A team from Clifford Chance has advised the joint lead managers in connection with the issuance of US$600 million in Eurobonds by Belarus.

The bonds have a yield of 6.20% and are due to mature in 2030. This follows on the heels of a 2017 transaction where the Clifford Chance team advised the joint lead managers on the issuance by Belarus of two tranches of Eurobonds worth a total of US$1.4 billion, marking the country's successful return to international capital markets.

Herbert Smith Freehills is pleased to be advising Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on its offer of CommBank PERLS X Capital Notes to raise approximately A$750 million (with the ability to raise more or less) (Offer) announced on 7 March 2018 – CBA’s tenth retail hybrid offering.

CBA is one of Australia’s leading providers of integrated financial services including retail, business and institutional banking, funds management, superannuation, insurance and broking services.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised a syndicate of banks consisting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“EBRD”), the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (“BSTDB”), the Export-Import Bank of Romania EximBank SA (“EximBank Romania”), Banca Comerciala Intesa Sanpaolo Romania S.A. (“Intesa Sanpaolo Bank”) and HSBC (acting as agent and security agent) regarding a US$180m reserve-based (“RBL”) senior facility agreement made to Energean Oil & Gas (“Energean”) to develop the Prinos Basin offshore of Greece.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised Daniel Stewart & Company Plc (“Daniel Stewart”) as corporate adviser and broker to Peruvian gold and silver producer VI Mining Plc (“VI Mining”) on its admission to trade on London’s NEX Exchange Growth Market.

VI Mining completed a successful share placement which raised £5.36m in gross proceeds. The market capitalisation of VI Mining is now £535m, making it the second largest company by market capitalisation on the exchange, which focuses on earlier stage, entrepreneurial companies seeking access to growth capital.

Birmingham-headquartered Springboard Corporate Finance has been acquired by Begbies Traynor.

A team of corporate lawyers at national law firm Weightmans has advised Midlands advisory practice Springboard Corporate Finance on joining Begbies Traynor in a deal worth up to £4.5 million.

The firm, which has offices in Birmingham, Nottingham and London, specialises in mid-market corporate finance, acting across a broad range of buy and sell side private company transactions.

Willkie represented investor GoldenTree Asset Management in the transaction.

The German federal state owners of HSH Nordbank agreed to sell the bank for €1 billion to a consortium of private investors including independent affiliates of Cerberus European Investments, J. C. Flowers & Co., GoldenTree Asset Management, Centaurus Capital LP and BAWAG. The sale will transfer 94.9 percent of HSH to the investors and is the first successful privatization of a federal state bank in Germany.

Led by their Frankfurt based partner Michael Schlitt and Counsel Susanne Lenz, Hogan Lovells has advised Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. as sole global coordinator and sole bookrunner on the approx. € 17.3m 10% capital increase of MPC Capital AG.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised GuarantCo, the international development finance institution, in relation to a landmark INR 2.5 billion (approximately US$40 million) dual tranche unsecured wrapped and rated bond issuance by Sindicatum Renewable Energy Company Pte Ltd. Sindicatum is an Asian developer, owner and operator of clean energy projects.

Clifford Chance has advised HQLAx on the first live securities lending transaction settled using R3’s Corda blockchain platform. This transaction brings the HQLAX–developed collateral lending application on Corda (CorDapp), one step closer to production.

Travers Smith LLP has acted for Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited ("Stifel") in its capacity as sole bookrunner and financial adviser on a placing, open offer and offer for subscription of £94 million of Ordinary Shares in Target Healthcare REIT Limited ("Target") (the "Share Issue").

Target is a specialist care home investor listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, with a current market capitalisation of £366 million.

The Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Share Issue were admitted to trading on the Main Market on 27 February 2018.