Weil, Gotshal & Manges has represented HNA Group, the owner of China's Hainan Airlines and the biggest stockholder in shipping company Tianjin Tianhai, in a deal worth around $6 billion to buy electronics distributor Ingram Micro, which turned to Davis Polk & Wardwell for legal counsel.
This deal is the latest in a string of overseas purchases by Chinese firms, which have been aggressively pursuing foreign acquisitions to avoid slowing growth in domestic markets. According to a Reuters report, Chinese companies spent over $100 billion on such transactions in 2015, the most ever.
A Hong Kong team led by partners Akiko Mikumo and Charles Ching oversaw the acquisition for Weil. Davis Polk partners Alan Denenberg and Stephen Salmon handled corporate concerns in California, while Rachel Kleinberg and Arthur Burke worked on tax and antitrust issues. Washington-based partner John Reynolds took care of regulatory matters.
The transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016, will allow HNA to shore up its logistics arm with Ingram’s supply chain network. The Chinese conglomerate, headquartered in Haikou, is also looking to get a larger share in high-growth emerging markets via Ingram’s global reach.
After the merger, Ingram Micro will operate as a unit of Tianjin Tianhai and remain based in Irvine, California. The company, which distributes a wide range of products such as Apple iPhones and Cisco's network equipment, will retain its executive management team including CEO Alain Monié. Ingram’s business lines as well as all regional and country operations will continue unaffected.