Julia Zhu-Morelli

Partner

Julia represents clients in a broad range of corporate matters, including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, greenfield investments, fund formation, private equity/venture capital transactions, licensing, and general corporate matters.

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Julia is one of the most prominent Chinese-speaking corporate lawyers in the US. Legally educated and trained in both the US and China, Julia has extensive experience in representing Chinese and US companies in cross-border transactions, ranging from negotiating, structuring, and implementing strategic corporate and commercial transactions. She is heavily relied on by her clients for her proactive legal counsel to achieve their long-term business goals. Julia uses her legal knowledge to help clients identify risks and opportunities, proactively align legal strategy with business strategy, and guide decision-making for long-term success.

Julia’s representation spans diverse client industry sectors, such as renewable energy, real estate, healthcare, manufacturing, e-commerce, logistics, consumer goods, and telecommunications. In addition to her transactional experience, Julia also serves as outside general counsel for several international clients, advising on their US operations. In this role, she assists her corporate clients with their legal needs for their day-to-day business operations, such as regulatory compliance, labor and employment, financing, intellectual property, and dispute resolution.

Working with the firm’s highly reputable private client service team, Julia assists high-net-worth individuals and families with legal matters such as estate planning, wealth management, wills, trusts, and probate, tax planning, family business succession, philanthropic planning, and handling complex transactions like real estate purchases or other types of business investments.

Client Work

  • Represent a US consumer goods company in its equity acquisition of a US-listed company.
  • Represent a US consumer goods company in its equity sale to a US-listed company.
  • Represent a Chinese listed construction material company for its construction or acquisitions of various new energy projects in the US and Europe.
  • Represent a Chinese listed construction company in multiple real estate construction and development projects in the US.
  • Represent a Chinese listed high-tech company for its acquisition of a Swiss listed company and its subsidiaries in 12 jurisdictions.
  • Serve as the outside general counsel for the US subsidiary of a Chinese airline.
  • Serve as the outside general counsel for the US subsidiary of a Chinese aircraft manufacturer.
  • Serve as the outside general counsel of the California subsidiary of a Chinese bank.
  • Represent a US software company to set up a WFOE in China.
  • Represent a US energy company to set up a joint venture in China.
  • Represent a European company to set up a joint venture with two Chinese listed multimedia companies.
  • Serve as the outside general counsel for the US subsidiary of a Chinese Fortune 500 company.
  • Serve as the outside general counsel for the US subsidiaries of a Chinese listed multimedia company.
  • Advise a Chinese listed company on its equity acquisition of a Canadian listed company.
  • Advise a Chinese fund (3.5 billion US dollars) for its overseas investments in the United States and around the world.
  • Advise a U.S. health care company on its equity sale to a Chinese listed company.
  • Advise a U.S. physical therapy Company for its equity sale to Chinese investors.
  • Assist a Chinese listed company in completing its infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia.
  • Assist a Chinese listed company in completing its equity acquisition of a German high-tech electronics company.
  • Assist a Chinese listed company in setting up a joint venture with an Italian equipment company.
  • Advise a Chinese Fortune 500 company on its overseas financing.
  • Advise a Chinese listed company on the due diligence, contract negotiations, and obtaining governmental approvals for its equity acquisition of a U.S. high-tech electronics company.
  • Advise a Taiwan listed company for the due diligence and contract negotiations for its equity acquisition of the U.S. operations of a Japanese listed electronics company.
  • Advise a Taiwan listed company on its equity acquisition of a high-tech electronics company in the United States.
  • Advise a Chinese real estate fund on its real estate acquisitions in Los Angeles.
  • Serve as the outside general counsel for the US operations of a well-known restaurant chain.
  • Advise a Chinese listed security company for its acquisition of a high-tech US company and serve as the outside general counsel for its US subsidiary.
  • Advise a Chinese listed real estate company for its global strategic expansion; represent the client in a number of greenfield investments and acquisitions, and serve as the outside general counsel for its US operations.
  • Advise a Chinese telecom company on its multiple acquisitions in the United States.
  • Advise one of the largest Chinese chemical companies on its technology licensing arrangement and joint venture with US companies.
  • Advise a Chinese listed optical fiber company on its first equity acquisition in the United States.
  • Advise a Chinese multimedia company on its cooperation project with a US Film Company.
  • Represent a film company in Jiangsu to negotiate a co-financing development project with a US film and television production company.
  • Advise a multimedia company in Shandong on its equity acquisition of a multimedia company in California.
  • Advise a Chinese real estate developer on its land acquisition projects in the US.
  • Advise an offshore fund for its acquisition and recovery of Chinese non-performing loans.
  • Represent a US pharmaceutical company to establish a joint venture project in Jiangsu.
  • Represent a Chinese medical private equity fund to invest in US medical software development companies and advise on technology licensing issues.
  • Provide legal advisory services to Chinese companies in the China-Africa Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Park.
  • Advise a US-listed company on its technology licensing and a joint venture with a Chinese health care group.