Biography
Arila Zhou represents special purpose acquisition corporations, emerging growth companies, funds and investment banks, with an emphasis on private and public transactions in relation to a broad range of corporate, private equity, capital markets, securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance matters. She is fluent in English and is a native speaker of Mandarin. Arila is a member of the firm’s Business Transactions Group and its Capital Markets + Securities team.
SPAC
Arila has represented sponsors, SPAC companies, underwriters and target companies in SPAC related transactions for more than five years, including initial public offerings and business combinations. One of her recent representations in business combinations involved a forward merger between a SPAC company and London listed pharmaceutical company which resulted in a successful dual listing on Nasdaq and AIM. She currently represents more than a dozen SPACs in their initial public offerings and handful SPACs in business combinations.
China Practice
Arila has more than 10 years’ experience in listings and offering of foreign issuers including trading on the National Securities Exchange and the over-the-counter markets. Her representations, among others, include an up-listing of a China petrochemical company in early 2010 and completion of its private placement of more than $26 million which was one of the biggest financings for China companies at that time; a successful listing and offering of a China online training platform for medical professionals that was previously listed on China National Equities Exchange and Quotations, or the NEEQ; and listings of various China or Hong Kong issuers and their continuous growth in the U.S. capital markets. Before she commenced her legal practice in the U.S., Arila was an analyst and editor at Peking Economic Law Research Center when she pursued her master law degree at Peking University in China, at which time she participated in drafting a legislative proposal for Company Law of the People’s Republic of China 2005. Arila also worked in the New York office of a premier international law firm.
Capital Markets and Securities
Arila’s practice is focused on representing clients ranging from emerging to established companies on a breadth of matters relating to cross-border transactions and various securities transactions, including SPACs, Regulation D and Regulation S offerings, initial public offerings and secondary offerings; listing on U.S. stock exchanges and maintenance of public companies, including the preparation and filing of periodic reports, registration statements and other filings; regulatory compliance requirements and SEC investigations; reorganization and privation; and M&A transactions.