Earlier this year, Hong Kong property developer and long-standing client of the firm, Wing Tai Properties Limited, engaged Herbert Smith Freehills for advice on a US$464 million (HK$3.6 billion) financing deal for the development of a 318,076 sqft. residential development in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Following the successful closing of that transaction in March, the firm was again instructed to advise on another of the developer’s financing transaction—a US$224 million (HK$1.74 billion) financing for a plot of land adjacent to the client’s initial purchase in Sha Tin.  The lender on both transactions—Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited—was advised by Mayer Brown JSM.

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Bankruptcy lawyer David Kidd was recruited by international law firm Linklaters this week, according to a firm press release.  The Hong Kong attorney will start the new job next month.

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Linklaters today announces that Gavin Lewis is to join the firm as a partner in the firm’s litigation practice and will be based in Hong Kong. Gavin will join from Herbert Smith Freehills.

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Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised AMP Capital on its proposed establishment of a joint venture funds management company with China Life Asset Management Company, a subsidiary of China Life Insurance China access to China  (Group) Company, China’s largest insurance group and the world’s largest listed insurance company by market capitalisation.

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Linklaters today announces that leading restructuring & insolvency lawyer David Kidd has been elected as a partner to lead its pan-Asian Restructuring & Insolvency practice. David Kidd will join in October and will be based in Hong Kong.

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Baker & McKenzie is advising ARA Asset Management (Fortune) Limited, as manager of Fortune Real Estate Investment Trust (“Fortune REIT”), on Fortune REIT’s proposed acquisition from Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited of Kingswood Ginza in Hong Kong for a total consideration of approximately HK$5.84 billion. The acquisition will be by way of purchase of the company holding the Kingswood Ginza Property. The purchase consideration will be financed by drawing down new term loan facilities and using the net proceeds of the unit placement conducted recently by Fortune REIT in August 2013. Baker & McKenzie advised Fortune REIT on the unit placement and is also advising on the debt financing.

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Kirkland & Ellis represented L Capital Asia, the Asian private equity arm of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (LVMH), which recently closed its second private equity fund. The fund was oversubscribed and closed at its hard cap of US$950 million, exceeding its original target of US$800 million. The fund, which will make investments in Asia’s lifestyle-consumer and branded goods sectors, accepted commitments from a broad mix of global institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension plans, endowments and foundations, diversified financial institutions and family offices.

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Paul Hastings, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented Shuanghui International Holdings Limited (“Shuanghui”), the owner of China’s largest publicly-traded meat processing enterprise, in entering into a facilities agreement with Bank of China Limited, Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A. (also known as Rabobank International), Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, DBS Bank Ltd., Natixis, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited, whereby Shuanghui will obtain approximately US$4 billion in debt financing to fund its pending acquisition of Smithfield Foods (“Smithfield”) (NYSE: SFD), the largest U.S. publicly-traded pork processor and hog producer.

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Allen & Overy has advised ING Group on the KRW1.84 trillion (approximately USD1.7bn) sale of its South Korean life insurance business, ING Life Korea, to private equity firm MBK Partners, South Korea’s largest private equity group.

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Allen & Overy has advised Dutch development bank Nederlanse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), as part of a consortium comprising Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Korean banks, on a USD90 million loan facility (subject to the exercise of a greenshoe option) to China Singyes Solar Technologies Holdings (Singyes).

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