Elizabeth Man-Wai Li
Overview
Elizabeth Man-Wai Li is a corporate and transactional attorney who advises clients across the business lifecycle, with a focus on venture-backed and growth-stage companies, mergers and acquisitions, and general business matters. She counsels companies and investors on financings, investments, and other strategic transactions.
Elizabeth represents venture and growth capital funds, strategic investors, founders, and high-growth companies on the structuring and financing of their businesses and other transactional matters, including private placements, capital-raising transactions and employment and equity incentive arrangements for key personnel. She also serves as outside corporate counsel as clients scale and expand, and counsels companies and investors on exit transactions, including public and private mergers and acquisitions deals involving mergers and stock and asset acquisitions in domestic and cross-border matters.
Fluent in Mandarin, Shanghainese, and Cantonese, Elizabeth is uniquely positioned to assist clients with cross-border investments, transactions, and commercial matters involving Chinese-speaking stakeholders.
Credentials
Education
- American University, Washington College of Law (J.D.)
- Georgetown University (M.A.)
- University of Chicago (B.A.)
Venture Capital and Emerging Companies
- Advise fund and strategic investors in growth equity and convertible debt financings across biotechnology, healthcare, software/technology, and consumer goods.
- Represent a packaged food company in equity financing and debt refinancing transactions, and ongoing outside general counsel matters.
- Advised a China-based conglomerate on its investment in a U.S. biotechnology company and the subsequent disposition of that position.
Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Portfolio Company Transactions
- Represent private equity sponsors in platform acquisitions, divestitures, and add-on acquisitions across technology, media, software, publishing, and consumer products.
- Represented a utilization management and healthcare technology company in its sale and recapitalization to a private equity sponsor.
- Represented a U.S. education software company in its restructuring and sale to a leading global toy brand.
- Advised the founders of a merchandising company in the sale of a majority stake to an investor group and the subsequent sale of the business in coordination with that investor group.
- Represented a global manufacturer of precision metal, plastic, and assembly solutions in its restructuring and sale to a Singapore-based public company.
Entity Formation, Structuring, and Other Corporate Matters
- Counsel clients on entity formation and structuring matters, including corporations, limited liability companies, joint ventures, and partnerships.
- Advise chefs and restaurateurs on new restaurant ventures, including negotiating management and licensing agreements with domestic and international hotel and real estate developers.
- New York Metro Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2022-2023