Hongwen Zhu

Practice Areas

Energy & Natural Resources

Project & Infrastructure

Cross-borer Investment

M&A

Project Finance

International Project Contracting,

International Commercial Arbitration

Career

July 2001 – Present：Sunshine Law Firm

September 2003 – September 2004：Oxford University

July 1998 – April 2016：Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences

Professional Memberships

China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)

Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC)

Hangzhou Arbitration Commission (HAC)

Mediator of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade/Hangzhou Mediation Center of China International Chamber of Commerce

Member of Arbitration Practice Committee of Shanghai Bar Association

Counsel of the Legal Service Group for China Israel Innovation Park (Shanghai)

Supervisor of Zhejiang International Contractors Association

Publications

International Factoring Law and Practice, China Founder Publishers, 2001.

Development and Regulation of the Business of Factoring in China, The Journal of Business Law, 2007.

The Application and Legal Practice of Expert Resolution Procedures in Commercial Dispute Resolution in the UK, Litigation Law Series (Vol. 10), 2005.

Building the Legal Basis for China's Carbon Trading Market, Guangming Daily (Theory Edition), 2012.

Languages Spoken

English (professional proficiency), Mandarin Chinese (native speaker)

Clients

Brookfield, Sembcorp, CLP, Shell, Envision, GCL, Sinosure, HHDC, Shanghai Electric Power, China Power International Development, China Energy Engineering Corporation, Shenergy, Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute, Shanghai SUS Environment, China Southern Power Grid Yunnan International. 

Work Highlights

Advised a famous international renewable energy company in acquiring a portfolio of around 70 solar power projects in China.

Advised a famous international renewable energy company in its acquisitions of a portfolio of four solar power projects and six wind power projects with a total capacity of 658 MW in Shandong Province, Hebei Province and Henan Province of China.

Advised a famous international renewable energy company on long-term power purchase agreements and corporate power purchase agreements in China.

Advised Sanmen Nuclear Power Company Ltd. for the investment in and construction of 2*1250MW nuclear power generating units (AP1000 of Westinghouse) in China.

Advised Shanghai Electric Power Co., Ltd. for the acquisition of 33.3% equity stake in Enemalta p.l.c. and 90% in D3 Power Generation Limited, and various M&A transaction or greenfield investment in renewable energy in Malta, Montenegro, Hungary, Italy, Greek, German, Spain and Portugal.

Advised an energy MNC in an EV charging joint venture in China.

Advised an energy MNC in a service station acquisition in China.

Advising a Chinese energy company on corporate power purchase agreements / virtual PPA in Europe.

Advising a Chinese energy company on its acquisition of 500MW solar power plant in Egypt.

Represented a Chinese company in a HKIAC case relating to joint venture dispute and dispute over sale of gearbox for wind turbine generator.

Representing a Chinese company in a on-going HKIAC case relating to coal supply dispute.

Representing a Chinese company in a on-going LCIA case relating to coal supply dispute.

Represented a Chinese company on the clarification and determination of creditors' rights in response to bankruptcy disputes of a US company.

Presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator in arbitration proceedings involving energy trading / take or pay contract disputes, construction contract disputes, property sale contract disputes, shareholders’ disputes, international trade and insurance disputes, etc..

Education

Awards

Experience

Hongwen Zhu has over 20 years’ legal professional experience in a boutique energy law firm, Sunshine Law Firm. She is being highly recognized in BOT/PPP investment, project finance, M&A, EPC and dispute resolution in relation to the sectors of energy and infrastructure, including nuclear power, wind power, solar power, oil and gas, etc.. She has been actively representing famous Chinese and international energy companies in outbound or inbound investment, project development, construction and O&M. She has advised many Chinese companies on their BOT investment, M&A transactions and EPC projects in more than 30 countries, among which nearly 10 transactions were ranked “Deal of the Year” by IFLR1000, China Business Law Journal, etc.

Hongwen Zhu has accumulated substantial experience in commercial dispute resolution as a counsel and an arbitrator. As a counsel, she has represented her clients in several international arbitration cases in relation to joint venture dispute and commodity trading disputes. As an arbitrator, she has served as arbitrator in around thirty cases in relation to energy trading disputes, construction contract disputes and disputes over contracts for international sale of goods, etc.