Slaughter and May advised Qatar National Bank S.A.Q in their capacity as the Facility Agent in relation to sale of Arab Bank shares owned by Oger Middle East (Holdings) SAL (“OME”). OME is a subsidiary of Saudi Oger Limited – a company owned by the family of Lebanese Prime Minister-designate, Mr Saad Al-Hariri. The Arab Bank shares were purchased by a consortium of Arab and Jordanian investors led by the chairman of Arab Bank, Mr Sabih T. Masri for USD 1.12 billion.

Contacts

Hogan Lovells London-based corporate team has advised Numis Securities on their placing of £40 million of new equity in RWS Holdings plc (RWS) to institutional investors.

The funds will be used by RWS, together with a new debt facility and existing cash balances, to acquire the entire issued share capital of LUZ, Inc (Luz), a market leading life sciences translation services provider, for US$82.5 million.

Cravath represented the European Investment Bank in connection with its US$3 billion registered debt offering. The European Investment Bank, which functions as the bank of the European Union, supports projects that make a significant contribution to growth, employment, economic and social cohesion and environmental sustainability, both in the EU and beyond. The notes were listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The transaction closed on February 14, 2017.

Osborne Clarke has advised NatWest Bank, part of the RBS group, on its £51.5m loan facility to the Welsh Government and Celtic Manor resort in Wales for a brand new international convention centre, ICC Wales.

The joint venture company will construct and manage the new convention centre as a 50/50 partnership between Welsh Government and Celtic Manor Resort, the golf, spa and leisure hotel resort in Newport, South East Wales.

Frankfurt, 13 February 2017 - International law firm McDermott Will & Emery advised Süd Beteiligungen GmbH (“SüdBG”) on the sale of its shareholdings in DBW Advance Fiber Technologies Group (“DBW”) to DMB Dr. Dieter Murmann Beteiliungsgesellscaft mbH.

Davis Polk advised IHS Markit Ltd. and certain of its subsidiaries in connection with a $500 million 364-day term loan incurred by Markit Group Holdings Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHS Markit) and guaranteed by IHS Markit and certain of its subsidiaries.  The proceeds of the term loan will be used to repay certain outstanding revolving loans and for other general corporate purposes of IHS Markit and its subsidiaries.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised the bank syndicate comprising J.P. Morgan, as Sole Structuring Agent, and Citigroup, Crédit Agricole CIB, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Société Générale, on Groupama's offer to exchange any and all of its €1 billion undated deeply subordinated notes issued in 2007 and a portion of its senior €750 million subordinated notes issued in 2009.

A team of Squire Patton Boggs lawyers has played a key role in assisting airport concessionaire Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom) with the refinancing of US$533 million through a notes offering under Rule 144 A/Reg S and syndicate loan, which is believed to be the largest refinancing transaction for a company based in the Dominican Republic.

Baker McKenzie advised a consortium led by Arab Bank Chairman Sabih al Masri, in acquiring a 20% stake in Arab Bank Group from Oger Middle East Holdings.

A consortium of investors bought a 20 percent stake in Arab Bank Group for $1.12 billion. These were led by Arab Bank Chairman Sabih al Masri, a businessman with stakes in other banks and the hotel industry, and owner of ASTRA, a diversified group of companies he founded with investments in a wide range of sectors that has 6,000 employees in 11 countries.

Travers Smith LLP has acted for Numis Securities in its capacity as bookrunner, nominated adviser and broker on the £46.5m placing of new ordinary shares issued by LTG.

The proceeds of the placing are to be used to part fund the £53.6m takeover offer by LTG for NetDimensions (Holdings) Limited announced on 3 February 2017.

The acquisition is conditional on, inter alia, the passing of shareholder resolutions at a general meeting of LTG and the takeover offer becoming unconditional.