Asia Deal Digest, published periodically, is a compilation of some of the largest deals carried out in Asia and Australia.

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China/Hong Kong

• Baker McKenzie Chicago partners Lewis Popoff, Hugo Dubovoy and José Morán are advising Beijing-based China Yangtze Power Co., a subsidiary of state-owned energy company China Three Gorges Corp., on a $3.6 billion acquisition from U.S.-based Sempra Energy for an 83.6% stake in Luz del Sur S.A.A., the largest listed power company on the Lima Stock Exchange. Tian Yuan Law Firm Beijing partners Chai Jie, Wang Lihua and Yin Xiong are advising on Chinese law and Peru-based Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera partner Andres Kuan-Veng is serving as Peruvian counsel. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020, subject to approval by the Peruvian antitrust authority and Bermuda's financial services regulator. White & Case New York partners Thomas Lauria and Marwan Azzi are leading a team advising Sempra. [Read Full Story]

• Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison partners Judie Ng Shortell in Beijing and Mark Bergman in London are advising Chinese utility giant State Grid International Development Ltd. on a $2.2 billion acquisition from U.S.-based Sempra Energy of Chilquinta Energía S.A., the third-largest electricity distributor in Chile. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020, subject to approval by the Chilean antitrust authority and Bermuda's financial services regulator. White & Case New York partners Thomas Lauria and Marwan Azzi are leading a team advising Sempra.  [Read Full Story]

• Paul Weiss Hong Kong partner Betty Yap is representing Beijing-based Wumei Technology Group, which operates the Wumart supermarket chain in China, on a $2.1 billion acquisition of German wholesaler Metro AG's 23-year-old Chinese operations, Metro China. Wumei is being advised by German firm Noerr partners Alexander Hirsch in Düsseldorf, Till Kosche in Frankfurt and Tibor Fedke in Berlin on German law and JunHe on Chinese law. The transaction is expected to be completed by the second quarter of next year, following Chinese government and regulatory approvals. Baker McKenzie partners Howard Wu in Shanghai and Ingo Strauss in Düsseldorf are advising Metro. [Read Full Story]

• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton advised Chinese sportswear manufacturer Topsports International Holdings Ltd., a subsidiary of Chinese shoe retailer Belle International Holdings Ltd., on a $1 billion initial public offering in Hong Kong. JunHe served as Chinese counsel to the issuer. Topsports plans to use the majority of the proceeds to repay debt. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Hong Kong partner Grace Huang and Singapore partner Arun Balasubramanian advised Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and CICC as the underwriters. Haiwen & Partners advised the banks on Chinese law. [Read Full Story]

• Davis Polk & Wardwell Hong Kong partners Li He and James Lin advised Youdao Inc., the online education arm of Chinese gaming company NetEase Inc., on a $220 million initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Tian Yuan Beijing partner Piao Yu served as Chinese counsel. The issuer will use the majority of the proceeds on technology and product development and marketing. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Hong Kong partner Julie Gao advised Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, CICC, Tiger Brokers and HSBC as the underwriters. JunHe Beijing partners Wang Jiangang, Yi Yisong and Sun Xiaojia advised the banks on Chinese law.

• Eversheds Sutherland partners Stephen Mok and Dickson Ng in Hong Kong, Alexander Honrath, Stefan Diemer and Tobias Maier in Munich, and Sebastian Zeeck and Rolf Kowanz in Hamburg, advised EuroEyes International Eye Clinic Ltd., which operates eye clinics in Germany, Denmark and China, on a $75 million initial public offering in Hong Kong. The issuer was advised by Eversheds and Seufert Rechtsanwälte on German law, Lundgrens Law Firm on Danish law and Tian Yuan on Chinese law. EuroEyes plans to use the majority of the proceeds to establish clinics in China, fund acquisitions of clinic groups in Europe and for marketing. Norton Rose Fulbright partners Psyche Tai and Winnie Chan in Hong Kong, Benedikt Gillessen in Frankfurt and Heiko Bertelmann in Hamburg advised BOCI Asia as the sole sponsor. Commerce & Finance Law Offices advised the bank on Chinese law.

• Tian Yuan advised Chinese mobile game developer FriendTimes Inc. on the Hong Kong and Chinese law aspects of a $57 million initial public offering in Hong Kong. Bae, Kim & Lee served as Korean counsel to the issuer. FriendTimes plans to use the majority of the proceeds on research and development, and marketing. DLA Piper Hong Kong partner Melody He-Chen represented Guotai Junan Capital as the sole sponsor. Jingtian & Gongcheng advised the bank on Chinese law.

• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Hong Kong partners Wanda Woo and Weiheng Chen advised Chinese biotechnology company Ascentage Pharma Group International on a $54 million initial public offering in Hong Kong. The issuer was advised by Goodwin Procter on U.S. law, Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm on Chinese law and Allens on Australian law. Ascentage plans to use the majority of the proceeds on research and development. Clifford Chance Hong Kong partners Amy Lo and Fang Liu advised Merrill Lynch and Citigroup as the joint sponsors. Zhong Lun Law Firm advised the banks on Chinese law.

• Jingtian & Gongcheng advised Chinese personal computer and smartphone utility software developer 360 Ludashi Holdings Ltd. on the Hong Kong and Chinese law aspects of a $21 million initial public offering in Hong Kong. The issuer plans to use the majority of the proceeds on research and development, marketing, improve its sales channels and fund strategic investments and acquisitions. Stephenson Harwood Beijing partner Lin Chun-Hui advised Guosen Securities as the sole sponsor. Beijing DHH Law Firm advised the bank on Chinese law.

• Hong Kong firm Robertsons represented Hong Kong-based financial services provider LFG Investment Holdings Ltd. on a $15 million initial public offering in Hong Kong. The issuer plans to use the majority of the proceeds on expanding its underwriting and securities financing businesses and establish a new asset management fund. Pinsent Masons Hong Kong partner Kenneth Chong advised Lego Corporate Finance Ltd. and TUS Corporate Finance Ltd. as the joint sponsors.

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Japan

• Davis Polk partners Phillip Mills in New York and Kenneth Lebrun in Tokyo are advising lease financing company Tokyo Century Corp. on a $3 billion acquisition of the remaining 75.5% interest it does not already own in California-based Aviation Capital Group LLC, a commercial aircraft leasing business, from U.S.-based Pacific Life Insurance Co. They are supported by New York partners William Curran on tax matters, Kyoko Takahashi Lin on executive compensation advice and John Perry on finance matters. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019. Debevoise & Plimpton partners Gregory Gooding in New York and Geoffrey Burgess in London are advising Pacific Life Insurance. They are supported by New York partners Peter Furci on tax matters, Lawrence Cagney on executive compensation and employee benefits matters, and Henry Lebowitz on intellectual property issues.

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Australia

• Clayton Utz Brisbane partner Emma Covacevich is advising New York Stock Exchange-listed liquefied natural gas producer ConocoPhillips on a $1.39 billion sale of Australian and East Timorese gas and LNG assets to local gas and oil producer Santos Ltd. Covacevich is supported by partners Peter Feros in Sydney on tax matters, Saul Harben in Perth on workplace relations matters, Cameron Gascoyne in Brisbane on information technology and intellectual property matters, and Linda Evans in Sydney on competition issues. The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020, following regulatory approvals. Allens is representing Santos. [Read Full Story]

• Clayton Utz Brisbane partner David Lester advised the Queensland government on the $1.1 billion construction of a heavy vehicle bypass of the Queensland city Toowoomba. He was supported by Brisbane partners Frazer Moss, Shae McCartney and Alan Maguire. Ashurst partners Gareth Sage and Simon Irvine in Sydney and Mark Disney in Brisbane advised Nexus Infrastructure, a consortium comprising Plenary Group, Cintra Infraestructuras Internacional S.A., Acciona Concesiones S.L., Acciona Infrastructure Australia, Ferrovial Agroman Australia and Broadspectrum, which designed and constructed the bypass and will operate and maintain it on behalf of the Queensland government. [Read Full Story]

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South and southeast Asia

• Latham & Watkins Hong Kong partner Posit Laohaphan advised Thai hospitality and property group Asset World Corp Public Co. Ltd. on a $1.6 billion initial public offering in Thailand. Laohaphan was supported by New York partners Elena Romanova and Jiyeon Lee-Lim on U.S. tax matters and Hong Kong partner Benjamin Carale on corporate matters. Weerawong C&P served as Thai counsel to the issuer. Asset World will use the majority of the proceeds to acquire assets, develop and renovate existing assets, and repay debt. Allen & Overy and White & Case advised the underwriters, which included Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and UBS.

• Hogan Lovells Hong Kong partner Stephen Peepels advised Indian state-run Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp. Ltd. (IRCTC) and the Indian government on a $91 million initial public offering of IRCTC on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India. All the proceeds from the offering will go to the Indian government. Indian firm Crawford Bayley & Co. served as Indian counsel to IRCTC and the government. J. Sagar Associates advised IDBI Capital Markets & Securities Ltd., SBI Capital Markets Ltd. and Yes Securities India Ltd. as the bookrunning lead managers on Indian law.

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