Gide has advised Idinvest Partners, Salesforce Venture and Speedinvest on their USD 28-million investment, alongside Target Global and Horizons Ventures, in the capital of FinanceFox. FinanceFox is a Switzerland-based start-up that manages and optimises its clients’ insurance policies via a website-connected application that centralises all insurance contracts and helps manage all related administrative steps, ranging from filing an insurance claim to requesting refunds. Gide had already advised the same investors during a first round of financing in January 2016.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Kensington Mortgage Company Limited, as originator, and Acenden Limited, as servicer, in relation to residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) notes issued by Finsbury Square 2016-2 plc on 13 October, raising over £360m.

International law firm Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) advised Iccrea Bancaimpresa S.p.A. (“Iccrea”), the corporate banking arm of Credito Cooperativo, and a syndicate of banks also part of Credito Cooperativo and consisting of BCC Udine, BCC Fiumicello, BCC Staranzano, BCC Friuli and BCC Bassa Friulana) on their €10.9m financing to Italian healthcare sector non-profit organisation Grado Riabilita.

International law firm Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) advised MPS Capital Services and UniCredit on their purchase of minority stakes in the €60m financing granted to Daunia Ascoli S.r.l. as borrower by a syndicate of banks in relation to a 53.5 MW wind farm in Ascoli Satriano (Foggia, Puglia).

Allen & Overy advised Attijariwafa bank a Moroccan leading banking and financial group in Africa on the acquisition of Barclays Bank Egyptian banking business.

The U.K.-listed banking giant Barclays Bank sold its retail and corporate banking business in Egypt to Moroccan banking firm Attijariwafa bank present in the Maghreb, Western and Central Africa. The sale is expected to close by the year end following regulatory approvals from notably the Central Bank of Egypt and Central Bank of Morocco. 

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised financial services provider FWU AG on its acquisition of Fortuna Lebens-Versicherungs AG, Vaduz, from Generali Schweiz Holding AG. The acquisition of Liechtenstein-based Fortuna enables FWU Group to widen its European market access. The transaction is subject to approval by the regulatory authorities.

Gide has advised a bank syndicate led by Société Générale on its tender offer on two series of notes due respectively in 2019 and 2021.

Simultaneously to this buyback, Gide assisted a bank syndicate led by J.P. Morgan Securities plc in a EUR 600 million issue of 1.250 per cent. notes due in 2031 and admitted to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris.

Gide’s team was led by Hubert Merveilleux du Vignaux (partner), assisted by Laurent Vincent, Aude-Laurène Dourdain and Louis Ravaud.

King & Wood Mallesons has advised First Names Group on the refinancing of its existing funding package.

With over 700 employees across fourteen strategic locations, First Names Group is a leading independent provider of trust, fund, real estate and corporate administration services.

The existing facilities were refinanced by way of unitranche and super senior revolving facilities. The security package for the refinancing was multi-jurisdictional, including Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda and Cyprus.

International law firm Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) advised Banca Popolare di Milano (“BPM”), Italy’s second largest co-operative bank, on two project financings, with an aggregate value of €6m, of two biogas plants owned by Fri-El Group, the leading Italian electrical energy producer from renewable sources.

The two plants will provide electrical energy to municipalities of Crevalcore (Emilia-Romagna, NE Italy) and Villacidro (Sardinia) where they are located.

Clifford Chance advised Samba Financial Group (SAMBA), National Commercial Bank (NCB), and Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF), the lenders, on a SAR5 billion syndicated murabaha facility to Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).

The unsecured loan, which will have tenure of seven years, will be used to finance SEC's projects.

Riyadh Head of Finance for Clifford Chance, Mohamed Hamra-Krouha said: "We are once again delighted to have advised lenders to SEC on yet another landmark financing transaction, achieved in a tight timeframe with minimal fuss."