Alvin So

Alvin’s major experience includes advising:

Mergers and Acquisitions

• OSL Group Limited, a fintech company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“HKEX”), on its acquisition of a majority interest in Koinsayang, an Indonesian digital assets exchange.
• CTF Services Limited (formerly known as NWS Holdings Limited), a HKEX-listed industrial conglomerate, on its strategic acquisition of a portfolio of six premium logistics properties in Chengdu and Wuhan, PRC, from Goodman China Logistics Partnership, an industrial and warehousing property fund managed by Goodman Group, for RMB2.29 billion (US$340 million). He also advised on the formation of a joint venture company between CTFS and Goodman to manage and operate the acquired portfolio and future assets. The transaction was shortlisted as “Cross-border M&A Deal of the Year” by Law.com International’s Asia Legal Awards 2023 and “M&A Deal of the Year” by Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2023.
• Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of the HKEX and one of the largest jewellers in the world, on:
• its acquisition of the entire equity interest in ENZO Jewelry Inc., a natural coloured gem jewellery specialist in Mainland China;
• its investment in a diamond-related technology business involving the acquisition of partial interest in a target company at a consideration of HK$40 million and the capitalisation of outstanding shareholders’ loan in the amount of HK$740 million owed by the target company to the seller into preference shares.
• Hutchison Port Holdings Limited, a leading global port operator and subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited:
  • on the acquisition of 50% interest in each of Hongkong United Dockyards Limited (“HUD”) and The Hongkong Salvage & Towage Company Limited (“HKST”) from Swire Pacific Limited. Prior to the acquisitions, both HUD and HKST were joint ventures between CK Hutchison Holdings Limited and Swire Pacific Limited, and their principal businesses focus on marine engineering, harbour salvage and towage and related services, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering services;
  • on its disposal of a partial interest in a container port project in the Middle East to its joint venture partner;
  • on its disposal of a partial interest in a container port project near the Mediterranean Sea.
• CITIC Resources Holdings Limited (“CRH”),  a HKEX-listed company in the natural resources and energy sector under the CITIC Group in relation to:
• CRH’s participation in the scheme of arrangement for Alumina Limited (listed on ASX)(“AWC”), pursuant to which Alcoa Corporation (listed on NYSE) acquired 100% of the ordinary shares on issue in AWC by way of a scheme of arrangement, for a scheme consideration payable to CRH of approximately US$84,840,000;
• acquisition by CITIC Canada Petroleum Limited (a subsidiary of CRH) of participating interests in the ancillary businesses of the Karazhanbas oilfield in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• GMM Grammy Public Company Limited (“GMM Grammy”), one of the largest entertainment and media conglomerates in Thailand and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, on the Hong Kong law aspects of its acquisition of interest in JOOX Thailand (Hong Kong) Limited (“JOOX Thailand”) from Tencent Music Entertainment Group (“TME”).  The investment in JOOX Thailand was part of a wider strategic partnership between GMM Grammy and TME, whereby TME acquired a minority stake in a subsidiary of GMM Grammy, at a valuation of US$700 million, with part of the consideration being settled by way of the transfer of the minority stake in JOOX Thailand from TME (via its subsidiary) to GMM Grammy. Dual-listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the HKEX, TME is the leading online music and audio entertainment platform in China, and is the music streaming unit of tech giant, Tencent.
• Founder shareholders on the sale of the controlling stake in SWCS Corporate Services Group, a leading professional corporate services provider to listed companies in Hong Kong and in China, to the corporate services arm of China Resources (Holdings) Company Limited (“China Resources”), and on the formation of a joint venture between the vendors and China Resources to operate and develop the target group.
• Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd., one of the largest state-owned power generation companies listed in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London, on its major acquisition of thermal power companies from its controlling shareholder at the consideration of approximately RMB18.1 billion.
• Zhaojin Mining Industry Company Limited, a state-owned enterprise listed on the Main Board of HKEX, on its acquisition of equity interests in target companies and assets at the consideration of approximately RMB402 million involving the non-public issuance of consideration shares.
• Sirtex Medical Limited, an Australian-listed medical devices company, on its US$1.5 billion takeover by CDH Investments Limited (a China-focused alternative asset fund manager) and China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings Limited (a HKEX-listed pharmaceutical company). The takeover was awarded one of the “Deals of the Year 2018” by China Business Law Journal in recognition of its complicated, cross-practice and multi-jurisdictional public M&A nature.

Initial Public Offerings

• EuroEyes International Eye Clinic Limited, a Germany headquartered vision correction service provider, in its HK$684.3 million listing on HKEX, which was sponsored by BOCI Asia Limited. EuroEyes is the first German healthcare company to list in Hong Kong and is a market leader in the vision correction industry, particularly in lens exchange surgery and refractive laser surgery.

Pre-IPO Investments

• a US biotech company, on its HK$100 million pre-IPO investment by one of China’s leading private equity funds.
• a global immunotherapy and vaccine developer, on its US$5 million cornerstone investment in Duality Biotherapeutics, Inc., a biotech company which raised a total of HK$1.65 billion (or US$210 million) in its IPO in Hong Kong.
• Zhaojin Mining Industry Company Limited, a state-owned enterprise listed on the Main Board of HKEX, in connection with its US$50 million cornerstone investment in Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd., which raised a total of HK$3.89 billion (or US$496 million) in its IPO in Hong Kong. 

Takeovers Code

• Cedarwood Ventures Limited (as offeror) on its mandatory unconditional cash offer to acquire all the outstanding shares in Capital Estate Limited, a HKEX-listed real estate company, with the maximum value of the offer at around HK$39 million.
• TEM Holdings Limited (as offeree company) on its privatisation by way of a scheme of arrangement pursuant to an offer by Jumbo Planet Group Limited at the consideration of HK$12.82 million.
• DBS Asia Capital Limited as financial advisor to the offeror, China Jinmao Holdings Group Limited, on the HK$3.2 billion privatisation of Jinmao Hotel and Jinmao (China) Hotel Investments and Management Limited, which is the first-ever privatisation of a business trust listed on HKEX.
• DBS Asia Capital Limited as financial advisor to Skyworth Group Limited on its conditional cash offer to buy-back up to 392 million shares at the total consideration of approximately HK$1.84 billion involving a whitewash waiver.
• Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd. in connection with its non-public issuance of A-Share and H-Shares under specific mandates for an aggregate consideration of RMB13 billion involving a whitewash waiver.

Secondary Offerings

• Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd., a state-owned enterprise listed on the Main Board of the HKEX, in connection with its non-public issuance of domestic shares to its parent company by way of capitalisation of capital reserve in the amount of not more than RMB1.49 billion.
• TOM Group Limited, a Hong Kong listed technology and media company (and subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited), in connection with its simultaneous issuance of shares to WE Solutions Limited for an aggregate consideration of approximately HK$125 million and subscription of shares in WE Solutions Limited for an aggregate consideration of approximately HK$125 million.

Compliance and Regulatory Issues

• Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited, Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd., Yixin Group Limited, CITIC Resources Holdings Limited, CTF Services Limited (formerly known as NWS Holdings Limited), EuroEyes International Eye Clinic Limited, CGN New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. and Zhaojin Mining Industry Co., Ltd., which are listed on the Main Board of the HKEX, on their ongoing regulatory compliance obligations under the Hong Kong Listing Rules and the Takeovers Code.
• Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd., which has a triple listing in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London, on its ongoing regulatory compliance obligations under the Hong Kong Listing Rules and the Takeovers Code.

Corporate Restructuring

• a HKEX-listed leading commercial bank in the PRC on its restructuring exercise in Hong Kong involving horizontal amalgamation and vertical amalgamation under the Companies Ordinance.
• Nokia Technologies (HK) Limited and Nokia Solutions and Networks H.K. Limited in connection with their horizontal amalgamation under the Companies Ordinance as part of the global corporate restructuring of Nokia Corporation.
• an international film distribution group on its capital reduction involving one of the few unlimited companies with share capital in Hong Kong. 

Alvin is dual-qualified, and is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and England and Wales.

He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration (Law), Bachelor of Laws, and Postgraduate Certificate in Laws from The University of Hong Kong