Deals And Transactions Legal News Coverage

International Edition

Commentary: Nerves hold as projects market takes the strain

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 18, 2009

The projects market speaks with one voice on deal flow in the coming year: it is going to be down. And while 2008 saw the banking community take the brunt of the downturn, the next sector to feel the pinch will be advisory. As the market continues to tighten we have seen a considerable drop in global project finance deal value with full-year 2008 figures falling 8.7% against the 2007 market high.Infrastructure Journal tracked 930 individual infrastructure transactions - combined global project finance and corporate finance deals - to reach financial close over the course of 2008, giving a total of $475bn (£329bn) worth of deals.

3 minute read

International Edition

Commentary: Paul Hastings goes from low profile to high expectations

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 18, 2009

Cadwalader team brings Paul Hastings' emerging City arm blinking into the light For a firm whose London office few can describe without the words "steady" or "unspectacular" emerging, the recent addition of a seven-partner team from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has caused some to reappraise just what Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker is up to in the City.After all, the UK life of Paul Hastings can be broadly split into two eras - the first from its London launch in 1997 until 2004, with a second more active period since then. The pre-2004 years could be charitably described as uneventful, as one current partner concedes there was "just no ambition for growth".

4 minute read

International Edition

City trio jump on board £7.5bn trains transaction

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 18, 2009

DLA Piper, Denton Wilde Sapte and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have secured key roles on the £7.5bn deal to manufacture a replacement fleet of intercity trains. DLA Piper is advising the winning consortium Agility Trains - comprising Barclays, Hitachi and developer John Laing - which was last week selected as the preferred bidder to build the high-speed trains.The firm is fielding a team led by infrastructure chief Mark Swindell - backed by partners including finance and projects partners Paul Hirst and Siddharth Sharma - on the transaction, which represents the largest investment in trains in the UK for a generation.

2 minute read

International Edition

Nabarro and Jones Day act on £587m shopping centre sale

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 18, 2009

Nabarro and Jones Day have advised on British Land's sale of 50% of its stake in Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre for £587.7m. The deal saw British Land turn to Jones Day for advice as it set up a 50:50 joint venture partnership for the freehold interest in Meadowhall with London & Stamford Property and an uni-dentified joint venture partner. The firm's co-head of real estate, David Roberts, and corporate partner Giles Elliott took lead roles on the transaction, which values Meadowhall at £1.175bn, with the purchase price including a £170m cash consideration.

2 minute read

International Edition

A&O racks up $6bn New York debt deal double

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 17, 2009

Allen & Overy's (A&O) New York office has won high-profile instructions on two US debt offerings worth a total of more than $6bn (£4bn). The magic circle firm took the lead role as US counsel to Novartis on its $5bn (£3.5bn) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) registered debt offering that closed last week (10 February).The Swiss-based pharma company instructed a team led by New York-based corporate partner Peter Harwich, also including senior associate Bernd Bohr and associate Michael Maier.

2 minute read

International Edition

Freshfields takes £740m British Land role

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 13, 2009

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised British Land on its £740m rights issue as the property development company moves to shore up its finances. British Land, the UK's second-largest real estate investment trust, last week sold 50% of its stake in the Meadowhall shopping centre to London & Stamford Property and reported that the value of its property portfolio had declined by more than 13% in value during the fourth quarter of 2008.The company will issue more than 340 million new shares at 225p per share.

2 minute read

International Edition

CC, Links lead on Chinalco's $19.5bn Rio Tinto investment

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 12, 2009

Clifford Chance and Linklaters have taken lead roles as the Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) seals a $19.5bn (£13.7bn) strategic partnership with mining giant Rio Tinto. The move represents the largest outbound investment ever put forward by a Chinese company and will see Chinalco increase its stake in Rio Tinto from 9% up to 18%.Chinalco was advised by CC with a team headed up by corporate partners Kathy Honeywood and Nigel Wellings in London and Rupert Li in Beijing.Antitrust support was provided by global head Simon Baxter in Brussels and London-based partner Greg Olsen, along with corporate partner Simon Cooke, tax partner Douglas French and Hong Kong-based energy partner Geraint Hughes.

2 minute read

International Edition

Commentary: Commitment and a bit of cash bring Freshfields Olympic glory

By Georgina Stanley | February 11, 2009

In a year dominated by gloomy news, at least Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has something to celebrate, after last week being named the sole official law firm for the 2012 London Olympics. But while Freshfields is justifiably making the most of its sponsorship coup, some firms - perhaps Clifford Chance (CC) more than most - could be forgiven for feeling less upbeat. With around 20 law firms initially invited to tender for the role by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), most of the UK's leading firms were given a chance to win the mandate. Though the process is shrouded in secrecy, it is believed that around five firms put in detailed bids.

3 minute read

Legal Week

Commentary: Commitment and a bit of cash bring Freshfields Olympic glory

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 11, 2009

In a year dominated by gloomy news, at least Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has something to celebrate, after last week being named the sole official law firm for the 2012 London Olympics. But while Freshfields is justifiably making the most of its sponsorship coup, some firms - perhaps Clifford Chance (CC) more than most - could be forgiven for feeling less upbeat. With around 20 law firms initially invited to tender for the role by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), most of the UK's leading firms were given a chance to win the mandate. Though the process is shrouded in secrecy, it is believed that around five firms put in detailed bids.

10 minute read

International Edition

Dealmaker: Nigel Dale

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 11, 2009

Eversheds veteran banking partner Nigel Dale on suicidal corporate events, straight-talking and bus-driving dreams

3 minute read

TRENDING STORIES

Featured Firms

More from ALM

Resources

TRENDING STORIES

Featured Firms

More from ALM

Resources

Subscribe to Law.com