Marcia Ellis
Marcia Ellis is a Senior Counsel in our New York office and a Partner in our Hong Kong office. Marcia’s practice focuses on private equity transactions and complex mergers and acquisitions involving companies and other assets located in Asia. Having practiced in Asia for more than a quarter of a century, Marcia is one of the most experienced M&A lawyers active in the Asian market. In the past three years, she has advised clients on deals with a total aggregate value well in excess of US$249.8 billion.
Marcia regularly advises leading investors on M&A transactions, including SoftBank Vision Fund, Alibaba, GLP, Bain Capital, BlackRock, Farallon Capital, Ascendent Capital Partners, Silver Crest Acquisition Corp., PAG, Hillhouse, Hony Capital and Celadon Partners. In addition, she is experienced in representing U.S., UK and Asia based institutional investors in the acquisition, financing and disposition of real estate in China, Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia, including numerous logistics and internet data center projects, and investment in and acquisition of real estate developers.
From 2008 through 2011, she was the Chief Legal Officer for Asia of D. E. Shaw, where she assisted various group entities in making, restructuring, and exiting investments in various countries in Asia, including a number of significant and highly structured investments in China and India.
Clients consider Marcia as a "super skilled technical lawyer" who offers "incredible problem-solving skills on all aspects of matters, both legal and commercial". A client said that "Finding a lawyer whose judgement you trust and who knows how far they can push the boundaries is not easy, and Marcia is the best lawyer I've worked with."
Marcia is a member of our global board of directors and a member of our global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Steering Committee. She served as a Global Co-Chair of the firm's Private Equity Practice. In 2022, she spearheaded the launch of MoFo’s annual survey of the ESG and DEI policies and practices of Asia-headquartered PE firms. She has also been named to Law360’s 2022 and 2023 Private Equity Editorial Board and elected as the Co-Chair of AmCham Hong Kong’s Women of Influence Committee. Marcia has been recognized as one of the Women of Influence in Private Markets: Private Equity by Private Equity International in 2024.
Experience
UK-based private equity fund's US$180 million financing in infrastructure developer
A UK-based private equity fund with respect to the US$180 million Series C round financing and acquisition of a controlling stake in a leading infrastructure developer based in Hong Kong with a primary focus on building Data Centre platforms in China.
GLP's establishment of US$7 billion CLF II
GLP Pte. Ltd. on the establishment of CLF II, US$7 billion infrastructure fund, the largest logistics infrastructure fund based in China. CLF II is more than double the size of US$3 billion CLF I, the world’s largest China-focused logistics fund to date in 2014. Also represented GLP in the formation of CLF I.
GLP's restructuring of US$8.5 billion China real estate assets
GLP Pte. Ltd. with respect to the restructuring of more than US$8.5 billion of China real estate assets in preparation for an investment by a Hopu managed special purpose fund.
BlackRock's purchase of RMB 1.2 billion office buildings
BlackRock in its purchase of Shanghai office buildings from PGIM Real Estate for RMB 1.2 billion (US$185 million).
Princeton Digital Group's various matters
The managers of Princeton Digital Group, a Warburg Pincus backed platform that owns Internet data center throughout China, on various matters.
SoftBank Vision Fund’s investment in Klook
Represented Softbank Vision Fund in the Series D+ round funding totaling US$225 million in Klook, an online travel platform that provides global travel locating and booking services.
SoftBank Vision Fund’s investment in Chehaoduo
Represented Softbank Vision Fund in an investment totaling US$1.5 billion in Chehaoduo, a leading Chinese customer-to-customer auto retail services company that operates Guazi, an e-commerce platform focusing on second-hand car transactions, and Maodou, an e-commerce platform focusing on new car transactions.
SoftBank’s US$6 billion investment into WeWork
Represented Softbank in investments totaling US$6 billion into WeWork Companies Inc. (recently rebranded as The We Company).
SoftBank’s investment into Ele.me
Represented Softbank in an investment as part of a US$3 billion investment by Softbank and the SoftBank Vision Fund into Ele.me, the food delivery business owned by Alibaba. Ele.me would be merged with Koubei, which is an affiliate company that focuses on bringing local businesses online by providing payment and other technology services. Combining Koubei and Ele.me could help Alibaba expand to extend its reach and deepen its market position in China’s buoyant online-to-offline (O2O) space.
WeWork’s acquisition of Naked Hub
Represented SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in the acquisition by WeWork, SoftBank’s joint venture partner and investee company, of the Naked Hub group, a provider of co-working spaces.
SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund’s US$4.4 billion investment into WeWork
Represented SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in their US$4.4 billion investment into WeWork Companies Inc., U.S.-based startup that operates shared working spaces across the world, including their investment in WeWork Japan, a Japanese joint venture established to develop WeWork’s Japan business.
SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund’s US$500 million Series B investment into WeWork
Represented SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in investment in WeWork China by way of subscription of preferred shares as part of the US$500 million Series B round of fundraising.
US$1.2 billion investments into SenseTime
Represented this entity in three rounds of investments into SenseTime with an aggregate value over US$1.2 billion. The company is currently valued at US$7 billion. Established in 2014, SenseTime is one of the leading artificial intelligence companies in the PRC with a focus on facial and image recognition technology.
Alibaba Group’s acquisition of a 33% stake of Ant Financial
Represented Alibaba Group in the acquisition of a 33% stake of Ant Financial, operator of China’s biggest online payment platform by market share.
Ant Financial’s US$14 billion Series C fundraising
Represented Alibaba Group in Ant Financial’s US$14 billion Series C fundraising, valuing Ant Financial at approximately US$150 billion. It marks, by a large margin, the largest single fundraise by any company in the world. This high-profile deal was recognized as Deal of the Year – Late Stage Technology at 2018 AVCJ Awards.
GLP’s US$11.64 billion proposed privatization
Represented GLP Pte. Ltd. (formerly Global Logistic Properties Limited) in its US$11.64 billion proposed privatization, reported to be the largest-ever private equity buyout of an Asian company by enterprise value.
GLP’s agreement with strategic partners
Represented GLP in its agreement with a group of strategic partners, including HOPU Funds, backed by China’s largest state-owned companies and institutional investors), Bank of China Group Investment Limited, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Bank of China, and a large Chinese insurance company. This involved a US$2.5 billion investment by a special purpose fund managed by HOPU in GLP’s China platform.
GLP’s US$2 billion 50:50 JV with Brookfield Asset Management
Represented GLP in its US$2 billion 50:50 joint venture with Brookfield Asset Management. The new entity will be dedicated to building a leading platform for distributed solar energy on logistics and commercial rooftops in China.
GLP’s establishment of a new US$2 billion China fund
Represented GLP in the establishment of a new US$2 billion fund in China with Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. The USD-denominated value-add venture will focus on income-generating logistics facilities in China.
Rankings
One of the Women of Influences in Private Markets: Private Equity
Private Equity International 2024
The Most Innovative Legal Practitioner in the Asia-Pacific Region
Financial Times Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers 2023 Awards
Private Equity Lawyer of the Year
ALM's 2023 Asia Legal Awards
Ranked: Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
Chambers Global 2023
Band 1: China Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (International Firms)
Ranked: China Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-Based (International Firms)
One of the Top 15 Female Lawyers in Asia
One of the Dealmakers in Asia
Ranked: Band 1 lawyer for China Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment (International Firms)
Ranked: leading lawyer for China Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms)
Leading Partner in Hong Kong for Private Equity
Recommended: China Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms
Leading Partner: China Private Equity: Foreign Firms
Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026
Recommended: China Private Equity: Foreign Firms
Recommended: China Real Estate and Construction: Foreign Firms
Recommended: Hong Kong Corporate (Including M&A)
Private Equity Practice Group of the Year
Ranked: Leading individual for Private Equity and Corporate/M&A in China
M&A Lawyer of the Year
ALM’s 2019 Asia Legal Awards
Highly regarded: Private Equity and M&A in Hong Kong
Dealmaker of the Year
Best in Private Equity
Recommended: China TMT: Foreign Firms
Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020-2024, 2026
Recommended: Hong Kong TMT
Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021-2026