Li and Fung: Stay Public or Go Private? (A)

Being a century-old family business, Li & Fung ("LF") had celebrated its evolution from a small trading company to a well-established, internationally recognized supply chain solution provider. However, the rapid advancement of internet technology and e-commerce development in recent years challenged the company's once-innovative business model. Although LF had aggressively streamlined and transformed its business, the company was still struggling to turn around. However, the recent trade war between the U.S. and China, along with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered the Fung family to consider taking the company private. Case A enables students to take the role of LF's consultant to assess the motives, challenges, pricing, regulatory and financial implications of the going-private offer before making a recommendation to the company. Case B describes the actual outcome and the immediate developments of the company after taking it private. The new hindsight enables students to revisit the company's go-private decision in light of the new developments, offering students an opportunity to understand the agency conflict between the majority and minority shareholders in a listed family business. It also raises the question of whether going private is considered necessary for the Fung family. A moral dilemma would emerge towards the end, stimulating students to think about the issue of ethical leadership.