Eric Lin

Eric has more than 22 years’ experience in international M&A, projects and project finance, energy and natural resources projects, and foreign direct investment in China. He has particular expertise in advising on China outbound and inbound investment projects.

Experience

Representative matters

Advising on the sale of 49% of its shareholding of HongKong DeChuang Holdings Limited, a company that holds a large scale bauxite mine project in Guinea.

Advising Gangtai Group Corporation Limited on the Euro 230 million acquisition of Buccellati Holding Italia S.p.A., a prestigious Italian luxury jewellery brand with 100 years of history. The transaction received the Top Investor in Italy award 2017 from the Italy-China Foundation

Advising Hua Wei Mei Lin Holdings Group Ltd. on the 60% acquisition of Pedini S.p.A., a leading Italian manufacturer of high-end kitchens, bathrooms and furniture

M&A

Advising on the sale of 49% of its shareholding of HongKong DeChuang Holdings Limited, a company that holds a large scale bauxite mine project in Guinea.

Advising Hua Wei Mei Lin Holdings Group Ltd. on the 60% acquisition of Pedini S.p.A., a leading Italian manufacturer of high-end kitchens, bathrooms and furniture

Advising the subsidiaries of PowerChina Group on the acquisition of Geodata S.p.A., an Italian engineering design firm with subsidiaries in Italy, Austria, Algeria, India, Ecuador, Brazil and Australia

Advising the subsidiaries of PowerChina Group on its proposed acquisition of a leading engineering group in Israel and the Netherlands with a global footprint

Representing a subsidiary of Shenhua Group (now known as China Energy Investment Corporation) on its proposed acquisition of coal fired power projects in an Eastern Europe country through a privatization process

Advising a subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach Group) on its acquisition of an automobile parts producer in Germany

Representing Jinbei Auto on its first overseas acquisition through setting up a joint venture in Russia for the production of light duty trucks

Power

Advising the Chinese consortium led by China Three Gorges Group and State Grid on the bidding for the Inga 3 Hydro Power Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With 4,800 MW planned installed capacities and a total investment of US$ 12 billion, the Inga 3 Project will become the first phase of the Grand Inga Project, which is going to be, once completed, the largest hydro power project in the world and the largest infrastructure project on the African continent

Representing GCL-Poly on its proposed investment in a coal-fired power project in Mongolia

Advising TBEA on its proposed investment in a 500MW wind power project in Ukraine

Advising TBEA and FGIS Fonds Gabonais d'Investissements Stratégiques, the sovereign wealth fund of the Republic of Gabon on the development of a hydro power project in Gabon

Representing China Machinery Engineering Corporation on its proposed investment in a coal-fired power project in Pakistan

Representing the Chinese sponsors on the development of the first coal-fired power project in Djibouti

Mining

Advising ALS (Hong Kong) Limited, as the lead investor, on the acquisition of a large-scale rare earth mine project in the Ambato region, Madagascar.

Advising a subsidiary of Shenhua Group on its proposed acquisition of a major coking coal mine project in Mongolia with a total reserve of over 180 million tonnes in Mongolia

Advising a subsidiary of Shenhua Group on its proposed acquisition of gold mine and coal mine projects in Russia

Representing a Chinese client on the investment and development of a large bauxite project in West Africa.

Advising China Railway Materials Group on the debt restructuring and subsequent administration of Africa Minerals Limited, an AIM listed mining company that owns the Tonkolili iron ore project in Sierra Leone

Advising China Africa Development Fund on its participation in the Chinese consortium for the acquisition of world-scale chrome projects in South Africa

Advising China Africa Fund for Industrial Cooperation on the financing for a mining project in Africa

Advising a subsidiary of Shandong Hi-speed Group on its investment in an AIM listed mining company with gold mine assets

Advising China-Africa Investment & Development Corporation on a gold mine acquisition in Zimbabwe

Oil & Gas

Advising Shell on the Huizhou Phase 2 petrochemical project in Huizhou, China, a US$ 10 billion dollar petrochemical project in joint venture with CNOOC. This was one of the largest foreign investment projects that has been ever approved by the Chinese government

Advising Qatar Petroleum on its proposed joint venture with PetroChina on a world-scale integrated refinery project in Taizhou, China

Advising the mandated lead arrangers and export credit agencies on the project financing of the US$10 billion Saudi Kayan integrated refinery project developed by SABIC in Saudi Arabia

Advising Shell and CNOOC on the US$ 4.3 billion project financing and subsequent re-financing of the Nanhai petrochemical project in Huizhou, China. The project was at its financial close the largest private sector project financing transaction in Asia

Advising Sinopec Corp on its acquisition of Block 18 oil field offshore Angola for US$ 2.46 billion

Advising SASOL and Shenhua on the proposed development of a world scale coal-to-liquid project in Shanxi province. This was the only pilot coal-to-liquid JV project that has received an initial approval from NDRC

Litigation

Acting for a private enterprise in the disputes arising out of its USD-bond default issued overseas and in the defence before New York courts in the U.S., and successfully reversing the absentia adverse to the client

Acting for and advising a private enterprise in a series of trials, appeals and litigations, and criminal investigations arising out of its investment disputes in Germany, where the main suit has been brought before the Federal Court of Justice Germany (Der Bundesgerichtshof) in the final-appeal proceedings.

Successful application on behalf of a German company for a protection order in relation to the disputes over a loan guarantee

Acting for the de facto controller and family members of a private enterprise in the complex litigations in relation to mareva injunctions and right infringement before the Hong Kong High Court

Acting for and advising a domestic client in the subsequent international arbitration cases to a purchase-transaction in Europe, and successfully reaching settlement as the client expected

Acting for a central SOE and a provincial SOE in arbitrations before the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations（FOSFA）in relation to a number of contractual disputes over commodity trades

Recognitions

Ranked in Chambers Greater China Region for China Energy & Natural Resources (International Firms), 2020-2025
Ranked in Chambers Global for China Energy & Natural Resources (International Firms), 2020-2025
Listed as a Notable Practitioner in IFLR1000 Global for China: M&A – Foreign, 2023-2024

Credentials

Education

New York University School of Law, 2005, LL.M.
University of International Business and Economics, School of Law, 2002, Master of Law
University of International Business and Economics, School of Law, 1999, Bachelor of Law