White & Case LLP - Lawyers

Practice Experience

John Leary has been the managing partner of White & Case's Shanghai office since 2005. During his career, he has also worked in the Firm's offices in Los Angeles, Bangkok, Hanoi, Prague, Mexico City and Palo Alto.

John represents US and foreign corporations in international mergers, financings and ventures. Since joining White & Case in 1992, nearly all of his work has had a cross-border component. He has led greenfield projects for several high-technology companies, supervised mergers and acquisitions teams in the US, Eastern Europe and Latin America, represented Mexican airlines in their fleet acquisitions and restructurings and also represented the Czech Republic and the Government of Vietnam in privatization and debt restructuring matters.

In Shanghai, John represents multinationals in their acquisitions of Chinese assets or enterprises and in the formation of joint ventures. He also represents Chinese entities in their acquisitions abroad.

Recent and current representations include:

China Development Bank, in its proposed acquisition of a stake in Citigroup.
China Development Bank, in its proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in a major German bank.
A European group in its US$250 million investment into a Chinese steel company.
Haier, in its purchase of a Thai division of a Japanese company.
An Indian multinational in its US$300 million investment into a Chinese SOE.
An Asian investment group in its ethanol projects in China and Indonesia.
The National Football League in connection with its activities in China.
China Merchants China Investments Management Limited in its investment in NBA China LLP.
An American baseball bat manufacturer in its operations in China.
A leading multinational media company in five acquisitions and a joint venture in China.
A European consumer products company in its proposed acquisition of assets from a Chinese SOE, including its participation in the auction process for state-owned assets.
A US NASDAQ-listed company in its acquisition of a Chinese internet content provider and the associated restructuring.
A Chinese startup company in the wireless consumer industry in its formation and financing.
A European internet company in the "roll-up" acquisitions of several internet companies located throughout China.
A US semiconductor company in its joint venture, technology transfer and technology license with a Chinese SOE.
A Chinese company in its purchase of a line of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from Philips Semiconductors, Inc.
A leading original design manufacturer for GSM handset devices in its $200 million sale to NASDAQ-listed Flextronics, Ltd.

From 2002-2003, John was also an adjunct professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, where he taught Contract Writing. He continues to regularly lecture on cross-border transaction topics, with an emphasis on China.

Bars and Courts
California State Bar, 1992

Education
JD, University of California Hastings College of the Law, 1992
BSFS, Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, 1987

Publications
Co-author, "No Need to Q!," Bloomberg Corporate Law Journal, Issue 2, Spring 2006 (with Seung Chong)
Co-author, "Luxury Brands Take On Landlords" Financial Times, January 30, 2006 (with Patrick Ma)
"Courts Combat Counterfeiting" Financial Times, June 7, 2005 (with Christopher Corr)

Citizenship
United States