Kathryn Sudol

Kathryn King Sudol is a Partner at Simpson Thacher and a member of the Firm’s Corporate Department. Katie led our Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2018. She advises corporate, private equity and other clients in a variety of complex and high-profile public and private merger and acquisition transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, minority and strategic investments, going private transactions, leveraged buyouts and joint ventures.

Select transactions while based in New York include representations of:

• First Data in its announced $22 billion merger with Fiserv to create one of the world’s leading payments and financial technology providers
• Gas Natural SDG in its $28.5 billion unsolicited exchange offer for Endesa S.A.
• Mars, Incorporated, in its $23 billion leveraged buyout of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
• Manulife Financial Corporation in its $11 billion merger with John Hancock Financial Services
• Vivendi S.A. in its $4.2 billion acquisition of GVT (Holding) S.A., Brazil
• adidas AG in its $3.8 billion acquisition of Reebok and its sale of The Greg Norman Collection
• KKR in its C$3 billion leveraged buyout of the Yellow Pages Group from Bell Canada
• PRIMEDIA Inc. and KKR in the $1.3 billion sale of the PRIMEDIA Enthusiast Media business to Source Interlink Companies, Inc.
• Special Committee of the Board of Directors of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. in connection with a sale of shares of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. by News Corp. to Liberty Media and a split-off and merger transaction involving The DIRECTV Group, Inc. and certain businesses of Liberty Entertainment

Select transactions while based in Hong Kong include representations of:

• Alibaba Group Holding Limited in its $9.5 billion acquisition of China online delivery platform Ele.me, $5.7 billion going private transaction involving Youku Tudou, $4.6 billion investment in Suning Commerce Group and related $2.3 billion investment by Suning in Alibaba, $1.6 billion going private transaction involving AutoNavi Holdings, acquisition of UCWeb, investment in Weibo Corporation and strategic alliance with SINA Corporation, and investments in Trendyol, One97 Communications, Best Logistics Technologies and Kabam, Inc.
• Special Committee of the Board of Directors of iKang Healthcare Group, Inc. in its pending $1.2 billion going private transaction
• Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Homeinns Hotel Group in a $1 billion going private transaction by a consortium comprised of BTG Hotels, Poly Victory Investments, Ctrip.com and certain directors and officers of Homeinns
• Blackstone in connection with its acquisition of Shya Hsin Packaging, A$750 million leveraged buyout of Orica Chemicals (Ixom), leveraged buyout of Antares Restaurant Group, sale of its stakes in CMS Info Systems, Agile Electric and International Tractors, and various investments and real estate acquisitions
• MOGU Holdings Limited in connection with its Series D preferred share financing, its all-stock merger with Meiliworks Limited, and a follow-on investment by Tencent
• JPMorgan as financial advisor to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Qihoo360 Technology Co. in connection with its $9 billion going private transaction
• Silver Lake Partners in connection with a US$500 million convertible bond investment by Silver Lake and another investor in Qunar Cayman Islands Limited
• Merrill Lynch (Asia Pacific) in connection with the $2.3 billion going private transaction involving Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited
• China National Agrochemical Corporation in its $2.4 billion acquisition of Makhteshim Agan Industries in Israel

Katie has been recognized as a leading M&A and private equity lawyer by IFLR1000, Legal 500, Chambers Asia Pacific and Chambers Global, with clients reporting that Katie “is incredibly smart and brings to the team strong execution experience” and is “sharp as a whistle, very driven and knows how to best protect her clients’ interests.”

In 2016, Katie was named as the best M&A and private equity lawyer by the Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards, an “MVP” in Retail by Law360, and one the of top 100 private practice lawyers for the China market by the China Business Law Journal.

Katie received her B.S., from Northwestern University, School of Speech, in 1995 and her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1998. Katie has been a member of our Firm’s Executive Committee and served as the Administrative Partner of our Hong Kong office from 2014 to 2018.

She currently serves on our Firm’s Finance Committee, Diversity Committee and Counsel Committee. She has served as a trustee of The First Presbyterian Church in New York City and as a member of the National Women’s Law Center Leadership 35 board in Washington, D.C.

Education:

• New York University School of Law, 1998 J.D.
• Northwestern University, 1995 B.S.
  • With Honors

Admissions:

• New York 1999
• Hong Kong 2011