International law firm Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised a syndicate of banks consisting of DnB, ING, BNP Paribas, Citi and BMO as lenders on a US$1.5bn Reserve-Based Lending Facility to Chrysaor for the acquisition of a portfolio of UK North Sea assets from Royal Dutch Shell (“Shell”). The deal is subject to partner and regulatory approvals, with completion expected in the second half of 2017.

White & Case LLP has advised Banca IMI, Barclays, BofA Merrill Lynch, Citi, JP Morgan and UniCredit, as joint bookrunners, on the issuance by Snam under its Euro Medium Term Note Programme of €500 million fixed rate Notes due 2025.

The White & Case team which advised on the transaction was led by partners Michael Immordino (London & Milan) and Ferigo Foscari, local partner Paul Alexander and associates Louise Ruggiero and Davide Diverio (all Milan).

Simpson Thacher is representing Ant Financial Services Group in its announced acquisition of MoneyGram International Inc. (NASDAQ: MGI) for approximately $880 million. The merger will connect MoneyGram's network of 2.4 billion bank and mobile accounts and 350,000 physical locations with Ant Financial's users, who have access to a broad suite of technology-based financial services, including payments, credit and insurance products. The transaction is subject to the approval of MoneyGram stockholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Shearman & Sterling advised the lenders and Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) in connection with the financing of the US$545 million 200 MW Kalsel coal-fired Independent Power Producer project in Indonesia. The project will be built in South Kalimantan, on the Indonesian side of the island of Borneo.

Davis Polk advised the joint lead managers on an SEC-registered offering on Schedule B by Oesterreichische Kontrollbank Aktiengesellschaft (OeKB) of $1.5 billion 1.750% notes due 2020. The notes are guaranteed by the Republic of Austria.

OeKB is primarily engaged in export financing. It administrates the Republic’s guarantees covering commercial, political and foreign exchange risks in connection with Austrian exports and also provides medium- and long-term financing to banks and foreign importers for Austrian export transactions.

The team was led by partner Mandeep Lotay with support from partner Brian Rance

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised Morgan Stanley (MS) on the acquisition, sale and capital markets financing of a portfolio of Dutch non-conforming residential mortgage loans.

The mortgage loans were initially originated by ELQ Hypotheken, a specialist Dutch consumer lender.

MS acquired and subsequently securitised the loans through a special purpose vehicle, Delft 2017 B.V..

The Freshfields team was led by partners Patrick Cichy and Alexander Glos

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised HSH Nordbank on the sale of a loan portfolio worth €1.6bn. The overall portfolio comprises an aviation finance portfolio, which was sold to Macquarie Bank, and a portfolio of loans for European commercial real estate, which was sold to Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Clifford Chance advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch on its purchase of a commercial real estate loan portfolio from HSH Nordbank.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) has advised the Société Générale Group in connection with the refinancing of nine H135 helicopters and one Bell 429 helicopter, owned by Iris Helicopter Leasing Limited (“Iris Helicopter”). Iris Helicopter is a joint investment of Nova Capital and Rive Private Investment (the latter an independent private equity firm founded in 2013 by 123Investment Managers and Elyseum Investment), dedicated to the leasing of civil helicopters.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) has advised Landesbank Saar in connection with the financing of a partnership agreement relating to the renovation, extension and maintenance of an aquatics centre located in the Communauté de Communes Bretagne Romantique in Brittany, France. This financing amounts to approximately €6.5 million.

WFW advised Landesbank Saar on the drafting and negotiation of all finance and security documents as well as on all legal aspects of the partnership agreement and the project documents.