2023.04.01
On March 30, 2023, Law.com International announced the winners of the 2023 Asia Legal Awards that recognize the most outstanding and creative law firms, lawyers and transactions in Asia over the past year. JunHe won three awards :
TMT Deal of the Year: USD 4.3 billion take private of 51job inc.
JunHe advised 51jobs on their take-private deal. This was another major project involving the privatization of a listed company that JunHe has advised on in recent years, following the take-private transactions of 58.com, Taibang Biologic and Sina. The project was led by JunHe partners ZHOU, Hui (Nelson) and Lixin Cui, and primarily undertaken by JunHe partners YUAN, Yifeng (Vincent), GUO, Tao and QIAO, Zheyuan (Jacqueline).
Finance Deal of the Year: Blackstone Group’s USD 950 million leveraged financing for the acquisition of Interplex Holdings
As the PRC legal counsel to the PE investment fund established by Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA), JunHe conducted vendor legal due diligence on over 10 target companies held by Interplex in China. JunHe’s team drafted the sections of the vendor DD report that related to domestic companies, reviewed and modified the transaction documents, answered Blackstone’s questions about such domestic companies, and assisted BPEA with the closing of the project. The project was led by JunHe partner CHEN, Jiang (Joe).
Transport Lawyer of the Year: WANG, Gang (Gavin)
Mr. Wang is a leading lawyer in asset finance and leasing. He acts for airlines, carriers, leasing companies, banks, lease managers, corporate jet users and operators and other related clients in asset purchases, disposal, financing leases, operating leases, tax-driven leases, tax-bonded leases, sales and leasebacks. He has expertise in pre-delivery financing, operation management, receivables finance, portfolio sales and acquisition, deal restructure and securitization involving large capital equipment and machinery (such as commercial aircraft, corporate jets, ships, offshore structures, aviation and ship engines/propellers). Mr. Wang has been a leading aviation lawyer recognized by Who’s Who Legal since 2011 and an ILFR 1000 leading lawyer since 2014. Since 2016, he has been ranked by Chambers Rankings (Asia-Pacific) as a Recognized Practitioner in Banking & Finance.
JunHe was also shortlisted for the following 2023 Asia Legal Awards:
Finance Deal of the Year: Bank of Qingdao’s A- and H-share issuance and fund raising
Led by partner FENG, Cheng
Finance Deal of the Year: USD 4.3 billion take private of 51job inc.
Led and primarily undertaken by partners ZHOU, Hui (Nelson) Lixin Cui YUAN, Yifeng (Vincent) GUO, Tao QIAO, Zheyuan (Jacqueline).
Cross-border M&A Deal of the Year (0-USD 2 billion): China Merchants Port Holdings A-Share offering and Ningbo Port investment
Led by partner ZHANG, Jianwei
Restructuring and Insolvency Deal of the Year: Restructuring and reorganization of Dongying Fangyuan NonFerrous Metals and its affiliates
Led by partners XIAO, Wei, HUA, Xiaojun (Warren) , WU, Lei, LIAN, Jing and YANG, Li
Restructuring and Insolvency Deal of the Year: HNA Group restructuring
Led and primarily undertaken by partners WANG, Gang (Gavin), HE, Fang, WANG, Lihua, ZOU, Weining, HUANG, Xiang, ZHAO, Min, DONG, Ming, ZHENG, Yanli (Leanne), YANG, Li, LIAN, Jing, ZHOU, Jun and DONG, Xiao (Marissa)
Private Equity Deal of the Year: SK Ecoplant's USD 1 billion acquisition of TES Envirocorp
Led and primarily undertaken by partners Guo Tao, Ju Ran and Gong Mingfang
Fintech and Digital Assets Lawyer of the Year: QIAO, Zheyuan (Jacqueline)
Energy and Infrastructure Lawyer of the Year: QIN, Yu (Bill)
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year
Investment Funds Firm of the Year
International Arbitration Firm of the Year