Group on its acquisition of a majority stake in Zhejiang Supor Co., Ltd., in two separate transactions totaling EUR 750 million and Veolia Environnement on its first two issuances of panda bonds on the Chinese domestic bond market for a total of EUR 270 million.

In recent years, Jiannian has been advising more and more Chinese companies on their investments abroad, including China Export-Import Bank on its financing of China Huaxin’s acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent’s French assets for nearly EUR 200 million and Zhejiang Semir Garment Co., Ltd., on its acquisition of the Kidiliz Group, the European leader in premium children’s fashion, for EUR 110 million.

In 2016 and 2018, Jiannian was named as one of the Top 100 A-list lawyers in China by China Business Law Journal, which is one of most well respected industrial journals in the region. In addition, Jiannian serves since 2018 as the vice-chief of the Shanghai Bar Association’s Special Members Committee, where he is in charge of coordinating all foreign law firms registered with the organisation. He is also a member of the Ningbo and Zhejiang Chambers of Commerce.

View speaker details

A member of the China Bar and Institute of Certified Public Taxation Consultants of China, Guo Min is a 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. She specialises in PRC taxation and accounting and regularly gives presentations on tax issues to clients and the broader business community. She is heavily involved in tax working groups in China and is the tax working group coordinator at the French Chamber of Commerce (CCIFC) in Beijing. Having advised many companies on their foreign investments in China, Guo Min has deep expertise in analysing and structuring the fiscal aspects of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, joint ventures, project financing, company restructuring, foreign investment projects and tax-related reforms and disputes. She also has specialist experience in customs law, foreign exchange control and corporate legal matters. She has worked on a wide range of notable PRC and international tax, accounting, customs and foreign exchange control matters for global clients. Guo Min is ranked as a leading tax lawyer in China by both Chambers Asia and the Asia Pacific Legal 500.