By King & Wood Mallesons
On November 2, 2015, General Electric Co. (GE) announced its acquisition of Alstom’s power and grid business. With a total transaction value of €9.7 billion (approximately US$10.6 billion), the transaction marks GE’s largest acquisition to date in the industrial sector. After obtaining approvals from regulators in over 20 jurisdictions including the U.S., China, India, Japan, Brazil and in several countries within Europe, GE successfully completed the transaction. The China-related acquisition is a crucial part of the deal, which will have a major impact on the electric power and electricity network industries within China.
GE is a leading technology, service and financing corporation, which is one of the largest diversified companies in the world. Alstom is a world leader in railway transport systems and electric power transmission infrastructure, and is known for its innovative and sustainable technology. The transaction marks a win-win for both parties and will have a significant impact on the global market for energy infrastructure.
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) acted as GE’s PRC counsel in the transaction, assisting GE with the acquisition of the relevant Chinese entities and providing legal advice in relation to other aspects of the transaction. The KWM team was led by partner Jianwen Huang.