Ingrid Zhu-Clark

Specialist Counsel

Head of China Oil and Gas

Languages

English, Mandarin

Practice areas

• Construction and engineering
• Corporate
• Energy and infrastructure
• Insurance and reinsurance
• International arbitration
• Project and infrastructure finance

Practice notes

Ingrid Wenying Zhu-Clark is the Head of China Oil and Gas of Eversheds Sutherland. She is admitted to practice law in both the US and China.

Ingrid has extensive experience in representing Chinese companies in their international investments. She practises in energy projects, especially in the area of oil and gas. She has extensive experience in advising major oil companies in various multijurisdictional acquisition transactions, farm-ins/outs, PSAs, JOAs, multi-country pipeline projects, refineries projects and downstream cross-border gas sales, in various regions including Africa, Middle East, South America, North America, Central Asia and Asia, and in many countries including US, Canada, Russia, UAE, Iraq, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Serya, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Equiador, and Peru.

Ingrid is the leading counsel for the US$ 1.76 billion ADCO concession transaction by CNPC in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and was the leading counsel in representing CNPC International in its landmark $4.18 billion acquisition of PetroKazakhstan in 2005, then the largest international acquisition by a Chinese company. She was also the leading lawyer in many other major public and private cross border transactions, including CNOOC's $2.3 billion acquisition of offshore interest in Nigeria in 2006. She has led her team in successfully winning a series of international award such as “No. 1 Deal of the Year, 2006” by ALB, “IFLR Asia Awards in 2012”, “Law Firm of the Year, 2010” in the area of energy and natural resources, by Asian-Counsel magazine, “No. 1 Energy M&A Law Firm in Asia, 2005” by Mergermarket.

Ingrid Zhu-Clark has also extensive experience in representing international companies in their investments in China. Her clients include Alianz, CNA, MetLife, Samsung Life, Manulife, and GSK.

She used to be chairwoman of the financial subcommittee and co-chair of the financial and legal service committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in China. She is also a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).

Representative Transactions:

Energy

• Advised CNPC Group in its landmark $1.76 billion onshore concession in Abu Dhabi

• Advised a major subsidiary of CNPC in its acquisition of participating interests of an oil field in Iraq

• Advised CNPC International in its landmark $4.18 billion acquisition of PetroKazakhstan Inc., then the largest international transaction by a Chinese company

• Advised CNOOC Limited on its $2.3 billion acquisition of 45-percent interest in Nigeria's Akpo offshore oil and gas field from South Atlantic Petroleum Limited

• Advised CNPC in its €484 million joint acquisition of PetroCanada with ONGC, the state-owned oil company of India

• Advised CNPC's transfer of 33-percent interest ($1.347 billion) in PetroKazakhstan Inc. to JSC Kazmunaigas, the state-owned oil company of Kazakhstan

• Advised CNPC International in its $3.3 billion joint acquisition of MMG with KMG

• Advised CNPCI in connection with the arbitration related to certain ownership interests in a pipeline located in Sudan

• Advised CNPC's subsidiary on its acquisition of shares in Rosneft

• Advised China Zhenhua Oil on its acquisition of an international oil and gas company

• Advised Sinopec International in its acquisition of a corporation with oil and gas interests in Central Asia

• Advised CNPCIC in connection with an environment dispute between Chad Permit H Concession Contractor and the government of the Republic of Chad

• Advised a major Chinese oil company in connection with the establishment of a JV regarding a refinery in Chad

• Advised a Chinese oil company in connection with its pipeline project in Central Asia

• Advised in drafting of a petroleum law for an African country and in an acquisition of holdings of an African state-owned oil company

• Advised a major Chinese company in its acquisition of oil and gas assets in South America

Insurance

• Advised CIRC on drafting some insurance legalities and other legal matters

• Advised Lloyd's in regulatory matters

• Advised ACE in its acquisition of minority interest in Hua Tai

• Advised CNA Global in a personal injury litigation

• Advised MetLife as counsel in its $11.8 billion acquisition of the Travelers Insurance Co. under the Citigroup, Inc.

• Advised Allianz in its credit insurance products in China