International business law firm Lawrence Graham (LG) has advised on Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited's £228.5million initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

LG corporate partner John Reed, senior corporate associate Kris Rogers and assistant Emma Cooper advised Jefferies International Limited and Dexion Capital plc as joint sponsors, joint financial advisers and joint booker runners.

This was the largest investment company IPO of 2012 and, measured by funds raised, the second largest premium segment IPO of 2012 in the UK.

Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited is a new Guernsey domiciled closed-end investment company with an investment objective of providing shareholders with regular dividends and an attractive total return while limiting downside risk, through the origination, execution, acquisition and servicing of a diversified portfolio of real estate debt investments in the UK and Continental European markets.

The IPO caps a successful year for LG's corporate team.  Its capital markets team has advised on six IPOs across AIM and the Main Market and 17 additional capital raising transactions, while its M&A team has advised on over 20 major M&A deals with a combined value of over £2.275 billion.  The corporate team has also been recognised by the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards, nominated as corporate team of the year in the British Legal Awards and nominated as best advisor - legal in the UK Stock Market Awards.

http://www.lg-legal.com/news/2013/01/07/starwood-IPO