Hong S. Wills

Hong S. Wills is Counsel in the Corporate and International Practices of Smith, Gambrell & Russell and a member of the Firm’s Air Transportation Industry Group.

Ms. Wills' practice concentrates in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, aircraft finance, aircraft leasing and acquisitions, international business transactions, general corporate representation.

Ms. Wills represents both domestic and foreign corporations that are acquiring or selling businesses and establishing operations. She has represented clients across a broad range of industries including manufacturing, construction, aviation and healthcare in their mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, private financings and other corporate transactions. Ms. Wills has also represented various U.S. and foreign commercial airlines and aircraft leasing companies in a wide variety of complex domestic and cross-border  nancing, acquisition and leasing transactions for new and used U.S. and non-U.S. registered and operated aircraft, including helicopters.

Ms. Wills is actively involved in the community and currently serves as the Acting President and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Chinese Americans - Atlanta. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association and served on the Board of Directors of the Peachtree Park Civic Association.

Ms. Wills attended Fudan University in Shanghai, China, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in International Politics, graduating at the top of her class. She earned her Master's degree in International Affairs in 1999 from Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned her Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from Emory University School of Law in 2003. During law school, Ms. Wills served as Managing Editor of the Emory International Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. She was a Meyer W. Tenenbaum Scholar, recipient of the Sutherland Asbill & Brennan Tax Award, recipient of the Emory Law School Scholarship and Dean's Awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement in the study of various subjects. Born and raised in China, Ms. Wills is fluent in Chinese, in addition to English. Her bilingual background and her understanding of both U.S. and Chinese culture bring unique benefits and services to her clients.