DLA Piper today announced that it acted as the Hong Kong legal advisers to Schramm Holding AG (HKSE: 00955) (“Schramm”) on its €142 million (HK$ 1.566 billion) public takeover by AkzoNobel, the largest global paints and coatings company in the world. Partner JC Lee and Esther Leung led the deal. Other core members in the team included Phil Lam, Yeti Ho, Richard Lee and Jada Soyun Lee, all from DLA Piper’s Hong Kong office.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has represented China Development Bank Hong Kong Branch (CDB) in a US$400 million financing for the take-private transaction of NASDAQ-listed Harbin Electric, Inc. The financing enabled Tech Full Electric Company Limited, an entity controlled by Harbin Electric founder and Chairman, Mr. Tianfu Yang, other management investors and Abax, to acquire the publicly-held shares of Harbin Electric.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Yi Zhang and Graham Winter will join the firm as partners.  Zhang was formerly with O’Melveny & Myers, and Winter will join the firm from Reed Smith Richards Butler.  Both Zhang and Winter will be based in Hong Kong.

Morrison & Foerster advised Dalian Port (PDA) Company Limited (“Dalian Port”), long-standing client of the firm, on a RMB400 million 5.8% RMB bond offering due 2014 by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Asia Pacific Ports Development Company Limited. The Bonds were guaranteed by another wholly-owned subsidiary, Asia Pacific Ports Company, and had the benefit of a keepwell support arrangement from Dalian Port.  Bank of Communications, BNP Paribas, CCBI, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch International, and UBS acted as the Joint Lead Managers.

The dispute was between Softbank Corporation, Yahoo! Inc and the founder shareholders of the Alibaba Group over Alipay.com Co., Ltd. (“Alipay”), an electronic payment system in China.

The law firm of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP is pleased to announce that Eugene Lai has joined the firm as a partner. Lai will base his practice in Edwards Wildman’s associated Hong Kong office, Lister Lo Lui & Choy.

Blank Rome is pleased to announce that Ronald Sum has joined Blank Rome Solicitors in Hong Kong as Partner. He will be affiliated with the Firm’s International and Maritime Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution group.  Mr. Sum has practiced law in Hong Kong for more than 15 years and has conducted court proceedings on a global scale. He has litigation, arbitration, and mediation experience in Hong Kong, England, and the United States.

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised a subsidiary of NWS Holdings Limited on its acquisition of 26.32% of Chinese Future Corporation (CFC) for US$280 million.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP represented Asia Cement (China) Holdings Corporation on its offering of RMB 586 million (US$92 million) principal amount of 2.95 percent notes due in 2014. The offering was made to offshore institutional investors in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia.

Global law firm White & Case LLP advised Groupe Auchan on the restructuring of its joint venture with the Taiwanese conglomerate Ruentex, leading to Groupe Auchan’s acquisition of a majority stake in Sun Art Retail Group Limited (formerly Sun Holdings), involving inter alia merger control procedures in China, and on the IPO of Sun Art Retail Group Limited on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.