William Chua is a corporate partner based in Hong Kong. Mr. Chua is a broad-gauged transactional lawyer with deep experience in private equity and strategic ...
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Experience
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Private Equity/Mergers & Acquisitions
- D1 Capital as the lead investor in a convertible preferred shares investment in XTransfer, a China-based fintech company providing cross-border payment services.
- Navis Capital in a fund restructuring involving the transfer of five portfolio companies into a new $450 million continuation fund vehicle.
- The Carlyle Group, as majority owner of Syniverse, in Syniverse’s $2.85 billion merger with special purpose acquisition company M3-Brigade Acquisition II Corp. resulting in Syniverse becoming a publicly traded company.
- Unicharm, a publicly listed company in Japan, in its acquisition of DSG International, a publicly listed company in Thailand.
- Wilsonart International, a Clayton, Dubilier & Rice portfolio company, in the carve-out and divestiture of its Asia Business to Aica Kogyo and the Development Bank of Japan.
- Boyu Capital in various transactions involving the artificial intelligence, computer software and technology, and financial services and fintech sectors in China.
- Buyout and take private transactions involving ASX-listed MYOB (business services), Navitas (education services), QMS Media (outdoor media) and Zenith Energy (oil & gas services) (representing private equity consortium members).
- Carlyle Group in its investment in, and the recapitalization (involving other private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds) of, American Express Global Business Travel.
- A private equity consortium member in the acquisition of United Family Healthcare, a Chinese hospitals operator, by New Frontier Corporation, a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company.
- Hony Capital in its capacity as a strategic shareholder in the acquisition of naked Hub by WeWork Greater China.
- A consortium of investors, led by FountainVest Partners and The Carlyle Group, on the $3.6 billion leveraged buyout of Nasdaq-listed Focus Media.
- The acquisition of Finnish-listed Amer Sports by a consortium of investors led by Anta Sports and FountainVest Partners (representing a prospective consortium member).
- Acquisition of Arysta LifeScience, a NYSE-listed Platform Specialty Products Corporation portfolio company, by India-listed UPL Group (representing prospective consortium member).
- Baring Private Equity Asia in a $4.3 billion buyout of NYSE-listed Nord Anglia Education.
- A private equity fund’s proposed acquisition of a significant stake in the financial services business being spun-out from a listed Chinese technology company. (Terminated)
- Management buyout of APIIT Education Group, a holding company for various primary, secondary and tertiary education assets in Malaysia led by KV Capital (representing consortium member).
- CVC-led consortium’s acquisition of a significant equity interest in GEMS Education, a UAE-based education services provider (representing co-investors).
- HarbourVest Partners in its private equity investments across the Asia-Pacific, including in the business services, consumer, food, education, financial services, fintech, healthcare, infrastructure, manufacturing, resources, software services and TMT sectors.
- Buyout and restructuring of The WeWork Companies by SoftBank Corporation and the proposed restructuring of ownership and related economic arrangements involving WeWork Greater China (representing strategic investors).
- Warburg Pincus's investment in Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, a fiber optic internet services provider in the Philippines (representing co-investors).
- An Asia private equity fund in its proposed acquisition of Bertelsmann's Arvato customer relationship management business.
- Hony Capital in its strategic investment in, and related cooperation arrangements with, as well as follow-on investments and subsequent corporate transactions involving the WeWork Companies.
- A global private equity fund in its proposed acquisition of Nexon, a Tokyo-listed online video game publisher company in South Korea.
- ChrysCapital’s acquisition of equity interests in Mankind Pharma, a leading pharmaceuticals company in India (representing co-investor).
- The auction and sale of Tokyo-listed Hitachi Chemicals to Showa Denko by Hitachi Ltd. (representing competing bidder in the auction).
- CLP Holdings and CLP Ventures in its investments in AutoGrid, a provider of smart energy distribution services in the United States, En-Trak, a renewable energy and resources company in Southeast Asia, and R&B Technology, an artificial intelligence energy management company based in China.
- CITIC Capital-led consortium’s acquisition of ScentAir, a provider of scent marketing solutions headquartered in the United States (representing co-investors).
- Sale through an auction process of Arnott’s, the Australian snacks unit of Campbell Soup International to KKR (representing competing bidder).
- Acquisition of iNova Pharmaceuticals, an Australian developer and distributor of pharmacy products and prescription medicines, by Pacific Equity Partners and The Carlyle Group from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (representing consortium member).
- Alibaba Group in its joint venture with SoftBank and Foxconn Technology and its investment in SoftBank Robotics Holdings Corp.
- Dover Corporation in its buyout of its Chinese partner’s 33% interest in Tokheim Hengshan Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
- A private equity portfolio company in its proposed acquisition of a chemicals company in Southeast Asia.
- Capital Group in its investment in Go-Jek, an Indonesian hyperlocal transport, logistics and payments startup that operates a leading online delivery and ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia.
- BVCF, a private equity fund focusing on growth stage life science companies, in a continuation fund transaction involving a portfolio of healthcare companies in China.
- Goldman Sachs Principal Investments in its investment in a mobile video streaming company in China.
- A private family office in its investment in Grab, a Singapore-based technology company that offers ride-hailing, ride-sharing and logistics services.
- A Private Equity Fund’s proposed acquisition of a controlling stake in the China operations being carved-out from a Nasdaq-listed artificial intelligence company. (Terminated)
- Dover Corporation in the disposition of its specialty glass and commercial glass refrigeration equipment business in China.
- Capital Group in its acquisition of an equity stake in Intas Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in India, and subsequent portfolio management transactions.
- Hony Capital in its investments in Nasdaq-listed FibroGen, a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company.
- Ally Bridge in its PIPEs transaction with Nasdaq-listed Sorrento Therapeutics, a U.S. biotechnology company.
- Goldman Sachs Principal Investments in its investment in WeDoctor, a technology-enabled healthcare solutions platform in China, as well as subsequent portfolio management transactions.
- Polyus Gold International in its sale of up to a $1.4 billion stake in PJSC Polyus to Fosun International. (Terminated)
- A pan-Asia healthcare private equity fund in its proposed investment in Immunomic Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company in the United States. (Terminated)
- The D. E. Shaw Group in the restructuring of Kaisa, a Hong Kong-listed PRC property developer.
- The Heart Clinic, a cardiology specialist medical practice, in its sale to Virtus Medical Holdings, a private equity-backed medical services provider, and the establishment of long-term operating arrangements.
- Alibaba Group in the structuring, negotiation and documentation of various global strategic investment, private equity, growth capital and joint venture transactions.
- Goldman Sachs Principal Investments on various private equity investments in China across various industries, including TMT, education, water purification and treatment, and healthcare.
- Standard Chartered Private Equity on various special situations transactions in the solar, renewable energy and retail sector in China, including straight equity investments and structured debt instruments.
- Telstra International Holdings Limited in its divestiture of SouFun Holdings through a U.S. IPO transaction and concurrent sale of remaining equity interests to a consortium of private equity funds.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev in its $1.8 billion disposition of Oriental Brewery to KKR.
- Nasdaq-listed ASE Test in its “going private” scheme of arrangement with NYSE-listed Advanced Semiconductor Engineering.
- Segantii Capital in completed and proposed investments in the bitcoin/cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, healthcare, transportation network services and other TMT sectors.
- China Renaissance Capital Investment in its acquisition of various limited partnership interests from various global financial institutions.
- Alibaba Group in its acquisition of Lazada Group, a Southeast Asia focused e-commerce company.
- Capital Group in its investment in Mankind Pharma and subsequent portfolio management transactions.
- A European private equity fund in its proposed investment in a manufacturer and distributor of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) in China.
- Various multinational corporations in restructuring, spin-off and asset divestiture transactions involving its Asian/China operations.
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Financial Institutions/Financial Services/Fintech
- Ant Financial (formerly Alipay) in the structuring, negotiation and documentation of various strategic investment and joint venture transactions globally relating to online payments and financial services.
- Acquisition of HKSE-listed Chong Hing Bank via a partial voluntary general offer by Yue Xiu Enterprises.
- Temasek in its proposed acquisition of a significant strategic equity stake in a leading publicly listed insurance company in China.
- Bank of China in its strategic equity sales to Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Temasek, UBS and Asian Development Bank.
- Clearwater Capital in its sale to Toronto Stock Exchange-listed asset management firm Fiera Capital Corporation.
- A consortium of private equity investors in the proposed acquisition through a competitive auction of equity interests in a privately-held insurance company in China.
- Capital Group in its acquisition of a 40% equity stake in InterGlobe Technology Quotient.
- Credit Suisse in its investment in, and related economic arrangements with, an Asian alternative credit provider and asset management company.
- HarbourVest Partners in its direct investment in Janalakshmi Financial Services, a non-banking financial services company in India.
- HarbourVest Partners in its direct investment in an online payments services provider in China.
- American International Group’s global investment arm in various investments as well as divestitures regionally in Asia.
- Initial public offerings and listings by AIA, China Pacific Insurance, New China Life Insurance, Ping An Insurance and People’s Insurance (Group) Company of China.
- Securities offerings and other capital raising transactions by Bank of China, Bank of Chongqing, Bank of Communications, Bank of China Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Bank, Argentaria (now BBVA), Unibanco-Uniao de Bancos Brasileiros, Fifth Third Bank and Thai Farmers Bank (now Kasikornbank).
- The principal investment divisions of Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered and UBS in various investments and acquisition in Asia, including distressed mortgage, real estate and other assets.
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Debt and Acquisition/Leveraged Finance
- Multiple subscription line/capital call financing transactions for various Asian and China-focused private equity funds with aggregate proceeds in excess of $1 billion.
- Alibaba Group in its multiple concurrent offerings of unsecured notes with an aggregate principal amount of $8 billion.
- Focus Media in acquisition financing for its LBO, in the form of senior secured term loans, bridge-to-cash facility and SBLC financing, together with proposed bridge financing and high yield bond takeout.
- Yue Xiu Enterprises’s bridge loan financing facility for its acquisition of HKSE-listed Chong Hing Bank.
- Margin loan financing transactions involving publicly traded equity securities.
- Hutchison Whampoa in multiple offerings of guaranteed notes and hybrid perpetual capital securities totaling over $6 billion.
- China Oriental Group in tender offers for multiple series of its outstanding high yield notes.
- Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors and Jingrui Properties in multiple offerings of high yield notes.
- P.T. Newmont Nusa Tenggara in a secured revolving credit facility from a consortium of international and Indonesian commercial banks to fund the operations of the Batu Hijau copper-gold mine in Indonesia.
- Goldman Sachs Asia Special Situations Group in a debt exchange transaction involving swapping second lien loans for newly issued high yield bonds of Global AT&T Electronics (formerly known as United Test & Assembly Center).
- Anheuser-Busch InBev in a contingent value rights instrument, mezzanine financing and PIK notes in connection with the sale of Oriental Brewery to KKR.
- AIA Group in multiple offerings of notes and other debt securities.
- Tenaga Nasional Berhad in multiple liability management exercises involving debt tender offers and concurrent offerings of new debt securities.
- Exchange offers and debt solicitations involving debt securities of PT Excelcomindo.
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Capital Markets and Securities
- Alibaba Group’s $25 billion SEC-registered initial public offering and New York Stock Exchange listing.
- HKSE-listed Power Assets Holding in its spin-off of Hong Kong Electric using a share stapled unit structure issued through a holding company of Hong Kong Electric and a fixed singe investment trust holding the ordinary shares of the holding company via an initial public offering and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
- Tata Motors Limited in its SEC-registered rights offering in the U.S. and concurrent public rights offering in India.
- Yum! Brands spin-off of its Yum China unit via a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (advising the financial advisor to a strategic shareholder).
- Nasdaq-listed China Natural Resources in its spin-off via a listing by introduction of Feishang Anthracite.
- Autohome, SouFun, Mindray Medical International, China Nepstar, Chunghwa Telecom and Hutchison Telecom International in SEC-registered IPOs and U.S. listing transactions.
- Alibaba.com, Phoenix Healthcare Group, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, Regina Miracle International, Ozner Water International and Universal Medical in Hong Kong initial public offerings and listings transactions.
Education
- Harvard Law School, 1994, J.D.
- Princeton University, 1991, A.B.