Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have landed roles on a £4.1bn rights issue for mining group Xstrata.

The Swiss company has announced a discounted two-for-one rights issue, with a Freshfields team headed up by corporate partner Julian Makin taking the lead advisory role.

Makin is working alongside fellow corporate partners Graham Watson and Sarah Murphy, with tax partners Robert Kent and Jonathan Cooklin and antitrust, competition and trade partner MJ Moltenbrey.

Watson told Legal Week: "Xstrata do things quickly and efficiently and have always been a good client of ours. The company has six core businesses which makes all the documentation challenging and, in this case, we are also working on the related party acquisition."

He added: "I think that 30% to 40% of FTSE 100 companies will be looking at capital raisings. Most chief financial officers at large companies will be looking at their balance sheets, so there could be plenty of work around."

Linklaters corporate partners Charlie Jacobs and John Lane are acting for the banks, which include JPMorgan Cazenove and Deutsche Bank.

Part of the funds raised by the rights issue will be used to fund Xstrata's purchase of Prodeco thermal coal assets from Glencore, a Switzerland-based commodities investment firm, which owns the majority of the shares.

Freshfields corporate partner Neil Radford and senior associate Piers Prichard Jones are advising on the proposed Prodeco acquisition, which could cost Xstrata £1.3bn.

Funds from the rights issue will also be used to service some of the debts at Xstrata., which at the end of 2008 stood at £11.4bn.

For more news from the Swiss market, see this week's Switzerland feature.

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