Careful planning is often the key to a successful arrangement, and it is possible to get definitive answers to questions that are open to interpretation through a ruling of the Finnish Tax Administration. The Tax Administration has recently focused on improving cooperation with its customers and has encouraged companies to actively apply for written preliminary rulings and even engage in preliminary discussions concerning more challenging arrangements.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised AXA on its undated subordinated notes issue for a total amount of US$850 million.

The perpetual notes may be redeemed for the first time five years after their issue date, and bear interest at a fixed rate of 4.5 percent payable semi-annually.

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on its new Equity Participation Fund (EPF) with €350 million of first-round fundraising secured for direct equity investment from China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange and the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.

Shearman & Sterling advised the lenders on the financing of the acquisition of Kimble Chase Life Science, one of the leading manufacturers of laboratory and scientific glassware, by Duran Group, a portfolio company of One Equity Partners. The transaction is subject to merger approval.

London - Mayer Brown advised Investec Bank plc as Sole Sponsor, Financial Adviser, Bookrunner and Broker in relation to Hollywood Bowl Group plc’s ("Hollywood Bowl") initial public offering.

Hollywood Bowl’s shares are expected to be admitted to the premium segment of the Official List and to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange on 21 September 2016. The shares being sold by the selling shareholders will be priced at 160p per ordinary share, which implies an expected market capitalisation of £240 million on admission.

 London 20 September – Hogan Lovells London-based corporate team has advised JP Morgan Cazenove in connection with their placing of 37,000,000 existing ordinary shares in Regus plc, in a deal worth approximately £102 million.

The existing ordinary shares were held indirectly by the current CEO of Regus plc, Mark Dixon, who continues to be a significant shareholder in Regus plc and now holds 27.7% of Regus plc's ordinary shares.

With a team led by Dr. Stefan Proske, Partner at its Berlin office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek represented a syndicate of banks, led by Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, in insolvency proceedings on the assets of Narat GmbH & Co. KG and advised it on the sale of seven office and commercial properties to EQT Real Estate.
 

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance acted as the sole counsel to the bookrunners: Axis Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Nomura and Yes Bank, on Indiabulls Housing Finance's US$200 million (Rs13.3 billion) senior secured synthetic notes listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. The notes are denominated in Indian Rupees, but trade and settle in U.S. dollars.

Ashurst advised a consortium of banks consisting of UniCredit, Commerzbank, ING and IKB Deutsche Industriebank on the financing of the acquisition of a majority participation in Universal-Investment. The purchaser is the British financial investor Montagu which acquired the shares in the fifth largest German fund provider from the private bank Berenberg in Hamburg and Bankhaus Lampe in Bielefeld. The parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality with respect to the purchase price and financing volume.

Shearman & Sterling represented the underwriters, led by RBS Securities Inc., in connection with The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc's offering of $2.65 billion 3.875% senior notes due 2023. The joint bookrunners included Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, headquartered in Edinburgh, has a diversified customer base and provides a wide range of products and services to personal, commercial and large corporate and institutional customers.