Clifford Chance and Linklaters have scored key advisory roles on China’s state-backed trader COFCO’s purchase of the remaining 49 percent stake in commodities trader Noble Agri for $ 750 million.

Singapore-listed commodities trader Noble Group sold 51 percent of its agriculture unit Noble Agri to COFCO in 2014 for a much larger sum of $1.5 billion. Upon selling the remaining 49 percent, Noble Group hands COFCO the whole ownership of Noble Agri and exits the agricultural market as Asia’s biggest commodities merchant seeks to slash debt.

A Clifford Chance team led by partner Terence Foo advised COFCO, along with Singapore partner Raymond Tong and consultants Christina Hui and Kathryn Sanger. The IP aspects of the matter were handled by partner Ling Ho in Hong Kong, with partner Richard Blewett providing antitrust guidance from Beijing.

Linklaters represented Noble Group on the deal.

The sale of Noble Agri is expected to give the Noble Group a cash infusion, and remove the related liabilities from the company’s books.