11月11日，总部位于河北的中国钢铁公司敬业集团宣布就收购英国钢铁公司达成临时协议。年利达律师事务所在收购中为敬业集团提供了法律意见，高伟绅律师事务所为英国钢铁公司的破产管理署及特别管理人提供法律意见，亚司特律师事务所则在交易中协助了英国商业、能源和产业战略部。
此次交易将涉及英国钢铁公司在英国、法国及荷兰的产业。据路透社报道，敬业集团承诺在未来十年内注资12亿英镑，将保留约5000名英国钢铁工人的工作，还将挽救下游产业链中约2万份工作。双方没有透露此次的交易额，BBC早前预估交易额约为7000万英镑，有消息人士称最终金额接近5000万英镑。
路透社补充说，这笔交易对英国即将于12月12日进行的大选有重要意义，近年来英国北部不断流失工作机会已经成为了关键性的大选议题。作为英国第二大钢铁公司，此次收购也能使敬业集团进入欧洲基建市场。
年利达团队此次牵头律师为合伙人Chris Staples、Crystal Chen、Hugo Stolkin和Matthew Harding。高伟绅团队牵头律师为伦敦合伙人Philip Hertz，David Lewis，Nick Rees和Iain White，以及巴黎合伙人Laurent Schoenstein及阿姆斯特丹合伙人Greg Crookes，并由北京代表处合伙人张宏和香港办事处合伙人陆睿察提供协助。亚司特团队牵头律师为合伙人Giles Boothman和Derwin Jenkinson。
Linklaters, CC, Ashurst act on Jingye’s acquisition of British Steel
Linklaters has advised Chinese steelmaker Jingye Group on its agreement to acquire certain assets of British Steel, with Clifford Chance advising the Official Receiver and Special Managers of the seller, and Ashurst advising the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in relation to various aspects of the sale.
The deal includes British Steel’s assets in the UK and its subsidiary businesses in France and The Netherlands. According to Reuters, Jingye will invest 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) over the next decade and save thousands of jobs. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but sources close to the talks said the price was likely closer to 50 million pounds.
The agreement is of major political significance as Britain prepares to elect a new government on Dec. 12, while giving Jingye access to Europe’s large infrastructure market, Reuters added.
The Linklaters team was led by partners Chris Staples, Crystal Chen, Hugo Stolkin and Matthew Harding. The Clifford Chance team was led by partners Philip Hertz, David Lewis, Nick Rees, and Iain White in London, with assistance from Paris partner Laurent Schoenstein, Amsterdam Partner Greg Crookes, Beijing partner Zhang Hong and Hong Kong partner Richard Blewett. And the Ashurst team was led by partners Giles Boothman and Derwin Jenkinson.
To contact the editorial team, please email ALBEditor@thomsonreuters.com.
