Biography

With over fifteen years of experience, Ms. Gongsun routinely represents overseas companies and high net worth individual clients in connection with their general corporate matters and all aspects of real estate transactions.

In the corporate sector, Ms. Gongsun acted as U. S. general counsel to several prestigious Chinese state-owned companies, publicly traded companies, and leading private companies in their respective industry. Her work includes mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, equity and debt financings, and other cross-border corporate transactions.

Representative transactions:

• In connection with China’s two largest steel and iron companies’ merger, acted as lead U.S. counsel in a series of corporate restructuring of their U.S. subsidiaries;
• Represented China’s No. 1 dairy company in general corporate matters of its U.S. subsidiary;
• Represented China’s largest audio sharing platform in its acquisition of a U.S. start-up company and a series of related transactions;
• Represented a Chinese venture capital fund in its investment in a Hawaiian telemedicine start-up and related cross-border structuring advice;
• Represented a U.S. start-up in its receiving of series A investment by a venture capital fund backed by Tsinghua University;
• Conduct due diligence and issue various legal opinions for several Chinese public traded companies’ U.S. subsidiaries

Ms. Gongsun has extensive experience in the acquisition, disposition and leasing of real estate properties, both commercial and residential. She frequently works with local developers and overseas investors in forming joint ventures, real estate funds as well as acting as general counsel in all related legal matters. Ms. Gongsun also works with projects seeking to utilize EB-5 investment in connection with real estate development, both as debt and equity. Utilizing her extensive experience and in-depth understanding of the real estate industry, Ms. Gongsun also successfully handled a variety of sophisticated real estate litigation matters.

Representative transactions:

• Represented the owner of a former IBM manufacturing plant to subdivide and sell a portion of its property and obtain permits and variances for the purchaser’s intended recreational use;
• Represented a China-based private equity fund in connection with its acquisition of a California hotel for approximately $35 million and its $20 million financings with ICBC;
• Represented the equity investor in a joint venture developing property in Manhattan subject to a ground lease and utilizing EB-5 financing;
• Represented many Chinese real estate investors in their equity investment in various U.S. real estate development projects;
• Represented a China-based education group in bidding a distress college campus in upstate New York;
• Represented a Chinese company in negotiation and signing of its office leasing comprising a whole floor at One World Trade;
• Represented an NJ based e-commerce and logistics company in negotiation and signing of its over 200,000 square feet clear lease with Prologis;

With a reputation in handling complicated legal matters and a broad understanding of all areas involving foreign investors, i.e. tax, trust & estate, business immigration, CRS, offshore holding entities, etc., Ms. Gongsun has been the go-to person for overseas companies and foreign ultra-high-net-worth individuals’ corporate transactions and real estate investments in the U.S.  She was featured in Hong Kong Phoenix Television’s miniseries about overseas Chinese in the legal industry. She is a frequent speaker at various seminars and forums including U.S. Small Business Administration’s Business Series and was recently invited as a panelist to speak at Princeton University U.S. China Coalition.