Davis Polk & Wardwell, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton have secured key advisory roles in a go-private agreement for E-House (China) Holdings, a leading real estate services company headquartered in Shanghai.

Led by partners Julie Gao, Michael Gisser and Haiping Li, Skadden is serving as U.S. legal counsel to the buyer group headed by Xin Zhou, E-House’s CEO and co-chairman of the board of directors. The consortium also includes Kanrich Holdings, On Chance Inc. and Jun Heng Investment.

Davis Polk is advising the special committee of E-House’s board of directors, with Hong Kong-based partner Miranda So overseeing the deal. Meanwhile, Cleary Gottlieb is serving as legal counsel to Duff & Phelps, the special committee’s financial advisor.

Cayman Islands law firms Travers Thorp Alberga and Walkers are also involved in the transaction, representing the investors and E-House’s special committee, respectively..

The investment group plans to finance the merger through a combination of a $350 million committed loan facility and a cash consideration equal to $6.85 per ordinary share and American Depository Share (ADS) of E-House.

The go-private deal is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016. E-House, which has a 70 percent stake in property portal Leju, is the latest in a string of U.S-listed Chinese companies that have gone back and sought domestic listings for a higher valuation – a move that is perceived to be better understood by Chinese investors.

Related Articles

North Asia Deals: Week of July 27

by Karuna Jainpalli |

Freshfields, Skadden star in Nikkei’s purchase of the Financial Times, 11 firms act on Xueda Education’s merger with Xiamen Insight Investment, Bakers and Debevoise advise on Meiji Yasuda’s U.S. insurance acquisition, and more in this week’s North Asia Deals table.

North Asia Deals Table - Week of Oct. 5

by Karuna Jainpalli |

Shearman acts on Mizuho Bank’s stake acquisition in Matthews International Capital, seven firms on AirMedia Group’s take-private transaction, and more in this week’s North Asia Deals table.

North Asia Deals: Week of Jan 25

by Karuna Jainpalli |

A&O, Picazo Buyco, PJS star in BTMU’s $783 mln stake acquisition in Security Bank Corp, Paul Hastings leads on China Orient and KKR’s distressed debt venture, and more in this week’s North Asia Deals table.