Yang Zhao

Since joining Kirkland in 2017, Yang’s experience has included advising:

• Bain Capital in connection with its acquisition of Xiamen Qinhuai Technology Company Limited (ChinData), a leading operator of hyperscale data centers in China, from Wangsu Science & Technology Co. Ltd., as well as in connection with the combination of ChinData with Bain Capital’s existing Bridge Data Centres platform
• Eddingpharm, a Chinese specialty pharmaceutical company, on its debt financing to purchase two legacy antibiotic brands (Ceclor® and Vancocin®), and a manufacturing facility from Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)
• Advent International on the leveraged financing for the business combination of King Koil China and Serta China
• Blackstone Capital Partners on the leveraged financing for its buy-out of Shya Hsin
• Blackstone Capital Partners and Blackstone Real Estate Partners on the leveraged financing for their US P2P acquisition of Global Sources Inc, including opco/propco facilities
• A consortium comprising Hillhouse Capital Management, HOPU Investment Management, Global Logistic Properties Limited (GLP) founder Ming Mei’s SMG, Bank of China Group Investment and China Vanke Co. or their affiliated entities in its US$11.6 billion acquisition of GLP (SGX: MC0). GLP is Asia’s leading warehouse operator with a multibillion-dollar portfolio of assets spread across China, Japan, Brazil and the United States. The transaction is the largest private equity-backed takeover in Asia (ex-Japan) to date. This transaction was named Deal of the Year and Best Leveraged Finance Deal by FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2017 and M&A Deal of the Year: Southeast Asia by The Asia Legal Awards 2018
• Summer Capital on the financing of its acquisition of Swiss Education Group

Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis, Yang has advised on the following:

• The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mizuho Bank Ltd. in connection with the debt financing provided to the LIXIL Corporation for the purpose of acquiring the Grohe Group in Europe and relevant group subsidiaries and assets in mainland China
• Hg Capital in connection with financing of various acquisitions in UK and Europe
• Unimilk, one of Russia’s largest dairy companies, on the refinancing of more than US$1bn bonds and loans, whose proceeds were applied to fund a joint venture with a leading global food group
• DX Group, a leading logistics operator in the UK and Ireland, on its financial reorganisation and refinancing arrangements, which was a pre-requisite to the successful pricing of the Group’s IPO and admission to the AIM market of the LSE
• a leading global auction house base in London in connection with multiple facilities underwritten by a number of investment banks in London
• World Duty Free Group, one of the world's leading travel retailers, on its €1.25 billion credit facilities, whose proceeds were provided to its group members in Spain and England
• a number of leading banks in relation to the debt financing stream of the acquisition by a private equity house of a leading classic car dealer in UK
• Trafigura in connection with its US$2bn refined metals borrowing base facility, named as “Best Commodity Working Capital Deal of the Year” by Trade & Export finance 2015
• Puma Energy in connection with a number of bilateral and syndicated facilities totalling to US$2bn
• Cerberus on the purchase of up to GBP1bn non-performing secured debts from Nationwide Building Society
• Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch in connection with debt financing provided to Virtus IMH Limited for the purpose of acquiring a company operating various data centres in UK
• Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch as arranger in connection with export credit facility and tied commercial facilities provided to the Government of Ghana
• HSBC Bank plc (as legal secondee at Transaction Management Group within HSBC) in relation to various credit agency supported facilities supplied to corporate borrowers from Far East, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa and South America
• Credit Agricole in connection with the financing of export contracts supported by Sinosure
• EBRD as lender in connection with a number of senior secured facilities advanced to Astarta, a leading sugar producer in Ukraine

White & Case, Associate, London, 2014–2017

White & Case, Trainee, London, 2012–2014

Institution Quraysh (in affiliation with Covingtion & Burling), Senior Legal Analyst, London, 2009–2011

In addition to his private practice, Yang is also actively engaged with a broad range of pro bono projects. Since 2015, he assisted senior English judges building further links between the judiciary in the PRC and that in England and Wales, both at the Supreme Court level, and at lower levels of the judiciaries.

Most recently, Yang is appointed as rapporteur to the first expert working group on commercial dispute resolution between the UK and Chinese judiciaries. This working group was established in 2016 pursuant to the Letter of Exchange for Judicial Exchange and Co-operation between the Supreme Court of China and the Supreme Court of the UK and the Judiciaries of England and Wales and Northern Ireland.