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.

Herbert Smith’s China energy team has advised Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration & Production Corporation (“SIPC”) on the subscription through its subsidiary for additional shares in Australia Pacific LNG Pty Ltd for a net consideration of approximately US$1.1 billion, which on completion will raise Sinopec’s ownership interest from 15% to 25%. ConocoPhillips’ and Origin Energy’s respective ownership interests will be reduced to 37.5%.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Shui On Land Limited, a Hong Kong-listed leading property developer, on its international offering of S$250million in Singapore Dollar-denominated notes to institutional investors in Asia. The notes are issued by Shui On Development (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Shui On Land Limited.

International legal practice Norton Rose Group is advising The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) on the sale of its retail banking and wealth management business in Thailand to Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited (BAY).

Davis Polk advised CITIC Securities Corporate Finance (HK) Limited (CITIC) on the $473.2 million rights offering of China Communications Services Corporation Limited. The rights offering consisted of a public offering of H shares (shares listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange) and a public offering of domestic shares (unlisted shares) in the PRC. CITIC was the sole bookrunner and underwriter of the rights offering.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised the joint sponsors on the spin-off and listing by way of introduction of Swire Properties Limited on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP announced today the continued expansion of its Hong Kong Corporate practice with the addition of Carolyn Sng, who joins the Firm as a partner. Ms. Sng’s practice is primarily focused on complex capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, corporate finance and private equity transactions. She specializes in high-profile global offerings and debt capital markets transactions. Ms. Sng joins Fried Frank from Herbert Smith, where she was a partner.

Davis Polk advised BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, Singapore Branch, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Daewoo Securities Co., Ltd. and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Ltd. as underwriters in connection with concurrent SEC-registered Schedule B debt offerings by KEXIM of $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of its 4% notes due 2017 and $1 billion aggregate principal amount of its 5% notes due 2022.

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance advised Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited and Standard Chartered Bank as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners on the Agricultural Development Bank of China’s (ADBC) offering of RMB3 billion bonds in Hong Kong. The offering was successfully priced on 10 January 2012, and the bonds are expected to be issued on 17 January 2012. The bonds to be issued are targeted at institutional investors, with terms of two, three and five years and coupon rates of 3.00%, 3.20% and 3.50%, respectively. This deal was the first RMB bond issuance in 2012 and ADBC’s first offshore bond issuance.