Shearman & Sterling is advising Mizuho Bank, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., on its acquisition of an approximately 16% ownership interest in Matthews International Capital Management, LLC (“Matthews Asia”) from existing equity holders and on its business alliance with Matthews Asia. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Mizuho Financial Group is one of the largest financial institutions in the world, offering a broad range of services including banking, trust and securities, and other business related to financial services through its group companies. The group has approximately 55,000 staff working in approximately 900 offices inside and outside Japan, and total assets of over US$1.6 trillion (as of March 2015).

Matthews Asia is an independent, privately owned firm and the largest dedicated Asia investment specialist in the United States. With US$26.2 billion in assets under management as of August 31, 2015, the firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment philosophy, with a focus on long-term investment performance.

The Shearman & Sterling team below included counsel Eileen O’Pray; associates Gordon Palmquist, Sylvia Favretto, Christina Broch, Will Forster, Nathaniel Rowe and Chiharu Yuki.

The Team