James Lu

JAMES LU focuses on representing leading companies and their venture capital and private equity investors, especially in the life sciences and technology sectors. He also has extensive experience advising clients on private and public securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions, especially cross-border transactions involving multiple jurisdictions.

James was named a “Life Sciences Star” by LMG Life Sciences in the categories of Venture Capital and Licensing & Collaboration (2023–2024). James was also named to the “Leaders of Influence in Law” list by the San Diego Business Journal (2025).

Prior to practicing law, James held marketing and business development positions in the life sciences industry. He specialized in commercialization and had more than a decade of experience working with scientists and technology transfer professionals to transform ideas into successful products. 

Selected transactions include the following representations:

• 3E Bioventures as the lead investor in Neural Galaxy’s US$75 million Series A financing*
• ADARx Pharmaceuticals in four rounds of equity financing with approximately US$347 million in proceeds
• Ablaze Pharmaceuticals in its US$75 million Series A financing*
• Akeso Biopharma’s US$5 billion collaboration and licensing agreement with Summit Therapeutics to out-license its bispecific antibody, ivonescimab
• Akeso Biopharma in four rounds of equity financing with approximately US$220 million in proceeds*
• Akeso Biopharma’s out-licensing of its CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody to Merck & Co., Inc.*
• Akeso Biopharma’s formation of a joint venture with Chia Tai Tianqing Pharma (CTTQ), a subsidiary of Sino Biopharma*
• EpimAb Biotherapeutics in three rounds of equity financing with approximately US$220 million in proceeds*
• EpimAb Biotherapeutics’ multi-target bio-specific antibody collaboration with Innovent Biologics*
• Chengwei Capital’s equity investments in Hutoon, Bolome, Blueware and Leyaoyao*
• Crown Bioscience in its acquisition of the IndivuServ business unit of Indivumed GmbH
• Crown Bioscience’s acquisition of Molecular Response’s PDX business*
• Crown Bioscience’s acquisition of Preclinomics, Inc.*
• Crown Bioscience’s spinoff of its therapeutics business*
• Crown Bioscience’s sale to JSR Corporation for US$400 million*
• Decheng Capital’s equity investments in AccuGen, Cirina, Everest Medicines, Hummingbird Bioscience, Impact Therapeutics, and Take2*
• Grab Holdings Inc. in six rounds of equity financing with approximately US$1.5 billion in aggregate proceeds*
• HOPU Investments and Yuanmin Capital’s US$200 million equity investment in Mevion Medical Systems*
• Keymed Biosciences’ US$1.1 billion license agreement with AstraZeneca to out-license its Claudin 18.2 antibody drug conjugate
• Morgan Stanley, UBS, Evercore, and others in Grab Holdings Inc.’s SPAC merger*
• Lucid Hearing’s product sales and service agreement with an international retailer*
• Luqa Ventures’ sale to China Medical Systems*
• ProfoundBio in three rounds of equity financing with approximately US$138 million in aggregate proceeds*
• Qiming Venture Partners’ equity investments in Belief Biomed, FraudMetrix and imToken
• ReCode Therapeutics in its US$50 million extension to its Series B financing, for a total of US$260 million in Series B funding
• Runda Medical’s acquisition of Hycor Biomedical*
• Simcere Pharmaceutical Group’s in-licensing of rights to paxalisib from Kazia Therapeutics*
• Simcere Pharmaceutical Group’s strategic partnership with Avilex Pharma to develop and commercialize AVLX144*
• Simcere Pharmaceutical Group’s collaboration and license agreement with Aeromics, Inc. for AER-271*
• Telstra Ventures’ equity investments in Algoblu, Cloopen, Fintell, Gorilla, Hypereal, Qiniu, UBtech, and Xtransfer*
• Temasek Holdings’ equity investments in Mobike and LinkDoc*

 *Matters handled prior to joining Sidley.