NEW YORK - Loeb & Loeb LLP’s Corporate Securities practice, notable for taking many of the first private Chinese companies public on U.S. stock exchanges, has completed 33 major transactions totaling approximately $2.1 billion in 2009.

Partners Mitchell Nussbaum, Frank Marinaro and Eric Doering, along with a team of 20 attorneys, are handling a large volume of commercial transactions working with a wide variety of clients including: U.S. private equity funds and investment banks pursuing transactions in China; Chinese clients seeking international investment opportunities; and Chinese companies aiming to list their companies on U.S. stock exchanges. To date, more than 50 Chinese companies have relied on Loeb & Loeb to help them go public in the United States.

Representative transactions since January 2009 include common stock public offerings for China Integrated Energy, Chinacast Education, QKL Stores, Harbin Electric and Lihua International, as well as the reverse merger and private placement for ChinaNet Online, PIPE deals for China MediaExpress, Gulf Resources, Argyle Security, China XD Plastics Company, China Agritech, China Cablecom, Yongye International, and the sale of Wilhemina International stock and membership interests.

Other recent transactions include successful mergers and acquisitions for clients, China Ceramics, Pypo China Holdings Limited (Arc Capital), China Cord Blood Corporation, Si Mei Te Food Limited (China Discovery Acquisition), China Networks International Holding, Golden Green Enterprises Limited (China Opportunity Acquisition), and AutoChina International (Spring Creek Acquisition).

On the underwriter side, Loeb & Loeb also represented Brean Murray Carret & Co. in Universal Travel Group’s registered direct common stock offering, Rodman & Renshaw in Funtalk China’s public offering of ordinary shares, Roth Capital Partners in the common stock public offering for China Natural Gas and WLT Brothers Capital in China Nutrifruit Group’s PIPE.

In addition, Loeb & Loeb attorneys are running more than a dozen deals that are currently in registration including the common stock offering for Cavico Corp., the first Vietnamese company to be approved for listing on a U.S. national securities exchange.

"Currently we’re seeing values in both registered and unregistered deals – everything is happening at lower prices. The advantage in this market is that investors can trade in cash and be fully liquid, or decide to hold," says Mitch Nussbaum, Chair of Loeb & Loeb’s Securities Practice Group.

Eric Doering adds, "We have taken advantage of the economic slowdown by guiding our clients towards the growth points in China and structuring the right deals to accomplish their objectives."

Frank Marinaro notes: "Our combined talent in private equity, cross border transactions, IP and corporate legal services gives us a unique edge over other law firms that opened an office in China just to be there."

The attorneys leading Loeb & Loeb’s work in the PRC include:

Mitchell Nussbaum, chair of Loeb & Loeb’s Securities Practice represented the first Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai and Vietnamese companies to list on the American Stock Exchange. He has represented issuers and underwriters in scores of SPAC offerings and ranked #2 among IPO lawyers in IPO Vital Signs’ 2008 Leadership Rankings.

Frank Marinaro joined Loeb & Loeb in 2009 from Merrill Lynch where he was Co-Head of the Strategic M&A and Global Private Equity Counsel Group. While at Merrill, he led the legal team handling the financial institution’s investment in the Bank of China.

Eric Doering adds technology industry, corporate governance and transactional experience to the team. Before joining Loeb & Loeb, Doering spent three years working in China as Vice President-General Counsel and Secretary for Tiens Biotech Group, Inc. (USA).

Loeb & Loeb’s Corporate Securities Practice - Loeb & Loeb’s Corporate Securities practice is focused in the areas of initial and secondary public offerings; alternative public offerings (reverse mergers and SPACs); private equity (including PIPEs) corporate finance; and mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.

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