Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, a Chinese pharmaceutical company formed in 1998 and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in May 2010, and its US subsidiary Hepalink USA Inc. on the US$337.5 million acquisition of Scientific Protein Laboratories, LLC, a leading global, independent manufacturer and supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
The transaction, which was announced on December 26, 2013, closed on April 9, 2014 after the parties obtained the necessary antitrust and regulatory approvals and clearances in the People’s Republic of China, the US and France.
The combined company has an expanded presence as one of the leading suppliers of heparin worldwide, as well as greater product development and growth opportunities in new markets for its full line of APIs, including pancreatic enzyme and heparin products.
“We are delighted to have assisted Hepalink on this significant acquisition. This transaction is one of a handful of acquisitions of a US privately held target by a Chinese public company and involved complex cross-border regulatory issues,” said Shanghai-based White & case partner Alex Zhang, head of the Firm’s China corporate and M&A practice. “The transaction brought together colleagues from our New York, Washington, DC, Paris, Brussels and Shanghai offices to conclude the deal successfully on behalf of Hepalink.”
John Reiss, the Global Head of White & Case’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice, added: “The transaction demonstrates our ability to leverage our global network and expertise in complex cross-border M&A transactions. It also highlights our strong capabilities in Antitrust, Acquisition Finance, Litigation, International Trade and Tax.”
The White & Case team which advised Shenzhen Hepalink on the transaction was led by partner Alex Zhang (Shanghai) and included partners Daniel Latham (New York), George Paul, Richard Burke, Rebecca Farrington (Washington, DC), and Jean-Paul Tran Thiet (Paris), who were supported by Dovrat Bashan (New York), Ning Zhang (Shanghai), Orion Berg (Paris) and Jérémie Jourdan (Brussels).
