Cori A. Lable

While at Kirkland, Cori's representative matters have included:

• Webull Corporation, a leading digital investment platform, on its business combination with SK Growth Opportunities Corporation (NASDAQ: SKGR), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company

• Bain Capital on its formation of a US$250 million manufacturing park joint venture for new economy infrastructure (“JV Platform”) with DJ New Ease Group. The JV Platform will focus on the development and operation of modern manufacturing parks in China’s core economic hubs

• An investor consortium on its acquisition and development of Subway’s China business, which operates the quick-service-restaurant business in mainland China under the master franchise granted by the SUBWAY® brand owner. It is the largest master franchise in Subway history and reportedly one of the largest across the global quick-service-restaurant industry. This transaction was named “Deals of the Year 2023” by China Business Law Journal

• AP Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: APCA), a special purpose acquisition company, on its business combination with JEPLAN, Inc., a global leader in chemically recycled PET technology. The transaction values the combined company at an estimated equity value of approximately US$480 million on a post-money basis. This transaction was named “Best M&A Deal - North Asia” by FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2023

• Bain Capital on its acquisition of Porus Labs, a leading manufacturer of agricultural and specialty chemicals based in India

• L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: LCAA), a special purpose acquisition company formed by affiliates of L Catterton, a leading global consumer-focused investment firm, on its business combination with Lotus Technology Inc., a leading global luxury electric vehicle maker that operates under the iconic British brand, Lotus. The combined business is listed under the ticker symbol “LOT”. The transaction values the combined business at a pro forma enterprise value of approximately US$5.4 billion

• Nexus Point Capital in its leveraged acquisition of Honour Lane Shipping Ltd. This transaction was named “Deal of the Year - Mid Cap” by AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards 2022

• Bain Capital on its leveraged buy-out of VXI Global Solutions, a leading provider of Business Process Outsourcing services to businesses around the world, from the Carlyle Group 

• Bain Capital on its approximate US$485 million acquisition of a 24.98% stake in IIFL Wealth Management (NSE: IIFLWAM), a company listed on the National Stock Exchange of India, from General Atlantic and Fairfax Financial. IIFL Wealth Management is one of the largest and fastest growing wealth and asset management firms in India 

• LimeTree Capital, a fiduciary private equity investment manager with a focus on under-researched real estate asset classes across Asia, on a platform consolidation of the commercial car park assets held by its two China-focused private investment funds 

• The Blackstone Group on its acquisition of all of the issued share capital of Interplex Holdings Pte. Ltd., which was indirectly owned by funds managed by Baring Private Equity Asia, in a transaction valued at approximately US$1.6 billion 

• TPG, a leading global alternative asset firm, and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a globally diversified investment institution that prudently invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi, on the acquisition of a minority stake in The CrownX 

• A consortium of investors, comprising Centurium Capital, PW Medtech Group Limited (HKSE: 1358), CITIC Capital, Hillhouse Capital, Temasek and Marc Chan, in the take-private of China Biologic Products Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBPO), a leading fully integrated plasma-based biopharmaceutical company in China, at a valuation of approximately US$4.6 billion. This transaction was named “Pharmaceuticals, Medical and Biotech M&A Deal of the Year” by Mergermarket China’s 2021 M&A Awards, “Deals of the Year” for 2021 by China Business Law Journal, “M&A Deal of the Year” for 2021 by China Law & Practice and “Private Equity Deal of the Year” by IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards 2022

• FountainVest on its acquisition of Ziwi, a New Zealand-based ultra-premium pet food manufacturer and global exporter 

• Poema Global Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: PPGH), a special purpose acquisition company affiliated with Princeville Capital, on its business combination with Gogoro Inc., a global technology leader in battery swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities

• Artisan Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: ARTAU), a special purpose acquisition company founded by renowned Hong Kong cultural entrepreneur Adrian Cheng, on its business combination with Prenetics Group Limited, a global leader in genomic and diagnostic testing. This transaction was named “Deals of the Year 2022” by China Business Law Journal 

• Magnum Opus Acquisition Limited (NYSE: OPA), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, on its proposed business combination with Forbes Global Media Holdings Inc., the iconic business information brand 

• Azentio Software, a Singapore-headquartered software products business owned by funds advised by Apax, on its binding agreement to acquire certain software assets from Path Solutions, a provider of core banking software

• Azentio Software, a Singapore-headquartered software products business owned by funds advised by Apax, on its binding agreement to acquire Beyontec, a leading insurance technology company 

• Lead counsel to global energy services platform in investigation of accounting fraud allegations relating to operations in UAE, UK, India and Singapore

• Lead counsel to medical device company in investigation of potential distributor misconduct in Thailand

• Lead counsel to global industrial manufacturer in investigation of allegations of corruption in China subsidiary

• Lead counsel to global technology distributor in DOJ/SEC investigation of potential corruption issues in Thailand

• Lead counsel to Indian real estate asset management company in investigation of potential procurement fraud issues 

• Advised Carlyle on its acquisition of Jagex, a leading developer and publisher of video games. Jagex is one of the largest and most successful British video game studios, developing and publishing video games on PC and mobile, and is best known for its online role-playing living game franchise, RuneScape, which has attracted almost 300 million player accounts since its launch 20 years ago 

• Advised an investor consortium comprised of Ocean Link Partners and Sequoia Capital China in the proposed privatization of Zhejiang New Century Hotel Management Co., Ltd. (HKSE: 1158) by way of a voluntary general offer

• Advised Apax Funds in their acquisition of the software products business of 3i Infotech Limited (NSE: 3IINFOTECH), an Indian IT solutions company listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited 

• Advised Sea Limited (NYSE: SE), a leading global consumer internet company, in the acquisition by its digital entertainment arm, Garena, of Phoenix Labs, an acclaimed independent games development company founded in Vancouver

• Advised Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), a leading global real estate services firm, on international risk compliance in the formation of a new asset services company with Vanke Service

• Advised Partners Group (SIX:PGHN) in the establishment of an investment platform in Singapore focusing on Indian real estate assets with the Xander Group acting as operator

• Lead anti-corruption counsel to one of Asia’s largest renewable energy independent power producers

• Lead counsel to multinational software company in antitrust investigation before Hong Kong Competition Commission

• Lead compliance counsel to global animal health company in Chinese joint venture for the development, manufacture and sale of a vaccine in the PRC

• Lead Asia anti-corruption and international risks counsel to prominent global alternative asset management firm

• Lead anti-corruption and trade sanctions due diligence counsel for global merchant bank’s India, China and Korea investments

• Lead counsel to global industrial manufacturer investigating anti-corruption and accounting fraud matters in India

• Lead counsel to global intermodal logistics company investigating potential anti-corruption matters in India, China, Korea, Indonesia and Japan

• Lead counsel to leading medical device company investigating potential procurement and bid-rigging issues in Korea

• Independent legal counsel to Indian Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code resolution professional regarding U.S. economic sanctions and securities laws

• Lead anti-corruption, economic sanctions and anti-money laundering training and compliance program implementation and monitoring for dozens of private equity portfolio companies across India, China and South Asia

Prior to joining Kirkland, Cori’s representative matters included:

• Advised Blackstone on its joint venture with China Vanke, China’s largest residential developer, in the first transaction to receive clearance from the PRC Ministry of Commerce under the simplified merger filing procedure. Named “Real Estate & Construction Deal of the Year” for 2015 by China Law and Practice

• Anti-corruption and international risks counsel to multiple global private equity firms regarding investments across Asia-Pacific, including China, India, Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar, Japan, Australia and New Zealand

• Lead counsel representing Chinese telecommunications executive in DOJ, Department of Commerce and Department of Treasury export controls investigation

• Lead counsel to special litigation committee of leading Chinese ecommerce retailer regarding allegations of improper revenue recognition and other accounting-related misconduct

• Lead counsel to Fortune 50 client in SEC investigation involving allegations in Malaysia

• Represented multiple multinational life sciences clients in anti-corruption investigations in China, India, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan

• Represented major medical device company regarding alleged FCPA violations across Asia-Pacific region

• Directed anti-corruption reviews of commercial sales, marketing, and distribution practices in UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran for leading global pharmaceutical company

• Defended prominent medical device company at trial against 13-count felony indictment, resulting in Department of Justice’s midtrial dismissal of all felony charges in exchange for single misdemeanor resolution

• Represented multiple international investment advisers in investigations and litigation relating to foreign currency exchange transactions and practices

Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP