Basic Information

Mr. Cao is a partner resident at the firm’s Beijing office. Mr. Cao’s practice focuses on entertainment and media industry matters. He is extensively involved in transactions including development of film and television projects, Sino-foreign co-productions, production financing (including debt financing and slate financing matters), establishment of production and financing vehicles, large theme park projects, music industry contracts, personal management, as well as advertising and new media. Mr. Cao is also richly experienced in general corporate and finance transactions, such as IPO and M&A matters, which helps him structure complicated transactions in the entertainment and media industries.

Professional History

Mr. Cao first joined Haiwen in 1996. Mr. Cao worked at a top tier U.S.-headquartered law firm at its Century City office from 2001 to 2002 and as an in-house counsel at Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. from 2005 to 2006. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Cao was a senior counsel at the Beijing office of another top tier U.S.-headquartered law firm. From 2011 to 2014, Mr. Cao served in the capacity of Managing Director of the Office of the Board of Directors and Executive Assistant to the President at China Investment Corporation (CIC), China’s sovereign wealth fund. Mr. Cao returned to Haiwen in the beginning of January 2015.

Experience Highlights

Mr. Cao’s recent experience includes advising major Hollywood studios, top-tier international and Chinese entertainment companies, technology companies, investment institutions, as well as superstars, A-list directors and producers in many high-profile deals in the film, television, technology, and music industries. Examples include:

• Representing multiple major Hollywood film companies in the development, production, and distribution of numerous Sino-foreign co-produced films, as well as legal work related to the development and collaboration of other film and television projects; 

• Representing the development, licensing, adaptation, investment financing, production, and distribution of film, television, and gaming projects, as well as various commercial collaborations.

In the early stages of his career, Mr. Cao was extensively involved in numerous state-owned enterprise (SOE) restructuring and public listing projects. Mr. Cao closely follows national policy trends and is well-versed in the policy context. He is skilled at explaining China's unique systems and mechanisms to foreign clients.