Johnson & Johnson Asia Pacific Regional Counsel Eric Wu Returns to Ropes & Gray in Shanghai

November 12, 2018

Global law firm Ropes & Gray today announced that Eric Y. Wu will rejoin its Shanghai office as partner in the firm’s industry-leading life sciences practice. He will be permanently based in the Shanghai office upon completion of his registration in the market, and will expand the firm’s life sciences service offerings throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Mr. Wu returns to Ropes & Gray from Johnson & Johnson, where he served as Asia Pacific M&A Regional Counsel and head of legal for the company’s Asia Pacific Innovation Center. He was a senior associate at Ropes & Gray prior to joining Johnson & Johnson.

Clients will benefit from his unique background, which includes experience at one of the world’s leading health care companies, representing clients at a premier global law firm, and working on the ground in both China and the United States. Mr. Wu is bilingual in Mandarin and English.

In his role at Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Wu managed and collaborated with the company’s global team on all deal-related legal activities in Asia for the company’s pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer health care businesses. Mr. Wu also worked closely with senior leaders across the company’s sectors to design and implement innovation strategies for the business. His experience encompasses early- and late-stage research and development, strategic collaborations, licensing, product development, M&A, and equity transactions with industry, government, and non-government organizations and universities.

Mr. Wu has advised on mid-market and large-cap transactions with regional and global biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer health care companies engaged in the medical optics, allergy, dermatology and surgical robotics sectors, among others.

He joins a China life sciences practice recognized for excellence in transactions, intellectual property, regulatory counsel, anti-corruption and government enforcement.

“One of the firm’s strategic imperatives has been to deliver a best-in-class life sciences practice to our clients in Asia. Eric immediately enhances our offering, which is already providing outstanding counsel and client service to market-leading clients,” said Geoffrey Lin, managing partner of Ropes & Gray’s Shanghai office.

“Eric’s broad corporate transactional skillset, deep insight into the Asia Pacific life sciences and health care industry, and multilingual skills will be valuable to clients across Asia,” said Arthur Mok, Ropes & Gray’s Asia regional managing partner.

“Eric joins a market-leading, cross-practice team that is equipped to handle a range of complex issues that span corporate M&A, intellectual property, regulatory and compliance disciplines,” said Michael Beauvais, co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s global life sciences practice.

“It’s an honor to be able to offer Ropes & Gray’s clients my perspective on an array of life sciences issues, having now served in-house at a leading company and been responsible for covering its business development and innovation activities across the Asia Pacific region,” Mr. Wu said. “I’m very excited to rejoin the Ropes & Gray life sciences practice, given that clients hold the firm’s life sciences practitioners around the globe in such high regard. It’s a great opportunity.”

Mr. Wu received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where he served as professional articles editor of the Annual Review of Banking and Financial Law, and his B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University.

He has been recognized for his excellence with the J&J Leadership Award and Encore Award (2015-2018) and the 2017 Global Counsel Awards for “Global Rising Star” and “Asia Pacific Rising Star.”