Jiaying Zhang

Jiaying Zhang advises a range of clients through all stages of the investment cycle within the energy and infrastructure industry. In particular, she counsels infrastructure funds on a wide range of complex domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions, joint venture and consortium transactions, management equity plans and restructurings. Jiaying was recently named a finalist in the “Rising Stars” category at Law.com International’s 2022 British Legal Awards and a 2022 Top 25 Up-and-coming lawyer most active on UK Listing Authority deals by MergerLinks.

Jiaying’s recent work highlights include advising:

• KKR in its $2.2 billion take private of ContourGlobal plc and £2 billion take private of John Laing Group plc
• Stonepeak in its acquisition of a €1 billion stake in Inspired Education Group
• Cubico in its renewable energy joint venture with Peel Energy
• KKR in its £4.2 billion acquisition of Viridor Limited from Pennon Group plc
• KKR in its acquisition of a majority stake in Coty Inc.’s professional beauty and retail hair businesses, with an enterprise value of $4.3 billion
• KKR in its sale of LGC to a consortium led by Cinven and Astorg
• KKR in its sale of a 30% stake in X-Elio to Brookfield
• True Wind Capital in its investment, alongside FTV Capital, in Sysnet Global Solutions

Prior to joining the Firm, Jiaying’s experience included the representation of:

• IFM in its acquisition of a 50% stake in the Impala Terminals joint venture with Trafigura
• Carlyle in its investment in Wakanow
• JPM Asset Management in its acquisition of a stake in North Sea Midstream Partners
• JPM Asset Management in its sale of a 51% stake in Noatum Ports to COSCO Shipping
• Elliott Advisors in its acquisition of a controlling stake in Waterstones
• EQT in its acquisition of Unilode from Brambles

Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Jiaying spent time on secondment at KKR, where she worked on multiple transactions including with their infrastructure fund.