Douglas Freeman

Douglas Freeman is a partner at Goodwin and a member of the firm’s Private Equity group. Mr. Freeman’s practice focuses on representing public and private companies, private equity firms and investment banking firms in connection with mergers, acquisitions, public offerings and other corporate transactions in a wide variety of industries. His M&A practice focuses on cross-border mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and other business combination transactions, with broad experience in leveraged buyouts, listed company transactions and hostile or contested control transactions. Mr. Freeman has been active in a number of “going-private” transactions involving China-based companies listed in the U.S. He also represents issuers and selling shareholders in public offerings of equity and debt securities and private placements, including Rule 144A transactions, and buyers and sellers in connection with in- and out-of-court reorganizations, workouts and restructurings, including distressed mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.

Mr. Freeman has served as counsel to:

• LionRock Capital on its acquisition of Haglöfs AB, a leading outdoor performance brand, from ASICS Corporation
• Softbank Group Corp. as lead investor in its investment in the $280 million Series E financing round of Mapbox, a location platform powering navigation
• The management of ELEVATE in the sale of ELEVATE, an industry leader in ESG and supply chain services globally, by the Elevate management team and EQT to LRQA
• FountainVest Partners in connection with its $900 million acquisition of Beijing Zhendong Langdi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 
• FountainVest Partners on the acquisition of CFB Group, a China-based multi-brand food and beverage platform operator that is world’s largest franchisee of Dairy Queen and one of the largest franchisees of Papa John’s Pizza outside of the United States
• PTK Acquisition Corp. in its $1.1 billion business combination with Valens Semiconductor
• FountainVest Partners in connection with its acquisition of China-based logistics enterprise CJ Rokin Logistics and Supply Chain 
• LionRock Capital in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in leading shoe manufacturer and retailer Clarks
• FountainVest Partners in a number of significant Greater China transactions, including its investments in 360 Finance, Laobaixing Pharmacy, Maoyan Entertainment, Meituan-Dianping, and Fangdd.com
• LionRock Capital in connection with its investment in the football club Inter Milan
• FountainVest Partners in the sale of its interests in Focus Media, a leading digital marketing company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, to the Alibaba Group
• FountainVest Partners in its China joint venture with WME | IMG, a global sports, fashion and entertainment talent management company, together with Sequoia Capital China and Tencent
• FountainVest Partners, and its portfolio company, Trusted Doctors, in its merger with Tencent Doctorwork, a medical unit of Tencent Holdings
• TKK Symphony in the de-SPAC acquisition of Glory Star New Media Group, a leading mobile entertainment platform in China
• FountainVest Partners in connection with its going private acquisition of Chinese online career platform Zhaopin Limited, together with Hillhouse Capital and SEEK International*
• the buyer group consortium (consisting of Carlyle, FountainVest Partners, CITIC Capital, Everbright, Fosun International, and the Chairman) in the US$3.7 billion acquisition of Focus Media Holding Limited (NASDAQ: FMCN). The going-private transaction is China’s largest leveraged buyout in history.*
• Co-investment fund formed by Focus Media and FountainVest Partners in connection with investments in the sports, media and entertainment industries*
• ZQ Capital in its acquisition of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a medical device manufacturer, and its $210 million PIPE investment in NYSE-listed Nu Skin Enterprises*
• AEA in connection with its acquisition of Three-Sixty Group*
• Goldman Sachs as financial adviser to the Special Committee of AsiaInfo-Linkage (NASDAQ: ASIA) in the US$890 million acquisition by a consortium led by CITIC Capital Partners*
• Goldman Sachs as financial adviser to the Special Committee of iSoftStone Holdings Limited (NYSE: ISS) in a pending going private transaction*
• Goldman Sachs in connection with several principal investments*
• Lazard as financial adviser to the Special Committee of AutoNavi Holdings Limited in a going private transaction.*
• Lazard as financial adviser to a buyer group in its acquisition of Yucheng Technologies Limited (NASDAQ: YTEC)*
• Houlihan Lokey as financial adviser to numerous companies
• Duffs & Phelps as financial adviser to numerous companies
• the private equity buyer consortium in its going-private acquisition of China jewelry retailer and distributor NASDAQ-listed LJ International*
• Special Committee of CNinsure (NASDAQ: CISG) in connection with a proposed US$950 million going private transaction involving its chairman and private equity sponsors, including TPG*
• the independent directors of ChinaCast Education Group (NASDAQ: CAST) in connection with its review of strategic alternatives and crisis management issues*
• the independent directors of Acorn International (NYSE: ATV), a China-based TV retailer, in connection with its consideration of an unsolicited partial tender offer by its co-founders*
• Tiens Group, the controlling shareholder of NYSE-listed Tiens Biotech, a China-based manufacturer and distributor of nutritional supplements, in connection with a going private transaction*
• the Special Committee of Board of Directors of NASDAQ-listed Solarfun Power Holdings, a solar cell producer, in connection with its US$370 million sale of a controlling stake to Hanwha Corporation*
• a consortium consisting of Sequoia Capital, Citic Capital, and FountainVest Partners in connection with a management-led US$180 million investment in SINA Corporation*

* Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.

Ranked for excellence by Chambers Greater China Region for Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (China)

Named to the China Business Law Journal’s 2020 A List China’s Elite 100 Lawyers (Foreign Firm)

Recognized by Legal 500 Asia Pacific in Corporate M&A, as a Leading Lawyer

Listed in IFLR1000 (33rd edition) as a highly regarded partner for M&A and private equity

• “Deal Protection and Risk Allocation Issues in M&A Transactions,” HKVCA Private Equity Fundamentals Program, October 2015
• “China Outbound Transactions,” The American Lawyer Shanghai Summit, November 2014
• “China Outbound Transactions: A Guide to Doing Deals in the U.S. and Europe,” In-House Congress Beijing, March 2014
• “How Take-Private Transactions Have Advanced China’s M&A Landscape,” IFLR Asia M&A Forum, February 2014
• “China’s Cresting Going Private Wave,” Thomson Reuters Business Law Currents, July 2013
• Access China: Management Buyout and Private Equity Roundtable, April 2013
• IFLR’ Asia M&A Forum, February 2013
• Arbitration and Corporate Governance Symposium, June 2012
• “Public Target M&A Developments,” IFLR Asia M&A Forum, February 2012
• Dow Jones Private Equity Analyst Outlook, January 2012