Meng (Mandy) Lai
August 11, 2024 11:02:26
Ms. Lai is a seasoned corporate attorney with nearly two decades of experience representing U.S. and international public and private companies, financial institutions, and investment funds across a broad range of M&A, joint venture, venture financing, capital markets, and securities transactions. Since founding MagStone Law, she and her team have established the firm as a leading boutique for complex cross-border work spanning M&A, U.S. securities regulation, fund formation, and emerging technology transactions.
M&A. Ms. Lai has led a number of significant cross-border M&A transactions, including representing a Silicon Valley-headquartered tech company on its sale to Qualcomm; representing a California-based logistics company on its $100+ million sale to a Fortune Global 500 acquirer; representing a Hong Kong-headquartered company on its approximately $100 million sale to a U.S. AI company; representing Genimous on its $252 million acquisition of Spigot, a San Francisco-based company; and representing Spearhead on its $148 million acquisition of Smaato. She has also advised clients on both the buy-side and sell-side of technology company acquisitions, including representing Innotech on its acquisition and subsequent sale of Adjuster.
Fund Formation & Venture Capital. Ms. Lai has an active fund formation and venture capital practice, representing a wide range of U.S. and international investment funds in fund structuring, compliance, and portfolio investments. Representative clients include Yu Galaxy, a top-five solo-GP venture fund in the U.S; WI Harper, a leading VC fund with over 30 years of history; Shangbay Capital, a leading bio-focused fund; and Sancus Capital, a leading AI-focused fund. She has also advised a broad roster of institutional and emerging funds — including SV Tech Ventures, Oceanpine Capital, Haiyin Capital, Huajin Capital, Cybernaut Investment, SAIC Motor Capital, Green Pine Capital, Hemi Ventures, Yunqi Partners, Wisemont Capital, Wedo Ventures, Citta Capital, Yiheng Capital, and Westlake Ventures — on fund compliance and venture investments, with aggregate investment amounts exceeding $1 billion.
Emerging Technology & AI. Ms. Lai advises a growing number of high-tech, AI, and robotics companies in connection with their general corporate governance, compliance and financing transactions, with aggregate financing amounts exceeding $500 million. She has also represented U.S. investors in pre-IPO investments in some of the most prominent companies in the AI and technology sector — including OpenAI, SpaceX, Anthropic, and Databricks — with aggregate investment amounts exceeding $500 million.
Capital Markets & Securities. Capital Markets & Securities. Ms. Lai advises Nasdaq- and NYSE-listed companies on U.S. securities law compliance and capital markets transactions. Her capital markets experience spans initial public offerings through S-1 and F-1 registration statements, registered direct and other follow-on offerings, De-SPAC transactions, Section 13D/13G beneficial ownership reporting, and ongoing Exchange Act reporting and compliance. Recent representations include advising Nasdaq-listed companies such as NXTT and AGAE in connection with their offerings and Exchange Act reporting obligations, representing United Hydrogen Group Inc. in connection with a proposed De-SPAC transaction, and counseling investors and companies on a broad range of securities law compliance matters.
Prior to founding MagStone Law, Ms. Lai worked at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP across its New York, Hong Kong, and Menlo Park offices, and at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in its Hong Kong office.
Community & Pro Bono. Ms. Lai is committed to giving back to the broader community through a range of civic and professional service roles. She serves as Secretary of the Peking University Education Foundation (USA) and as a Board Member of CALOBA (Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area). She also mentors students at Stanford University in business-related courses and provides pro bono legal counsel to several non-profit foundations. Within the firm, Ms. Lai leads MagStone Law's high school internship program in collaboration with Nueva School, helping to introduce the next generation to careers in law and business.
Ms. Lai received her LL.B. (Honored Graduate) from Peking University Law School and her LL.M. (James Kent Scholar) from Columbia University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in California and New York, and is also qualified to practice in the P.R. China. Ms. Lai speaks English, Mandarin, and Hakka.
Outside of the office, Ms. Lai is an avid tennis player and enjoys cooking.