Selig Sacks is a partner and co-chair of the U.S./Greater China Corporate Practice at Foley & Lardner LLP. He is also a member of the firm’s Transactional & Securities, International, and Private Equity & Venture Capital Practices.
Mr. Sacks focuses his practice on representing U.S. clients doing business in China and Chinese companies engaged in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States, including accessing U.S. capital markets and technology transfers. Mr. Sacks’ clients span a broad cross section of industries, including energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, green technology, consumer products, new media, real estate and infrastructure.
Mr. Sacks regularly counsels public and private entities in general corporate and governance issues and participates in defending U.S. publicly traded companies in class action lawsuits, SEC investigations and crisis management.
Mr. Sacks also has an active private equity practice on behalf of financial sponsors and investors. In 2010, his transaction, the ESOP Buy-Out of International Intimates, Inc., was honored as Acquisition Financing Deal of the Year by The M&A Advisor.
Mr. Sacks’ recent assignments include the representation of: *
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in loan facilities and compliance matters
- Sinopec USA and Unipec America in its energy trading operations in the Americas and in general corporate matters
- Rose Rock Group (formed by members of Rockefeller Family) in its China-based operations, including the 2.2 million square meter Rose Rock International Financial Center in Tianjin
- AgFeed Industries Inc. (FEED) in its U.S. and China operations, including SEC matters
- Underwriter’s counsel in the initial public offering of Ossen Innovation Co., Ltd. (NasdaqGM: OSN) and in the follow-on public offering for Sky People Fruit Juice, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPU)
- The Audit Committee of Jinhao Motor Company (OTC: GIMC) and the Independent Directors of Orient Paper, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ONP) in internal corporate investigations
- China Shenghou Pharmaceutical Holdings, Inc. (NYSE Amex: KUN) in the successful conclusion of an SEC investigation and favorable settlement of a class action lawsuit
Mr. Sacks has worked closely with the International Cooperation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China (ICC-NDRC) to assist Chinese companies to access the U.S. capital markets and with technology transfers.
Mr. Sacks is co-chair of the 2013 Cross Border M&A Summit to be held in New York on May 14, 2013 and was co-chair of the 2012 M&A Advisor Summit and Awards (December 2012), co-chair of the 2012 International M&A Summit and Awards (October 2012) and also served as co-chair of both Summits in 2011. In March 2011, Mr. Sacks conducted seminars on the U.S. capital markets and FDI for government and business leaders in the Haidian District of Beijing (China's Silicon Valley) and the Guanghua School of Management, and in Shijiazhuang and Hangzhou. He was a member of the Rockefeller Family Mission to China (March 2010 and April 2011) and the NASDAQ OMX Delegation to Inner Mongolia (May 2010).
Mr. Sacks was selected for inclusion in the 2012 New York Super Lawyers® list.
Mr. Sacks graduated from Stanford Law School (J.D., 1972) where he was executive editor of the Stanford Journal of International Studies. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors of Stanford Law School. He graduated from Northwestern University with honors (B.A., 1969) and serves on the Northwestern University Regional Leadership Council.
Mr. Sacks is admitted to practice in New York and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He is also a member of the American Bar Association.
Publications and Speaking Engagements:
- Moderator, “Stop Right There – The US Government As Gatekeeper For Distressed M&A Deals,” 2013 M&A Advisor Distressed Investing Summit (March 2013)
- Panelist, “Deals and Suits - Challenges and Opportunities for Chinese Companies Doing Business in the United States,” Fordham Law and Chinese Business Lawyers Association (January 2013)
- Speaker, “China FDI Into US,” 2012 M&A Advisor Summit (October 2012)
- Co-chair of Panel, “Private Equity Portfolio Company Corporate Governance,” NDI Executive Exchange (November 2012)
- Speaker, “International Forum – China: Outbound Direct M&A Investment into the United States,” 2012 International M&A Summit (October 2012)
- Panelist, “The Best Practices of The Best Cross Border M&A Dealmakers,” M&A Connects ChinaTM (October 2012)
- Speaker, “Cross Border Intelligence, Managing Deal Execution,” Americas M&A Forum and Atlas Awards (October 2012)
- Featured, “Pipeline Professional,” M&A AlertsTM (September 2012)
- Moderator, “International Forum – China: Inbound and Outbound M&A,” M&A Advisor Summit 2011 (December 2011)
- Speaker, “IPO in U.S. or China?” U.S. China Innovation and Cooperation Conference (October 2011)
- Contributor, "Best Practices of the Best Deal Makers," M&A Series published by Merrill DataSite and The M&A Advisor (October, 2011)
- Speaker, China Chamber of International Commerce (August 2011)
- Speaker, “West Greets East,” 2011 U.S.-China Real Estate Summit (July 2011)
- Speaker, “Alternative Routes to Accessing Capital,“ Wall Street China Forum: Assessing U.S. Listed China Companies (May 2011)
- Panelist, “Building a Great Board of Directors and World-class Governance Standards,” China IPO Bootcamp 2011, Shanghai (March 2011)
- Speaker, 12th Annual Private Equity and Venture Capital Forum, Shenzhen (June 2010)
- Co-author with UBS (formerly Paine Weber), Resource Recovery Procurement and Financing, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 1980
Other Affiliations
- Block Museum of Art, board of advisors
- The American Folk Art Museum, former trustee, member of executive committee and chair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Triple Canopy, board member
- Sequitur, Inc., board member
- American Friends of Herzog Hospital, board member
- American Pardes Foundation, Inc., board member and former President
- Ballet Hispanico, former board member
*Certain of these transactions occurred prior to joining Foley.