Jennifer Chu is a corporate partner based in the New York office. Ms. Chu is Deputy Co-Chair of the M&A Group and a member of the firm’s Private Equity Group and Healthcare & Life Sciences Group. Her practice focuses on advising corporations and private equity firms in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other corporate matters, across a broad range of industries with a particular focus on transactions in the healthcare, life sciences, asset management and financial services industries. Ms. Chu is recommended by Chambers USA for both M&A and private equity buyouts (2024), where she is described as “spectacular” and a “burgeoning talent” who is “very adept at guiding her clients through complicated commercial transactions.” Clients have also noted that she is “a fantastic adviser and counselor” who is “incredibly detail-oriented and has a good sense of how to think about risk and understanding of what kind of risks to take.” She is also recognized as a leading lawyer for private equity buyouts and recommended for healthcare and M&A by The Legal 500 US (2024). Ms. Chu was named one of the “Top Women in Dealmaking” by The Deal in 2022. Ms. Chu is also recognized as a leading M&A and private equity lawyer by IFLR1000 (2022).
Ms. Chu is a frequent author and speaker on legal developments affecting M&A, private equity and healthcare. She is a contributing author of the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report. Ms. Chu’s recent speaking engagements include “Regulatory Developments & Transactional Issues in Private Equity” Harvard Law School Association of NYC (June, 2024) and “Indemnification Issues,” Acquiring and Selling the Privately Held Company 2023, Practising Law Institute (June, 2023).
Ms. Chu is actively involved in the development of young lawyers, particularly women and diverse lawyers. She co-chairs Debevoise’s Women’s Resource Group and is a member of its Diversity Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students, a not-for-profit organization focusing on enhancing the skills and careers of minority law students and early career lawyers through mentoring, education and professional development opportunities.
Ms. Chu joined the firm in 2006. She received her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2006, where she served as co-editor-in-chief of the Harvard International Law Journal. She received her M.A. with distinction from the University of London in 2002, and her A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2001.
Ms. Chu is a member of the Bar of New York.