By King & Wood Mallesons
On 2 November 2016, advised by King & Wood Mallesons (“KWM”), GDS Holdings Limited (“GDS”, stock code: GDS) was successfully listed on Nasdaq. GDS’ initial public offering of 19.25 million American depositary shares (“ADS”) at US$10.00 per share raised US$192.5 million. Following 21Vianet Group and ChinaCache, this IPO marks another large-sized Chinese independent third-party operator of data centers listed in the US. If over-allotment option for purchases of additional ADS is exercised in full, GDS will raise a total of US$ 221.375 million.
GDS is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, with its facilities strategically located in China’s primary economic hubs. The company successfully offers services to over 400 clients, among which its major clients include large Internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications and IT service providers, and large domestic enterprises and multinational corporations.
aIn this project, KWM acted as the company’s PRC legal counsel. Based on our long-term experience in advising GDS on various matters in relation to its operation and development, and our good knowledge and understanding of the relevant laws and policies of data center industry in depth, , KWM provided professional legal advice and effective solutions to all aspects of GDS’ legal issues. The project was led by partners Jonathan Pan, Mu Peng and Chen Fu’an, and also received many support from Partner Gong Mulong.
Partner Jonathan Pan commented, “we have always been honored to assist GDS in its compliance matters, and to see its rapid growth in the Chinese market. Especially, we’re pleased to witness the successful Nasdaq listing of GDS, now a leading high-performance developers and operators of data centers in China. China is among the world’s largest market of data centers. Our leading capabilities and extensive experience in the industry, and our great ability in keeping abreast of regulatory changes in the industry, have enabled us to not only provide clients with insightful professional advice, but also offer in-depth analyses of industrial policies and regulations for our clients.”