Harneys wins 11 Deal of the Year Awards from China Business Law Journal

• Alibaba proposed acquisition of Cainiao’s minority shares (led by Calamus Huang and Vicky Lord): Acting as Cayman counsel to Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited in its merger with ALI XY Investment Holding Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group Holding Limited with Cainiao as the surviving company.
• Aoyuan’s offshore debt restructuring (led by Paul Sephton, Chai Ridgers, Claire Goldstein, and Ben Hobden): Acting as Cayman and British Virgin Islands counsel for China Aoyuan Group Limited in relation to its US$6.2 billion debt restructuring.
• AstraZeneca acquisition of Gracell (led by Jessie Xu): Acting as Cayman counsel to Gracell Biotechnologies Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company, in its merger and acquisition with AstraZeneca for an aggregate consideration of up to approximately US$1.2 billion.
• CR Beverage’s HK$5 billion debut on HKEX (led by Jessie Xu): Acting as Cayman and BVI counsel to China Resources Beverage (Holdings) Company Limited in relation to its global offering with an issue size of approximately US$650 million and its listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
• Evergrande debt restructuring (led by Chai Ridgers, Nick Hoffman, and Ian Mann): Acting as Cayman Islands and BVI law counsel to the ad hoc group of holders of bonds issued by Evergrande in relation to the US$22.7 billion restructuring of Evergrande’s offshore liabilities. Evergrande is one of the largest and most well-known PRC property developers.
• I-Mab divests China operation (led by Calamus Huang and Vicky Lord): Acting as Cayman counsel to I-Mab in relation to structuring the divestment of its China operations and directors’ duties.
• Kaisa offshore debt restructuring (led by Chai Ridgers): Acting as Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands counsel to Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd in relation to the restructuring of approximately US$13 billion of its offshore debt liabilities.
• Lai Sun sells stake in AIA Central to AIA (led by Paul Sephton): Acting as BVI counsel to Lai Sun Development Company Limited as vendor in their disposal of 10 per cent equity interest in Bayshore Development Group Limited, which holds the entire legal and beneficial interest of AIA Central, to a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIA Group Limited.
• Sky Taipei developer rights and ownership dispute (led by Ian Mann): Advising a high-net-worth individual in the enforcement of security interests and massive debt restructuring relating to the largest ongoing real estate development project in Taiwan, involving the construction of a skyscraper which is expected to be a prominent landmark at the heart of the Taipei city comprising of luxurious hotels, renowned retail brands and exquisite restaurants.
• Sunac’s US$10.2 billion offshore restructuring (led by Chai Ridgers and Paul Sephton): Acting as offshore counsel for the ad hoc group of bondholders and lenders of Sunac China, a Hong Kong listed property developer in the PRC, in relation to Sunac China’s financial restructuring of its offshore liabilities.
• Yuzhou Group debt restructuring (led by Chai Ridgers and Ben Hobden): Acting as offshore counsel to Yuzhou Group Holdings Company Limited in relation to its US$6.8 billion restructuring of offshore liabilities.

These China-focussed deals were led by partners in the firm’s Shanghai and Hong Kong offices, who worked in seamless collaboration with teams in the firm’s global offices.

Shanghai Managing Partner Vicky Lord commented: “We are incredibly proud to have been awarded 11 Deal of the Year awards, a remarkable achievement that underscores Harneys’ dedication to providing exceptional legal services and innovative solutions to our clients. These accolades are a testament to the hard work and expertise of our teams, who consistently adapt to meet the demands of rapidly evolving markets. We thank China Business Law Journal for this recognition and our clients for trusting us with their instructions."

Every year, the China Business Law Journal gathers feedback from hundreds of in-house counsels and industry professionals, combined with the editorial team's feedback, and compiles a prestigious awardee list.

The Harneys network is one of the largest among offshore law firms in Asia, and operates in the Mainland China under Aristodemou Loizides Yiolitis LLC, Shanghai Representative Office, a member of the Harneys Group. Harneys is the first offshore law firm with a full-service legal team on the ground in China with an experienced Dispute Resolution team that focusses on offshore litigation, insolvency, and asset recovery; as well as a leading Corporate team who advises on all aspects of capital raising and investment management.