Yunyun Zhao

Practice Areas

PE/VC, M&A; Dispute Resolution; Regulatory and Compliance

投融资并购；争议解决；政府监管与合规

Career

Yunyun Zhao is a partner at Merits & Tree. Prior to establishing Merits & Tree, Ms. Zhao worked at Beijing Dentons Law Office, LLP and Beijing Tianyin Law Firm, and has been the head of the Securities Department and the director of the legal department of Beijing Baination Pictures Co., Ltd. since 2010, as well as the head of the overseas business department, Beijing Awan Culture Brokerage Co., Ltd., and the operation coordination department, before joining M&T in 2017.

Yunyun Zhao early engaged in IPOI/MA and other non-litigation business of capital markets and equity disputes arbitration business, and then committed to legal services in the field of culture & entertainment, film media and TMT, listed in the “Sports & Entertainment” section of LEGALBAND China’s top-ranked lawyers list from 2019 to 2021. the main practice areas include:

(1) In respect of movies (including animated movies), TV dramas, variety shows, sports events, magazine cooperation, etc., participating in cooperation negotiations and forming legal documents on key points such as investment, production, employment of actors and actresses, business development, distribution, income distribution, copyright, and derivative rights, etc. in the projects, and providing prior cooperation risk alerts. The legal services cover the entire process of project preparation, mid-term team forming (into the studio) shooting, post-production, distribution and income settlement, copyright clearing, and Yunyun Zhao has unique knowledge and experience in financing arrangements, co-investment and cooperation, distribution, and business models. According to the operation mode and parties involved in different projects, Yunyun Zhao drafts agreements pointedly and grasps key risk points;

(2) In terms of Internet compliance assessment, Yunyun Zhao is able to learn and analyze cutting-edge laws and regulations quickly and provide comprehensive, three-dimensional assessment and practical advice in response to the characteristics of the client’s industry and business, as well as the client’s specific commercial demands;

(3) In terms of cross-border legal services, helping the clients with tips and package solutions for foreign-related issues, including the selection of arbitration institutions and applicable laws;

(4) In terms of tax planning, government subsidy policy consultation and solution design in the entertainment industry, assisting clients in transaction structure design and tax planning, timely understanding of relevant policies to help the company reduce costs, and minimize tax expenses under the premise of complying with the requirements of laws and regulations;

(5) In terms of dispute resolution, assisting the clients in coordinating disputes before and at the time of their emergence, to ensure the smooth completion of the project; Yunyun Zhao is also able to choose litigation, arbitration, and other legal means in due course in order to safeguard the rights and interests of our clients;

(6) In the field of capital markets, more and more companies hope to use capital markets to rapidly improve their strength, such as using direct access to the capital market, financing, to acquire and being acquired. Yunyun Zhao has acted as the special legal advisor to the investees for many times, communicating and negotiating with the investors on the valuation of the company, copyright due diligence, business growth model, design of limited partnership and other shareholding platforms, employee incentives, and non-competition, SPA agreements, SHA agreements, etc., and forming package agreements to effectively safeguard the client’s maximum valuation interests and security of the shareholding structure;

(7) In addition, for entrepreneurs, Yunyun Zhao can provide professional and comprehensive legal solutions for different situations of clients, ranging from the details of business start-up forms to the drafting and negotiation of relevant agreements with investors.

Yunyun Zhao is responsible for and involved in the provision of legal services in the following major projects:

Movies: The Founding of a Republic, Beginning of the Great Revival, 12 Citizens, The Liquidator, etc.

TV series: A Beautiful Daughter-in-law Era, Double-Sided Adhesive Tape, Martial Universe, Joy of Life, etc.

Sino-foreign co-shooting projects: Black & White: The Dawn of Assault, Black & White: The Dawn of Justice, Full House 2, Midnight Diner, etc.

Variety Shows: The Legendary Swordsman, Muse Dress, etc.

Magazines Overseas Rights Purchase Projects: T, Kinfolk, Nylon, etc.

In addition, there are several UEFA Champions League basketball tournament broadcasting projects, head TMT platform agreements and platform rules, new business commercialization assessments, IPO, investment and financing projects of several listed companies and cultural groups.

赵芸芸律师是北京植德律师事务所合伙人。在加入植德之前，赵芸芸律师曾先后在北京大成律师事务所律师、北京市天银律师事务所执业，并自2010年起任北京华录百纳影视股份有限公司证券部负责人、法务部总监，同时兼任海外事业部、丹丹百纳经纪公司及运营协调部负责人，2017年加入北京植德律师事务所。

赵芸芸律师早期从事IPOI/MA等资本市场领域的非诉业务及股权纠纷类仲裁业务，后致力于文化娱乐、影视传媒及TMT领域的法律服务，主要业务领域包括：

（1）在电影（含动画电影）、电视剧、综艺栏目、体育赛事、杂志合作等项目方面，就相关项目类的投资、制作、演职⼈员聘用、商务开发、发行、收益分配、著作权及衍生权利等关键点参与合作谈判并形成法律文件，并进行事前合作风险提示。法律服务涵盖项目前期筹备、中期建组（进棚）拍摄、后期制作、发行及收益结算、著作权清理的全过程，并在融资安排、联合投资合作、发行、商务模式等有独特⼼得与经验。根据不同项目的运作方式、参与方等，进行有针对性的协议起草及关键的风险点把握。

（2）在互联网合规评估方面，对于前沿法律法规能够进行快速的学习和分析，并针对客户行业特性及业务特征，以及客户的具体商业诉求，进行综合、立体评估并给出实操性较强的意见。

（3）在跨境法律服务方面，帮助客户就涉外问题进行提示并出具一揽子解决方案，同时包括相关协议仲裁机构及准据法的选择等。

（4）在文娱行业税收筹划、政府补贴政策咨询及解决方案设计方面，协助客户进行交易结构设计及税收筹划，及时了解相关政策以助于公司降低成本，在符合法律、法规要求的前提下，最大减少税收开支。

（5）在争议解决方面，协助客户在纠纷出现前和出现时进行协调，保障项目的顺利完成；也能够择机选择诉讼、仲裁等法律手段以维护客户权益。

（6）在资本市场领域，越来越多的公司希望借助资本市场迅速提升自身实力，如采用直接登录资本市场、融资、收购与被收购等方式。赵芸芸律师曾多次作为被投方专项法律顾问，与投资方就公司估值、著作权尽职调查、业务增长模式、有限合伙等持股平台设计、员工激励与不竞争、SPA协议、SHA协议等进行沟通、谈判并形成一揽子协议，有效维护客户最大估值利益及股权结构安全性。

（7）此外，针对创业人士，赵芸芸律师能够针对客户的不同情况，提供从创业形式的细节到与投资者的相关协议起草、谈判等专业化、全方位的整体法律解决方案。

赵芸芸律师负责及参与提供法律服务的主要项目包括：《建国大业》《建党伟业》《十二公民》《心理罪之城市之光》等多部电影项目、《媳妇的美好时代》《双面胶》《武动乾坤》《庆余年》等多部电视剧项目、《痞子英雄1&2》《浪漫满屋2》《深夜食堂》等多部中外合拍项目、《笑傲江湖》《女神的新衣》等多部电视综艺、《T》《Kinfolk》《Nylon》等多部杂志海外版权采购项目、欧冠篮赛事转播项目，头部TMT平台协议及平台规则以及新业务商业化评估，多个上市公司、文化集团的IPO、投融资项目。

Education