International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Yum! Brands Inc., a U.S.-based fast food company and owner of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains, on its US$570 million acquisition of Little Sheep Group Ltd., a Hong Kong-listed, Mongolian hot-pot restaurant operator. The privatization scheme was approved by shareholders in January and the scheme became effective on 1 February having been sanctioned by the Grand Court in Cayman Islands.

 

“We congratulate Yum! on completing this significant deal which will allow the company to increase its presence in one of its most important markets via the Little Sheep chain of restaurants,” commented Robert Ashworth, Freshfields’ Asia Managing Partner.

 

The Freshfields team was led by Asia Managing Partner Robert Ashworth and was supported by corporate counsel Edward Freeman and corporate associates Nicole Lew, Sam Brown and William Dobbin. Beijing partner Michael Han advised on the anti trust aspects of the transaction.