Hui (Hannah) Cao

Associate

• hcao@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Beijing Office

Hui (Hannah) Cao is an associate in the China practice at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Ms. Cao advises both public and private companies on a broad range of China-related business matters. She has represented clients in China in connection with investments in various industry sectors, including financial services, healthcare, Internet, technology, education,  media, manufacturing and energy.

Ms. Cao advises clients on various methods of China market entry via mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment and green field investments. She works proactively with clients to develop investment structures and intellectual property protection programs.  She also assists clients with merger and acquisition and joint venture negotiations and she advises on technology transfers, foreign exchange controls, and other PRC regulatory matters.

Ms. Cao advises international financial investors, including insurance companies, on China market entry and investments.  She has assisted international financial institutional investors in their applications for Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) licenses in China and other access to Chinese securities markets, as well as compliance with Chinese securities laws and regulations.

Ms. Cao also has significant experience advising private equity investors and their portfolio companies. She has represented a number of prominent venture capital and private equity firms on early stage and mid to late stage equity investments, exits and restructuring of portfolio companies.

Ms. Cao has substantial experience advising clients on structuring and formation of private investment funds both in China and offshore.

Ms. Cao has also represented Chinese issuers and international underwriters on US registered initial and follow-on offerings, and advised Chinese issuer companies on US securities laws, the rules and regulations of the SEC, NYSE and Nasdaq.

Ms. Cao also assists Chinese companies with their strategies to grow internationally and attract foreign private and public investors.

Prior to joining Steptoe, Ms. Cao worked for several international law firms in the United States and China advising clients on various cross-border corporate transactions.

Prior to her legal career, Ms. Cao worked for four years in the international department at the Beijing headquarters of one of China’s Big Four banks, where her responsibilities focused on expansion of the bank’s international network. She was involved in preparing for the establishment of the bank’s representative offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and London. She also participated in negotiations to establish joint ventures between the bank and several international financial institutions.

Select News & Events

• "What Can Lawyers Do for Chinese Enterprise Going Abroad," 3rd China Trade in Services Congress, June 1, 2011
• A Look at Valuation Issues Arising in Acquisitions, Beijing, April 15, 2011, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Breakfast Seminar
• Controlling Risks in Outbound M&A Deals Conference, Beijing, January 15, 2011

Selected Publications

• Trust Crisis of Chinese Companies Listed on the US Stock Markets
  July 2011, Top Capital
• Recent PRC Regulatory Developments in RMB Cross-Border Investments
  July 18, 2011
• New SAFE Circular 19: Encouraging Round-Trip Investments and Consolidating Regulation of In-bound and Out-bound Investments
  June 29, 2011
• New Rules on Filing Private Equity Funds with China's National Development and Reform Commission
  May 2011, Top Capital
• Corporate Advisory: China Launches National Security Review System for Foreign Mergers & Acquisitions Involving Domestic Enterprises
  February 25, 2011