A group of law firms, including Baker & McKenzie, White & Case, Dentons, Linklaters, Sullivan & Cromwell and Clifford Chance, have collaborated to facilitate the purchase of a Peruvian copper mine by a Chinese consortium from Glencore Xstrata.
The Las Bambas Copper Project in southern Peru, worth approximately $5.85 billion, is one of the largest mine acquisitions by the Chinese in recent years. The buyer group consists of three state-owned companies; China Minmetals through its Hong Kong-listed subsidiary MMG Ltd holds a 62.5 percent interest, while Guoxin International Investment Corp and CITIC Metal Co Ltd hold 22.5 percent and 15 percent shares, respectively.
The Baker & McKenzie team, led by Beijing partner Bee Chun Boo, advised CITIC Metal Co Ltd on regulatory issues, the documentation, and general transaction management.
White & Case Hong Kong partner John Tivey advised the consortium on the acquisition. He was supported by Hong Kong partners Julian Chung and Anthony Vasey, Beijing partner Xiaoming Li, São Paulo partner Fernando de la Hoz and London partner Rebecca Campbell.
A Dentons team led by Beijing partner Sarah Zeng advised on the acquisition and regulatory approvals in addition to certain aspects of the financing for the deal.
Linklaters London partners Charles Jacobs, David Avery-Gee and Christian Ahlborn and Hong Kong partner Robert Cleaver, meanwhile, advised Glencore Xstrata on the deal.
A Sullivan & Cromwell team led by Hong Kong partner William Chua and Sydney office head Waldo Jones advised Goldman Sachs, who was the financial advisor to MMG (Australia).
Clifford Chance has, reportedly, advised a group of lenders on the financing for the deal.
China is the world's biggest copper consumer, accounting for nearly 44 percent of the world's copper consumption.