Ashlee Wu
Registered Foreign Lawyer (Kirkland & Ellis, Hong Kong) and Partner (Kirkland & Ellis LLP, U.S.)
Transactional
Kirkland & Ellis
Overview
Ashlee Wu is a registered foreign lawyer in Hong Kong and a partner in Kirkland & Ellis LLP (U.S.) in the corporate practice, based in the Hong Kong office of Kirkland & Ellis. Her practice focuses on initial public offerings, equity capital markets transactions and Listing Rules/securities regulations compliance. She also advises clients on general corporate matters, corporate governance and private placement transactions.
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland & Ellis, Ashlee has been involved in the following:
- Edding Group Company Limited, an integrated biopharmaceutical company, in connection with a proposed merger and reverse takeover with Genor Biopharma Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong-listed biopharmaceutical company under Chapter 18A. The deal represents the first ever reverse takeover relating to a Chapter 18A listed company
- Fangzhou Inc. (HKSE: 6086), the largest online chronic disease management platform in China in terms of average monthly active users in 2023, on the global offering and listing on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on July 9, 2024
- Super Hi International Holding Ltd. (HKSE: 9658; NASDAQ: HDL) on its initial public offering on the Nasdaq Global Market, making it the first high-profile company to list first in Hong Kong and then in the United States in recent years. This transaction was named “Best IPO – APAC & Hong Kong SAR” and “Most Innovative Deal - Hong Kong SAR” by FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2024
- NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, on the spin-off of its core overseas education business through its subsidiary, and the merger of its subsidiary with Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GEHI). This transaction was named “Deals of the Year 2023” by China Business Law Journal
- Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Ltd. (HKSE: 2197), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing novel vaccines and biologic therapeutic candidates for infectious disease as well as cancer and autoimmune diseases, on its raise of approximately HK$510 million by way of placement of 128 million shares under general mandate
- Super Hi International Holdings Ltd. (HKSE: 9658), a leading international Chinese restaurant brand, on its listing by way of introduction on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which constituted a spin-off from the hotpot giant Haidilao International Holding Ltd. (HKSE: 6862)
- Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. (Ribo), a clinical stage company developing innovative RNAi technologies and oligonucleotide therapeutics, on the successful completion of its $40 million Series E1 financing
- Vision Deal HK Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), on its listing of shares (HKSE: 7827) and warrants (HKSE: 4827) on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. This marks the second Hong Kong SPAC listing, the first Hong Kong SPAC listing led by promoters with substantial entrepreneurial and private equity background, and the largest Hong Kong SPAC listing by offering size at the time of listing
- Morgan Stanley Asia Limited and Jeffries Hong Kong Limited as joint sponsors and joint global coordinators together with other underwriters on the US$88 million global offering and listing of CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. (HKSE: 1228), a rare disease-focused biopharmaceutical company committed to the research, development and commercialization of biotech therapies, on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
- Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Ltd. (HKSE: 2197), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing novel vaccines and biologic therapeutic candidates for infectious disease as well as cancer and autoimmune diseases, on its US$258 million global offering and listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
- Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited, and Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited as joint sponsors and joint global coordinators together with other underwriters on the US$400 million global offering and listing of Keymed Biosciences Inc. (HKSE: 2162), a biotechnology company focuses on the in-house discovery and development of innovative biological therapies in the autoimmune and oncology therapeutic areas, on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
- Zhaoke Ophthalmology Limited (HKSE: 6622), an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development and commercialization of therapies that addresses significant unmet medical needs, in its spin-off from Lee’s Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0950) and US$270 million global offering and listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
- Clover Biopharmaceuticals, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative biologics as vaccines and therapeutics for the world’s most debilitating diseases, on the successful completion of an oversubscribed US$230 million Series C financing. The financing round was co-led by GL Ventures and Temasek, with participation from Oceanpine Capital, OrbiMed and existing investor Delos Capital
Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis, Ashlee has been involved in the following:
- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (HKEX:9987, NYSE:YUMC) in connection with its secondary listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The offering raised net proceeds of approximately HK$17 billion (US$2.2 billion). Yum China is the largest restaurant company in China with flagship brands including KFC and Pizza Hut
- China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited, Merrill Lynch Far East Limited, CMB International Capital Limited, Fosun Hani Securities Limited and Citigroup Global Markets Asia Limited as joint sponsors and joint global coordinators, and BOCI Asia Limited and UBS AG Hong Kong Branch as joint global coordinators together with other underwriters in connection with the US$397.4 million global offering and listing of H-Shares of Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc (HKSE: 2696). This listing is also a dual-level spin-off from Hong Kong-listed Fosun International and A+H-listed Fosun Pharma. Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. is a leading biopharmaceutical company in China
- Zhaoke Ophthalmology Limited in connection with US$145 million Series B financing from top-tier institutional investors, including TPG Asia, Hillhouse, Loyal Valley Capital, Orbimed
- Viva Biotech Holdings (HKSE: 1873) in its offering of US$180 million and US$280 million guaranteed convertible bonds due 2025 pursuant to Regulation S
- China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited as sole sponsor and joint global coordinator and J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited and Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited as joint global coordinators together with other underwriters in connection with Viva Biotech Holdings (HKSE: 1873)’s US$195 million initial public offering listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Viva Biotech Holdings is a leading open-access and innovation-driven technology platform company
- China Merchants Securities (HK) Co., Limited and China Securities (International) Corporate Finance Company Limited as joint sponsors and joint global coordinators, and China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited as joint global coordinator together with other underwriters, in connection with the US$126 million global offering and listing of Strawbear Entertainment Group, major drama series producer and distributor in PRC, on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
- China New Higher Education Group (HKSE: 2001) in its US$95.5 million initial public offering and listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- Guolian Securities (HKSE: 1456) in its US$455 million initial public offering and listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
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Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Hong Kong, Registered Foreign Lawyer
- Washington
- People’s Republic of China (non-practicing)
Languages
- English
- Mandarin
Education
- Washington University in St. LouisLL.M.
- Fudan UniversityLL.B.