Henry Ong

Henry’s inclusion in The Legal 500 M&A Private Practice Powerlist for Asia-Pacific in 2024 is a testament to clients’ commendation that he “stands out for his strategic thinking combined with sound legal analysis”. Henry regularly advises corporate clients, strategic investors, financial sponsors and boards of Hong Kong-listed companies on public and private M&A, buyouts, control acquisitions, minority investments, co-investments, strategic alliances and joint ventures, as well as corporate governance matters.

With over 25 years of experience, Henry is consistently recognized as a leader in his field by legal directories including Chambers and Partners Greater China Region, IFLR1000 Asia-Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific.  “Respected by market sources for his M&A capabilities” and “frequently sought by both Hong Kong-based corporate and multinational investors and financial institutions”, Henry is described by clients as “detail-driven, but with a strategic mind to solve the big issues we come across in our investments”.

Selected transactions on which Henry has advised include:

• MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) in the $625 million capitalization, share capital structuring, and shareholders’ and management arrangements, in connection with MGM Grand Paradise, a subsidiary of MGM China Holdings Ltd. (HKSE: 2282)
• MBK Partners in various matters including (1) its acquisition of a 20.86% stake in CAR Inc. (HKSE: 0699), China’s largest car rental service provider and (2) the $2.2 billion (including debt) take-private of CAR Inc. by way of voluntary general offer. This was the second-largest privatization in China during 2020
• Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (NASDAQ: GGPI), a SPAC sponsored by affiliates of The Gores Group and Guggenheim Capital, in its $20 billion business combination with Polestar Performance AB, a Sweden-based pure play manufacturer of premium performance electric vehicles, which is currently owned by Sweden-based Volvo Car AB and Zhejiang Geely Holding
• Eli Lily and Company in connection with certain bio-pharma strategic partnerships in Asia
• General Atlantic in the participation in a $14 billion fundraising for Ant Financial Services Group, the operator of China’s biggest online payment and financial services platform. This transaction was, at the time, the largest-ever single fundraising round by a private company
• Vistra Group, a portfolio company of Baring Private Equity Asia (now known as EQT Private Capital Asia), in the acquisition of Radius Group (NASDAQ: RDUS), a provider of international corporate expansion and administrative services, from HG Pooled Management Ltd.
• Huanxi Media Group Ltd. (HKSE: 1003), a Hong Kong leading film maker and investor, in various matters including (1) its receipt of an investment from, and certain business cooperation agreements with, Bilibili Inc. (HKSE:9626), a leading online entertainment company in China, (2) its strategic alliance with Bytedance, a China-based operator of a range of digital media platforms, including TikTok and (3) its strategic alliance with, and issuance of new equity to, Maoyan Entertainment (HKSE: 1896)
• Anchor Equity Partners as lead investor in the investment in Cue Holdings, an integrated digital marketing consultancy in China backed by KKR
• An investor group, led by Providence Equity Partners and others, in the landmark acquisition of Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd., including its controlling stake in TVB, the leading free-to-air broadcaster in Hong Kong 
• A sovereign wealth fund in multiple matters, including (1) the sale of its interests in Dufry AG (SWX: DUFN), a Swiss operator of duty-free shops worldwide, to HNA Group, (2) a number of its private investments in China including an online provider of education services and a restaurant chain, (3) its participation in, and funding of, certain Hong Kong take-private deals, (4) a number of its pre-Hong Kong IPO and cornerstone investments, (5) certain sell-down and exit programs following IPO and (6) certain PIPE and similar deals
• The asset management division of a blue chip Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate in multiple investments in the United Kingdom and including (1) the acquisition of 50% of a Core+ infrastructure fund manager and (2) the establishment of an asset management joint venture to sponsor or manage private equity, private credit and SPACs
• EQT Capital Partners in the acquisition of ELEVATE Global, a provider of consulting, training and assessment services with respect to supply chain social and environmental business performance
• SUEZ Environment in multiple matters, including (1) the multi-billion strategic alliance in connection with the waste water and waste-to-energy sectors in Chongqing, including the acquisition of a 25% stake in Chongqing Derun and a 51% stake in Chongqing Water Group (SHA: 601158) and (2) the sale of a 38% stake in Companhia de Electricidade de Macau - CEM, S.A., Macau’s power provider, for $612 million to Nam Kwong Development, a China state-owned enterprise
• The founder of ChinaVision Media Group (now known as Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd. (HKSE: 1060)), together with two of China’s top film producers and directors, in the acquisition of a controlling stake in a Hong Kong-listed company to form Huanxi Media Group
• Lenovo Group (HKSE: 0992) in a number of transactions including its approximately $2.9 billion acquisition of the Motorola Mobility smartphone business from Google
• Iron Mountain Incorporated in the $380 million sale of its online backup & recovery, digital archiving and eDiscovery solutions to Autonomy Corporation plc, a leader in the development of meaning based computing
• Yahoo! in the $4.5 billion sale of its operating business to Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)
• PCCW Limited (HKSE:0008) in various transactions, including its 50/50 international connectivity joint venture with Telstra Corporation (ASX: TLS), which involved the division of the majority of Reach’s assets and operations between PCCW and Telstra
• China Media Capital in the agreement with News Corporation to acquire a controlling stake in STAR TV China, owner of three Chinese television channels and the Fortune Star Chinese movie library
• Ardian in the restructuring of convertible bonds in Sage International Group (HKSE: 8082), the spin-off of certain business lines and the acquisition of exchangeable notes