中航通用飞机公司近日与美国西锐飞机工业公司签订协议，收购其100%的股权。这是中国航空工业首次并购欧美发达国家飞机整机制造企业。美国西锐公司是全球第二大通用飞机制造企业，产品销售到58个国家。
据了解，这次交易还需要来自美国和中国政府部门的审查，如审查通过，交易将在今年年中完成。
杜威路博香港团队（包括合伙人陈伯雄和高级合伙人吴胜 （图））担任中航通飞的法律顾问，北京嘉源则帮助中航通飞完成了交易的前期工作。西锐公司的法律顾问由美国的King & Spalding担任。
杜威路博的陈伯雄认为，为满足中国客户持续增长的需求，中国的私人飞机产业将会在未来几年继续扩张。
China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co (CAIGA) has recently signed a historic deal to acquire Cirrus Industries (Cirrus), the second-largest manufacturer of single general aviation aircraft in the world. Based in Minnesota, Cirrus has delivered nearly 5,000 piston-engine airplanes to 58 countries and regions over the past decade.
The deal is expected to close in mid-2011, but it is subject to approval from the US and Chinese governments. CAIGA has its headquarters in Zhuhai and announced the deal earlier this week. It is reported to be the first acquisition that a Chinese aviation company has made in the US and Europe, and is hoped to be a springboard for the Chinese firm to enter the US, the world's largest general aviation market.
Dewey & LeBoeuf’s Hong Kong legal team, including partner Paul Chen (pictured) and senior associate Wu Sheng, acted for CAIGA on the acquisition, while Beijing-based JiaYuan, led by Xu Ying, advised on the early stages of the transaction. Cirrus was represented by King & Spalding, led by Jay Harris in Atlanta.
Dewey’s Chen says the Chinese personal aircraft manufacturing industry will coninue to expand to meet demand from a growing affluent Chinese customer base, who will want access to private planes for both corporate and personal use. “I believe that Chinese personal aircraft manufacturers will be seeking more overseas acquisitions along the value chain to enter new markets, increase economies of scale and acquire new technologies,” he said. ALB
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