About the Office

Our Beijing office, which opened in early 2007, joins Hong Kong and Tokyo as the firm’s third location in Asia, and expands the presence and reach of Davis Polk’s broad and highly successful practice in China.

Our Beijing office represents issuers and underwriters in many important (and frequently precedent-setting) cross-border initial public offerings, convertible debt, and other securities offerings, including many of the landmark transactions involving the privatization and listing of Chinese state-owned enterprises. We are also a leader in Asian high-yield debt offerings.

Our Chinese M&A/direct investment practice, supported by our worldwide M&A resources and expertise, puts us in a position well suited to advise Chinese companies seeking to make acquisitions and strategic investments outside China. In addition, the experience we have gained throughout many inbound transactions has given us in-depth knowledge of the Chinese rules regarding foreign ownership, investments and joint ventures.

Recognition

  • Davis Polk ranked:
    • 1st among U.S. firms in Asia (excl. Japan) equity IPO manager advisers in the first quarter of 2010 (Bloomberg)
    • 1st among U.S. firms in Asia (excl. Japan) bonds manager advisers in the first quarter of 2010 (Bloomberg)
    • 1st among U.S. law firms in Asian (excl. Japan) M&A transactions announced in the first quarter of 2010 (Bloomberg)
    • 1st among U.S. law firms in Asia Pacific (excl. Japan) M&A transactions in the first quarter of 2010 (Thomson Reuters)
    • 1st among U.S. law firms in Asia-Pacific (excl. Japan) buyouts announced in the first quarter of 2010 (mergermarket)
    • 3rd among U.S. law firms in South East Asian M&A announced in the first quarter of 2010 (mergermarket)
  • Davis Polk received three awards at the China Law & Practice Awards for 2009:
    • 2009 International Capital Markets Team of the Year
    • Debt and Equity-Linked Deal of the Year (Sino-Forest Corporation convertible notes offering)
    • Equity Deal of the Year (Solarfun Power SEC-registered dribble-out offering)

Landmark Transactions

  • We worked on 2 of the 3 largest IPOs by Chinese banks, including:
    • Advising Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on its $21.9 billion Rule 144A/
      Regulation S IPO and dual listing of H shares and A shares. This is the largest IPO in history.
    • Advising the underwriters on the $9.2 billion Rule 144A/Regulation S IPO of H shares by China Construction Bank
  • We advised CNOOC on its $18.5 billion proposed acquisition of Unocal – the largest-ever attempted takeover by a Chinese corporation for a foreign target.
  • We advised the global coordinators on the $5.6 billion IPO and dual listings of ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange and shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange of China Unicom, a Hong Kong-based telecommunications provider. At the time, this was the largest-ever IPO by an Asian issuer outside Japan.
  • We advised ICBC on a $3.78 billion investment in ICBC by an investor consortium comprised of Goldman Sachs Group, Allianz Group and American Express. At the time, the transaction was the largest-ever investment in the Chinese financial sector.
  • We advised Air China on its $1.2 billion IPO and dual listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange.
  • We advised the lead managers of the $124 million IPO and listing on Nasdaq of ADSs by Baidu.com, the leading Chinese language Internet search provider.

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