Two Dechert Deals Win International M&A Awards

Deals on which Dechert LLP advised have won two awards at the 9th Annual International M&A Awards Gala. Sponsored by The M&A Advisor, the awards honor the leading deal teams, firms and professionals whose activities set the standard for international M&A transactions. Over 260 companies, representing every major market in the world, became finalists for the awards. An independent judging committee of 23 top M&A industry experts determined the ultimate recipients of the awards.

The firm secured the award for “M&A Deal of the Year ($500MM - $1B)” for its representation of Shanghai Shenda Co., Ltd. (“Shenda”), based in Shanghai, China, in connection with Shenda’s agreement to form a global joint venture to supply soft trim and acoustics products to automotive original equipment manufacturers with International Automotive Components. A global enterprise, the joint venture will operate 21 manufacturing facilities and four technical centers around the world. The Dechert team was led by corporate partner David K. Cho ‎and included more than 20 lawyers from more than 10 offices globally.

Dechert’s representation of South Korean chemicals producer OCI in its acquisition of Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a polysilicon manufacturing facility in Malaysia, won the award for “Energy Deal of the Year (Up to $250MM).” The Dechert team advising OCI was also led by David Cho. The deal helped OCI, the world’s third largest producer of polysilicon, consolidate its global position in the clean energy sector.

The sale of Singapore-headquartered Lazada Group to China’s Alibaba, in which corporate partner Federico Pappalardo led a Dechert team, was also named as a finalist for “Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year (over $1B)”, “Europe Deal of the Year”, and “Asia Deal of the Year”. The deal, Alibaba’s largest investment outside China to date, placed Lazada’s post-transaction valuation at more than US$2 billion.

About Dechert

Dechert is a global specialist law firm focused on sectors with the greatest complexities and highest regulatory demands. We deliver practical commercial insight and judgment to our clients’ most important matters. Nothing stands in the way of giving clients the best of the firm’s entrepreneurial energy and seamless collaboration in a way that is distinctively Dechert.