6月15日，中国分类信息网上平台58同城宣布与买方财团正式签署私有化协议，买方团将以约87亿美元，对纽交所上市公司58同城进行私有化收购。
根据58同城的一份新闻稿，泛伟律师事务所代表公司特别委员会参与交易；世达国际律师事务所、汉坤律师事务所分别担任58同城美国及中国律师；康德明律师事务所则就开曼群岛法律为58同城提供法律意见。
与此同时，威尔逊律师事务所、宝维斯律师事务所、凯易国际律师事务所、威嘉律师事务所任买方团国际联席律师；方达律师事务所任买方团中国律师；迈普达律师事务所就开曼群岛法律为买方团提供法律意见；年利达律师事务所则担任融资银行律师。
据悉，本项目是迄今为止第二大中概股私有化交易，仅次于2016年互联网公司360的93亿美元私有化项目。此次买方团由华平投资、General Atlantic、鸥翎投资和58同城董事长兼CEO姚劲波组成，交易预计于今年下半年完成。
创立于2005年，58同城是中国最大的分类信息和生活服务网上平台，其于2013年在纽交所上市。这也是一周内，继易车后，第二家宣布进行私有化并从美国退市的中概股公司。
凯易团队牵头律师为合伙人Daniel Dusek 、林晓希、郑蓓旎、David Irvine；威嘉团队牵头律师为合伙人Tim Gardner、Chris Welty。
Numerous firms on the second largest go-private deal of CCS to date
Chinese online classifieds 58.com has agreed to be taken private by an investor group for $8.7 billion.
Fenwick & West has represented the Special Committee in the deal, while Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Han Kun Law Offices acting as the U.S. and PRC legal counsels, respectively. Conyers Dill & Pearman has advised 58.com under Cayman Islands laws.
Meanwhile, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Kirkland & Ellis and Weil, Gotshal & Manges are serving as international co-counsels to the buyer group, with Fangda Partners and Maples and Calder advising under PRC laws and Cayman Islands laws, respectively. Linklaters has advised the financing banks in the deal.
The take-private consortium includes Warburg Pincus, General Atlantic, Ocean Link Partners, 58.com Chief Executive Officer Yao Jinbo. This is by far the second largest go-private deal of a Chinese Concept Stock company, slightly short of internet giant 360’s $9 billion deal in 2016.
Founded in 2005, 58.com operates China's largest online classifieds marketplace through both its website and mobile applications. It was listed in New York in 2013. 58.com is the second Chinese Concept Stock withdrawing from the U.S. capital market in less than a week, after Bitauto’s $1.1 billion deal.
The Kirkland team was led by partners Daniel Dusek, Lin Xiaoxi, Jacqueline Zheng and David Irvine; meanwhile the Weil team was led by partners Tim Gardner and Chris Welty.
To contact the editorial team, please email ALBEditor@thomsonreuters.com.
