Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP’s Capital Markets and Corporate Finance groups’ work has been recognized for three separate transactions by Vietnam M&A Forum 2017 at the Gala Dinner, held at Ho Chi Minh City’s Gem Center on August 8. Twenty-six winners were chosen from a pool of nearly 100 prominent transactions nominated by an independent panel of judges for their accomplishments in the Vietnamese market.
The firm acted as counsel in the following key transactions in 2016-2017:
- The IPO of the Year: VietJet Air
Milbank advised placement agents BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Viet Capital in the IPO by Vietnam’s leading budget airline, VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company. The offering of almost $200 million represented the largest IPO in Vietnam’s history and the country’s first internationally marketed IPO. VietJet is now listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE). - Investment and Private Equity Deal of the Year: KKR and Masan
Milbank advised the private food sector conglomerate Masan Group and its meat products division, Masan Nutri-Science, in a $250 million investment by leading private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). - Real Estate Transaction of the Year: EXS Capital and ACA Investment and SonKim Land
Milbank represented leading Vietnam real estate company SonKim Land as sole international counsel on its complex and innovative convertible debt and equity linked financing, and related corporate restructuring. A consortium of international strategic and financial investors led by Hong Kong private equity firm EXS Capital and Japanese fund manager ACA Investments closed the first round earlier this year for US$46 million. It is expected that SonKim Land will raise an additional US$60-100 million in a second round later this year.
Singapore-based Corporate partner Jacqueline Chan said: “We are honored by this recognition of Milbank’s continued strength in handling some of the most complex transactions in Vietnam and throughout Asia. We are truly delighted to have been involved in some of the most significant and groundbreaking transactions in Vietnam over the past year.”
Capital Markets partner James Grandolfo added: “We have placed an emphasis on Vietnam across our practice areas as we expect the growing and dynamic Vietnamese economy to present many interesting opportunities for our clients. These awards reaffirm the breadth of Milbank’s global transactional expertise in private equity, real estate matters and initial public offerings.”
Hong Kong-based Capital Markets partner David Kuo also stated: “As the Vietnamese market continues to expand, we look forward to providing innovative, unparalleled service to our clients and building upon our proven record of success in Asia.”
