Global law firm Freshfields has advised China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) on its offer to acquire all issued shares in Hong Kong-based broadband company HKBN for approximately HK$7.8 billion ($1 billion).
The deal represents a significant move in Hong Kong's telecommunications sector, potentially combining CMHK's mobile network capabilities with HKBN's fixed-line broadband services.
CMHK is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of China Mobile Limited, the world's largest mobile network operator by number of subscribers. According to Reuters, the HKBN acquisition will help China Mobile expand its limited footprint outside its domestic market.
The Freshfields team advising CMHK was led by partners Alan Wang and Sarah Su, with support from counsel Chris Fu, senior associates Clara Chang and Kelly Huang, and associates Carmen Leung, Clement Cheung and Liam Li.
Additional expertise was provided by partners Alistair Mordaunt, Ninette Dodoo, Daniel French, and Richard Bird, along with counsel Laurent Bougard, Celia Zhou, and Stephanie Chiu, and associates Chi Chung Chan, Ziqi Zhou, Nathalie Leung, Shirley Lam, and Harshavardhan Ganesan.
