北京市观韬律师事务所受金融街控股股份有限公司的委托，协助该公司在深圳证券交易所发行总价值为人民币56 亿元的公司债券。这也是深交所今年以来最大的债券项目。

观韬是金融街的长期法律顾问，曾经为金融街提供关于收购一家重庆公司的交易。观韬合伙人崔利国，刘榕和战永红是这项交易的领头合伙人。金杜律师事务所担任承销商的法律顾问。

As the long-term legal advisor on Financial Street Holdings deals, Guantao has successfully facilitated its client’s issue of RMB5bn of company bonds on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The deal is the biggest corporate bond issuance seen on the SSE this year. China International Capital and Guotai Junan Securities were the underwriters, while King & Wood acted as the underwriters’ counsel.

Financial Street Holdings is principally engaged in real estate development and issued RMB2.8bn of three-year and five-year corporate bonds. The proceeds will be used to repay commercial loans and replenish working capital.

Having previously advised on the company’s acquisition of Chongqing Yahua (an office equipment supplier) and earlier listings, Guantao’s founding partner and capital markets lawyer Cui Liguo (pictured) once again led the team on this transaction, along with Beijing partners Liu Rong and Zhan Yonghong.

“The financing function of the A-share market suffered a severe blow due to the GFC. Thus, debt financing is not serving as a preferable method for large-scale domestic companies like Financial Street,” said Cui. “It’s an exciting deal to work on, as it brought challenge(s) to the efficiency of our work – and our understanding and practice of laws and policies in both real estate and finance.”

This issuance follows the successful raising of nearly RMB10bn via the non-public additional offering of shares in 2007, and the public additional offering of shares in 2008. Beijing-based Guantao opened a Hong Kong office earlier this year and has been involved in a number of IPOs and listings of companies over the past 12 months.