Gary Li

Partner Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity
Kirkland & Ellis

Hong Kong +852 3761 3442

Gary Li

Overview

Gary Li is noted for his broad, longstanding expertise, often advising on high-value take-privates and equity investments.” - Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2025

Gary is a senior corporate partner in Kirkland’s Hong Kong office. He focuses his practice on M&A and private equity transactions. He has significant experience with leveraged buy-outs, taking-private transactions, PIPEs and growth equity investments. He has worked on some of the most challenging transactions in the region over the last few years representing top tier investment funds.

He has been recognized as a leading lawyer for private equity in IFLR1000, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers Asia Pacific and Chambers Greater China. According to Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Chambers Asia-Pacific, Gary has “deep experience” in China and is part of a team that has “top-quality industry knowledge and commercial judgement”, and clients have said Gary is “the Firm's strongest private equity partner," and "has a good relationship with clients and a deep understanding of the market." According to Chambers Greater China, a client indicated that "Gary has been active in the buyout space” and “is a strong player with his language and culture ability."

Prior to joining Kirkland, Gary was partner at the Hong Kong office of Ropes & Gray. He was also counsel at the Hong Kong office of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, where he had practiced for over 10 years in its New York and Hong Kong offices.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Gary has represented the following matters:.

  • Represented Macquarie Greater China Infrastructure Fund in its investment in JinkoSolar Power Engineering Group Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., a New York Stock Exchange-listed, global leader in the solar PV industry.

  • Represented Blackstone as the lead buyer of a consortium, in the US$625 million take-private transaction of China-based Pactera Technology International Ltd.

  • Represented China Everbright as a member of the buyer consortium in the US$3.7 billion take-private of Focus Media Holdings, which operates China’s largest lifestyle-targeted interactive digital media network.

  • Represented TPG Capital on its US$100 million strategic investment in Beijing-based Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Xinyuan), a Chinese real estate developer.

  • Represented KKR in various transactions including its US$1.6 billion proposed leveraged buy-out of Yageo Corporation (a public company listed in Taiwan) and its investments in Modern Dairy and Far East Horizon.

  • Represented Carlyle in various transactions including its acquisition of Tachong Bank and disposition of kbro in Taiwan.

  • Represented Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia in various transactions including its US$350 million taking-private transaction of Sihuan Pharmaceutical (a public company listed in Singapore) and its US$100 million PIPE investment in China XD Engineering (a public company listed on NASDAQ).

  • Represented Shanghai government in connection with the Shanghai Disney project.

More

Recognition

Legal 500: Leading Partner in Private Equity (Hong Kong) (2025)

Chambers Greater China: Band 1 in Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (2022–2024)

Legal 500: Leading Individual in Private Equity (Hong Kong) (2016–2020, 2023–2024)

IFLR1000: Highly Regarded in Private Equity and M&A (2018–2024)

China Business Law Journal: A-List Visionaries (2024–2025)

China Business Law Journal: A-List China’s Elite Lawyers (Foreign Firms) (2022)

Chambers Asia-Pacific: Band 1 in Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (2021)

Chambers Asia-Pacific: Leading Lawyer in Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (2015–2020) 

Legal 500: Leading Individual in Private Equity: Foreign Firms (China) (2020)

IFLR1000: Leading Lawyer in Private Equity and M&A (2016–2017)

Chambers Asia-Pacific: Asia’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2016)

IFLR1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, Leading Lawyer (2013–2016)

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2013Hong KongSolicitor
  • 2002New York

Languages

  • English
  • Mandarin

Education

  • University of California, Los Angeles, School of LawJ.D.2001
  • Peking University Law SchoolB.A.1997