William Kirschner heads the Asia Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practice at White & Case.

Mr. Kirschner represents investment and commercial banks, private equity, alternative investment and sovereign funds, strategic corporate clients and governmental entities on a variety of cross-border transactional and related corporate matters in Asia. He specializes in cross-border mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions with a focus on India and Indonesia.

Representative clients which Mr. Kirschner has advised with respect to such transactions include AIG, Apollo, Bakrie & Brothers, Bear Stearns, Blackstone, Champ Private Equity, China Resources Enterprise, Citigroup, CLSA Capital Partners, Deutsche Bank, Highfields Capital, Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, Nestlé, Nomura, Pertamina, PineBridge, PTT, Rajawali Group, RPG Enterprises, Sampoerna, Standard Chartered, TA Associates and Temasek.

Transactions Mr. Kirschner has led recently include:

• Nestlé SA on the proposed S$2.1 billion acquisition of a 60% interest in Hsu Fu Chi, a Chinese candy maker with its main operations in the People Republic of China and listed in Singapore, and a related joint venture with the founding family.
• CLSA Clean Resources Asia Growth Management Limited in its subscription to Series 1 Convertible and Exchangeable Bonds issued by PT Sari Wangi AEA, the largest exporter and manufacturer of tea and herbal products in Indonesia.
• Lehman Brothers in the sale of all of its compulsorily convertible INR denominated debentures and equity shares in Prajay Holdings Private Limited, an Indian real estate company based in Hyderabad, to the State General Reserve Fund of Oman.
• PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantations Tbk., a leading crude palm oil producer in Indonesia, in its US$238 million acquisition of the oleochemical companies and certain plantations companies of the Domba Mas Group.
• Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG in its subscription to US$200 million of equity shares issued by PT Bumi Resources Tbk, Indonesia's largest coal mining company, as part of a US$360 million non-preemptive private placement.
• Lehman Brothers in the sale of its equity interest in ECL Finance Limited and the fully convertible debentures it held in Edelweiss Capital Limited, a leading investment bank in India, for an aggregate consideration of US$67.5 million.
• KEC International Limited, one of India's largest makers of electricity transmission towers, in its acquisition of 100 percent of the outstanding membership interests of SAE Towers Holdings, LLC from an entity affiliated with ACON Investments for a total consideration of US$95 million.
• Lehman Brothers in its exit from Shivaji Marg Properties Limited and DLF Southern Homes Private Limited, two Indian real estate companies that are affiliates of DLF Limited, India's largest real estate company.
• Rajawali Group in the international law aspects of the sale of a 23.7 percent stake in PT Semen Gresik, Indonesia's largest cement maker, for approximately US$1.08 billion. The transaction was structured as a block trade over the Indonesia Stock Exchange to a number of institutional investors and is the largest block trade ever closed in Indonesia.
• Temasek Holdings (Private) Ltd. in a Series B investment in SecondMarket Holdings, Inc. through the subscription to preferred stock and a secondary acquisition of common stock from an existing shareholder. SecondMarket Holdings, Inc. owns a registered broker dealer in the U.S. with an online platform for trading illiquid assets, including CDS and private equity positions.
• Lehman Brothers in the partial exit of its position in KSK Energy Ventures Ltd., a leading energy generation company in India, achieved in part through a block sale on the BSE, in part through a secondary sale to a third party investor and in part through a sale to the Promoters of KSK Energy Ventures Limited, for a total consideration of approximately US$175 million.
• Rajawali Group in the sale of its 56.22 percent controlling stake in PT. Bentoel Internasional Investama Tbk., Indonesia's fourth largest cigarette maker, to British American Tobacco p.l.c., for an aggregate cash consideration of approximately US$326 million.
• Deutsche Bank, as arranger, in a financing into India of up to US$109.7 million for Ackruti City Limited for slum redevelopment. The deal was nominated for "Infrastructure/Real Estate Deal of the Year" by IFLR/Asialaw India Awards 2010.
• Coveright Surfaces Group, the leading international supplier of decorative surfaces and coverings, on the sale of 100 percent of the shares of its Malaysian subsidiary, Coveright Surfaces Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., to Analabs Resources Berhad.
• PT Bakrie and Brothers TbK, Green Pipe International Limited and PT Cakrawala Baru in the US$72.5 million sale of 77.45 percent of the issued share capital of PT Seamless Pipe Indonesia Jaya to Tenaris Global Services Far East Pte. Ltd.
• Lehman Brothers in the sale of three business units in India to Nomura Holdings, Inc. for US$70 million. This transaction was named "Restructuring Deal of the Year" by International Financial Law Review 2009 and "Insolvency and Restructuring Deal of the Year" by BMW Asia SE Asia Law Awards 2009.
• TA Associates, Inc. in a US$125 million pre-IPO investment in Idea Cellular Ltd., a leading mobile telephone operator in India.
• AIG in a proposed investment in a solid waste disposal business in India.
• PineBridge in a proposed investment in a water treatment business in India.
• A leading global private equity fund in a proposed US$1 billion take private of a leading Thai listed telecommunications company.

Before commencing practice, Mr. Kirschner clerked for the Honorable Norman H. Stahl of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, served as Note Editor on the Columbia Law Review and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia Law School.

Bars and Courts
Massachusetts State Bar
District of Columbia Bar

Education
JD, Columbia Law School, 1996
MA, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, 1992
BA, Swarthmore College, 1989

Speaking Engagements
"Southeast Asia: The Path Forward," Hong Kong Corporate Counsel Association, July 7, 2011, Hong Kong
"The Next Frontier – Hot Sectors in Asian M&A," Mergermarket / Merrill DataSite expert panel webcast discussion, May 31, 2011, Hong Kong
"International Mergers and Acquisitions Workshop," Pacific Business Press In-House Congress, May 25, 2010, Jakarta
"South East Asia – The Next Growth Region", Mergermarket Cross-Border M&A Roundtable, March 16, 2010, Singapore
"Investing in India and China: How to Structure Successful Deals for Japanese Cleantech Companies," Clean Green Forum, November 17, 2009, Tokyo
"Investing in India," Pacific Business Press In-House Congress, October 22, 2009, Singapore
"Private Equity in India," Pacific Business Press In-House Congress Mumbai 2009, June 9, 2009, Mumbai
"An Overview of Investments into India, India Specific Trade Issues and the Japanese Tax Aspect," Co-sponsored with Japan Machinery Centre for Trade and Export, April 16, 2009, Tokyo
"Key Issues and Trends In Investing In India: An Overview for Strategic and Private Equity Investors," BRIC: Legal Perspectives, December 4, 2008, New York
"Infrastructure and Energy Investment in India," TiE Tri-State Panel Discussion, September 16, 2008, New York
"Current Trends and Legal Structures Pertaining to Private Equity Investments in Leading Sectors," Emerging Markets Breakfast Seminar, June 11, 2008, London
"Private Equity Investing in India," USIBC-Columbia Business School India Conference at Columbia University, April 19, 2008, New York
"How Do Private Equity Investors and Venture Capital Investors Approach India," Atlas Legal's India Conference, April 14, 2008, New York

Languages
English

Citizenship
United States