Vienna, 22 December 2016 - As of 15 December 2016, EBRD's issue of RSD 2,500,000,000 Floating Rate Bonds due December 2019 has been admitted to trading on the Belgrade Stock Exchange. This issuance is the first by an international financial institution in Serbia; it is denominated in Serbian dinars and governed by Serbian law. Raiffeisen Banka AD, Beograd, acted as underwriter for the issuance with Citigroup Global Markets Limited acting as marketing agent.

On 9 December 2016, Swedbank AB (publ) completed an issue of Additional Tier 1 Capital in order to optimise its capital structure. The Additional Tier 1 Capital consists of debt instruments in the amount of USD 500 million that converts into ordinary shares if the bank’s own funds decreases to a certain level. The debt instruments will be admitted to trading on the Global Exchange Market which is regulated by the Irish Stock Exchange.

On 20 December 2016, Meyer Burger Technology AG completed a rights offering as part of a recapitalization program. The recapitalization program consisted of three pillars: the amendments of the terms and conditions of the outstanding convertible bonds approved in a bondholder meeting (subject to the approval of the High Court of the Canton of Berne), a capital increase by way of a rights offering in the amount of approximately CHF 164 million, and the extension and amendments of existing bank credit facilities.

Slaughter and May acted for Banco Santander Totta S.A. (“BST”), in the case of Banco Santander Totta SA v Companhia Carris De Ferro de Lisboa SA & Ors.  This was the first case heard in the Financial List in the English High Court.

DLA Piper has advised Bank of Queensland (ASX: BOQ) on its AU$20 million acquisition of Centrepoint Alliance Limited's Premium Funding business.

Centrepoint Alliance Limited (ASX: CAF) is an Australian network of non-institutional advisers and brokers in financial services. Their Premium Funding division is a leader in business insurance premium funding, originating around 30,000 new loans a year.

Bank of Queensland (BOQ) will acquire 100 per cent of the business, which will form a new division within BOQ Finance.

DLA Piper has advised Aareal Bank AG on the provision of a senior financing amounting to EUR 269,750,000 for the acquisition of a European hotel portfolio through the Swedish Pandox Group.

The European Hotel Real Estate Fund II FCP – SIP portfolio, being sold by Invesco Real Estate at a purchase price of EUR 415 million, comprises seven hotels in Germany, Austria and Amsterdam. It includes the following properties: NH Collection Hamburg, NH Frankfurt Airport, NH Munich Airport, Radisson Blu Cologne, NH Salzburg, NH Vienna, Park Hotel Amsterdam.

Clifford Chance has advised the lender group on the financing of the $552 million Amandi Energy Power Plant (Amandi Project), a 200 megawatt combined cycle, dual-fuel power project in Aboadze, Ghana. It is the only large scale base-load independent power generation project in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve financial close to date in 2016.

Clariant (SIX: CLN), a world leader in specialty chemicals, announced on December 19, 2016 the signing of a CHF 500 million multicurrency revolving credit facility. The unsecured RCF includes an accordion increase opinion and two extension options. The syndicate consists of relationship banks.

Lenz & Staehelin acted as counsel to the mandated lead arrangers. The team was led by Marcel Tranchet and included Patrick Hünerwadel and Christian Schneiter.

On December 15, 2016, Lonza Group AG (Lonza) announced that it entered into a definite agreement under which Lonza will acquire Capsugel S.A. (Capsugel) from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR), for USD 5.5 bn in cash, including refinancing of existing Capsugel debt of approximately USD 2 bn. The acquisition will be financed with a combination of debt and equity financing.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised a syndicate of banks consisting of BNP Paribas, BMO, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Danske Bank, DnB Bank, ING, The Royal Bank of Scotland, SEB, SR-Bank and Wells Fargo, on two major banking facilities in favour of Faroe Petroleum to finance its expansion.

The two facilities are: