![professional-bg-img](/img/0.gif)
Esther Chang
Partner, Corporate & Financial Services
Esther Chang is a partner at Willkie, where she is a member of the Corporate & Financial Services Department and Mergers & Acquisitions practice. She is based in the Firm’s Chicago office. Esther focuses her practice on U.S. and cross-border mergers and acquisitions and corporate law matters.
Esther represents purchasers and sellers of domestic and international businesses on complex public and private mergers, including special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, minority investments and strategic alliances. She also advises on private equity investments, and corporate governance and commercial matters. Esther’s clients span multiple industries, including fintech, automotive, manufacturing, packaging, life sciences, energy and nutritional products.
Esther was named to The Deal’s “Top Rising Stars” list in 2021, to Lawyers of Color’s “Hot List” for 2020, which honors minority attorneys excelling in the legal profession, and as a Rising Star for M&A by Illinois Super Lawyers from 2014 and 2017. Esther is fluent in Mandarin.
Esther represents purchasers and sellers of domestic and international businesses on complex public and private mergers, including special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, minority investments and strategic alliances. She also advises on private equity investments, and corporate governance and commercial matters. Esther’s clients span multiple industries, including fintech, automotive, manufacturing, packaging, life sciences, energy and nutritional products.
Esther was named to The Deal’s “Top Rising Stars” list in 2021, to Lawyers of Color’s “Hot List” for 2020, which honors minority attorneys excelling in the legal profession, and as a Rising Star for M&A by Illinois Super Lawyers from 2014 and 2017. Esther is fluent in Mandarin.
Experience
- Mergers & Acquisitions - "Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A," 2022
- The Deal – “Top Rising Stars,” 2021
- Lawyers of Color – “Hot List,” 2020
- Illinois Super Lawyers – Rising Star, Mergers & Acquisitions, 2014 – 2017
- Asian American Bar Association of Chicago, Member
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Member
- Alliance for Women of the Chicago Bar Association, Former Co-Chair
- Boston College Alumni Association Board of Directors, Member
- Executive Committee of the Soaring Higher Campaign for Boston College, Member
- Boston College Law School Dean’s Advisory Council, Member
- Boston College Law School Alumni Association, Alumni Board Member and Chicago Chapter Leader, Past President
- Overture Council of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Member
- Speaker, “Cross Cultural Negotiation … How Do You Get It Right?” ABA, September 12, 2023
- Speaker, Young Partners Accelerator Program, October 20, 2023
- Speaker, “Drafting and Negotiating Corporate Agreements 2023,” PLI, January 18, 2023
- Speaker, “Drafting and Negotiating Corporate Agreements 2022,” PLI, January 19, 2022
- Speaker, International Financial Law Virtual Conference, IBA, September 22, 2021
- Represented Climate Change Crisis Real Impact in its business combination with EVgo, an electric vehicle charging company.
- Represented Live Oak Acquisition Corp. in its business combination with Meredian Holdings Group, Inc. (d/b/a Danimer Scientific).
- Represented Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited in connection with the sale of APR Energy Limited to Atlas Corp., a newly formed holding company of Seaspan Corporation, in exchange for shares of Atlas Corp. for an enterprise value of US$750 million.
- Represented Elkay Manufacturing Company in the sale of Elkay Wood Products Company to ACProducts, Inc., a portfolio company of American Industrial Partners.
- Represented Envestnet, Inc. in the US$500 million acquisition of PIEtech, Inc.
- Represented DH Capital LLC, a private investment banking firm serving companies in the internet infrastructure, software and next generation IT services and communications sectors, in the sale of substantially all of its assets to Citizens Financial Group.
- Represented RMG Networks Holding Corporation in its going private transaction.
- Represented Falconhead Capital, LLC in its acquisition of Kwik Tek, Inc., a leading designer and supplier of outdoor branded products for the recreational water sports and winter sports markets.
- Represented Jarden Corporation in its US$13 billion merger with Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.
- Represented FuelQuest Inc., a leading on-demand software and services company for the global downstream energy industry, in the sale of its Zytax energy-related tax automation business to Avalara, a leading cloud-based sales tax and compliance automation technology provider.
- Represented a private equity client in the sale of a portfolio company in the technology sector to a Canadian public company.
- Represented a private equity client in the sale of a portfolio company in the manufacturing industry to a private equity firm.
- Represented Abbott Laboratories in connection with the spinoff of Abbvie.
- Represented a U.S. public company in connection with its acquisition of a medical devices company in an 8 jurisdiction transaction valued at approximately US$287 million.
- Represented Boston Scientific Corporation in connection with the disposition of its neurovascular business to Stryker Corporation, in a 40 jurisdiction transaction valued at approximately US$1.5 billion.
- Represented a U.S. public company in connection with its acquisition of an investor relations, public relations and multimedia business in a 19 jurisdiction transaction valued at approximately US$120 million.
- Represented a Dutch public company in the carveout of a business in a 16 jurisdiction transaction.
- Represented Chemtura Corporation in connection with the sale of its PVC additives business through an auction pursuant to Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.
*Esther advised on some of these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Education
Boston College Law School, J.D., 2007 Boston College, B.A. (cum laude), 2002