Li Ning, the Olympic gold-medalist and founder of the eponymous sports brand, is about to take control of the British shoemaker through Hong Kong-based private equity firm, LionRock Capital. Li is the non-executive chairman of Lion Rock, which controls a special purpose vehicle, LionRock Partners QiLe, that will soon complete a planned £100 million ($136.5 mm) bailout deal with the Clark family. A second Hong Kong-based entity, Viva China, loaned the SVP £54 million last Sep. to finance an acquisition, according to a filing, and may also buy a 51% stake in the SVP. Viva China is also controlled by ... Log in to view full article.