Biography: Capital Markets

A Davis Polk partner resident in Hong Kong, Mr Barron has over 25 years of experience advising corporations, investment banks and financial investors in connection with capital markets, leveraged finance, M&A and other corporate finance transactions. He has worked in New York, London, Tokyo and, for the last 17 years, Hong Kong, and on transactions in every major country in Asia.

Mr Barron has worked on many of the landmark securities offerings in the region, including the Nasdaq IPO of Baidu.com and the privatisations of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Unicom, China Construction Bank and Sinopec. He has substantial experience in high-yield debt and leveraged finance, having worked on numerous transactions in the PRC, Southeast Asia (including Indonesia) and elsewhere in Asia. Mr Barron has also worked on over 25 offerings of equity, hybrid Tier 1 or Tier 2 securities by banks in most major countries in Asia. He has worked on a number of significant mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity transactions in Asia. These have included, among others, representation of: China Investment Corporation (CIC) in connection with its US$1.9 billion investment in Bumi Resources; PCCW in connection with its proposed privatisation; a consortium of hedge funds in connection with an investment in Galaxy Entertainment; a consortium of hedge funds in connection with the buyout of PT Apexindo by Mitra Group; Goldman Sachs in connection with its investment and sale of its stake in Ping An Insurance; CNOOC in connection with its proposed acquisition of Unocal; PCCW in connection with its acquisition of SUNDAY Communications; Merrill Lynch in connection with the going-private transaction for Asia Aluminum; and CS in connection with its Asian private equity partnership.

Mr Barron is listed as a leading lawyer in numerous legal industry publications, including: FinanceAsia: named as one of the '50 Most Influential People in Asia's Financial Markets' and recognised as being 'widely regarded as the region's leading legal adviser on international capital markets transactions, by both clients and peers'; Chambers Asia: Asia's Leading Lawyers for Business – listed in the first band in Hong Kong and China for each of corporate finance/M&A, equity, debt and high-yield debt and first band in China for corporate finance/M&A: Hong Kong-based expert; Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business; IFLR1000 Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms; Law Business Research's The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and The International Who's Who of Corporate Governance Lawyers; Legal Media Group's Expert Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers, Expert Guide to the World's Leading M&A Lawyers and Expert Guide to the World's Leading Capital Markets Lawyers; Practical Law Company's Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook; and Legalease's The Asia Pacific Legal 500.

Mr Barron received his AB (with distinction) from Dartmouth College in 1979 and his JD from Columbia Law School in 1984. He was made partner in 1995 and is admitted to practice in Hong Kong and the State of New York.

Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

A Davis Polk partner resident in Hong Kong, Mr Barron has over 25 years of experience advising corporations, investment banks and financial investors in connection with capital markets, leveraged finance, M&A and other corporate finance transactions. He has worked in New York, London, Tokyo, and for the last 17 years, Hong Kong, and on transactions in every major country in Asia.

Mr Barron has worked on many of the landmark securities offerings in the region, including the Nasdaq IPO of Baidu.com and the privatisations of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Unicom, China Construction Bank and Sinopec.

He has substantial experience in high-yield debt and leveraged finance, having worked on numerous transactions in the PRC, Southeast Asia (including Indonesia) and elsewhere in Asia. Mr Barron has also worked on over 25 offerings of equity, hybrid Tier 1 or Tier 2 securities by banks in most major countries in Asia.

He has worked on a number of significant mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity transactions in Asia. These have included, among others, representation of: China Investment Corporation (CIC) in connection with its US$1.9 billion investment in Bumi Resources; PCCW in connection with its proposed privatisation; a consortium of hedge funds in connection with an investment in Galaxy Entertainment; a consortium of hedge funds in connection with the buyout of PT Apexindo by Mitra Group; Goldman Sachs in connection with its investment and sale of its stake in Ping An Insurance; CNOOC in connection with its proposed acquisition of Unocal; PCCW in connection with its acquisition of SUNDAY Communications; Merrill Lynch in connection with the going-private transaction for Asia Aluminum; and CS in connection with its Asian private equity partnership.

Mr Barron is listed as a leading lawyer in numerous legal industry publications, including: FinanceAsia who named as one of the '50 Most Influential People in Asia's Financial Markets'; Chambers Asia: Asia's Leading Lawyers for Business; Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business; IFLR1000; Legal Media Group's Expert Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers, Expert Guide to the World's Leading M&A Lawyers and Expert Guide to the World's Leading Capital Markets Lawyers; Practical Law Company's Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook; and Legalease's The Asia Pacific Legal 500.

Mr Barron joined Davis Polk in 1984 and became partner in 1995. He earned his BA from Dartmouth College and his JD, with distinction, from Columbia Law School.

Other Practice Areas

William F Barron also features in the following practice areas:

• Corporate Governance