Herbert Smith Freehills has advised SG Fleet on its A$200m acquisition of NLC, a specialist provider of salary packaging services and novated leases.

SG Fleet is one of Australia’s leading providers of vehicle leasing and fleet management services to corporate and government customers.

The transaction represents a further expansion of SG Fleet’s existing salary packaging and novated lease business and is a significant milestone since its initial public offering in early 2014.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, Natixis and Société Générale, as mandated lead arrangers and bookruners, on the financing of the acquisition of Vitalia from Vitalia HoldCo by Vedici and its majority shareholder CVC Capital Partners.

Allen & Overy has advised PKO Bank Hipoteczny S.A. on the establishment of its covered bonds programme, the first to meet the criteria of the amended Act on Covered Bonds and Mortgage Banks which comes into force on 1 January 2016. This is the first Polish covered bonds programme since 2010.
PKO Bank Hipoteczny S.A. is a part of PKO Bank Polski Group, the biggest banking group in Poland and one of the leading banking groups in Central and Eastern Europe.

Allen & Overy's team was led by partner Piotr Lesinski, supported by senior associate Lukasz Walczyna.

Julius Baer Group Ltd. issues SGD 450,000,000 perpetual tier 1 subordinated bonds.

UBS, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, DBS Bank Ltd. and Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. acted as managers. The bonds will be listed on the Singapore Exchange.

Homburger acted as counsel to Julius Baer Group Ltd. The Homburger team consisted of partners René Bösch and Jürg Frick (both Financial Services), partner Dieter Grünblatt (Tax), counsel Eduard De Zordi and associate Andreas Josuran (both Financial Services).

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Sankaty Advisors and Deutsche Bank on the financing of its successful bid to acquire GE Capital’s Australian and New Zealand commercial finance business.

The Sankaty and Deutsche Bank consortium was successful following a competitive bidding process.

The Herbert Smith Freehills team was led by Partners John Nestel and John Angus, executive counsel Vinh Huynh, and senior associates Zina Edwards, Adam Roberts, Amy Repse and Steven Catanzariti.

International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has advised Highbridge Principal Strategies and Urban Exposure on their mezzanine loan to part finance the £400,000,000 development of the Atlas Building on City Road, EC1 into a 40-storey mixed use tower scheme.

The completed scheme will be the tallest building in the area and comprise over 300 flats as well as approximately 90,000 square feet of office space, shops, cafes and restaurants.

Clifford Chance Amsterdam has advised sponsors Maas Capital (an ABN AMRO subsidiary) and Yard Energy on the project financing of two onshore wind projects (27,5 MW) in Finland. Dutch wind turbine manufacturer Lagerwey is supplying eleven L100 - 2.5 MW wind turbines. The turbines are to be installed on 135-metre modular steel towers in order to capitalise on faster wind speeds at greater heights.

King & Wood Mallesons has acted on Santos Limited’s $3.5bn capital raising, advising on three distinct initiatives; a new equity raising, private placement and sale stake.

Partner Shannon Finch and her team advised the joint lead managers Citigroup Global Markets Australia Pty Limited, Deutsche Bank AG, Sydney Branch and UBS AG, Australia Branch on a $2.5bn pro rata accelerated renounceable entitlement offer (with retail rights trading) (PAITREO) of new ordinary shares to existing shareholders.

Simmons & Simmons has advised Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and HSBC as joint lead managers on a £350m new issue of Solvency II-compliant Tier 2 Notes by RL Finance No. 3 plc, which are guaranteed on a subordinated basis by The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited, the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company.

Hogan Lovells has acted as legal adviser to TSB Bank plc (TSB) to acquire £3.3 billion of former Northern Rock mortgages and loans from Cerberus Capital Management group (Cerberus).

The portfolio comprises residential mortgages (and linked unsecured loans) from the legacy book of NRAM plc (the former Northern Rock mortgage business), which UK Asset Resolution Limited (UKAR) has today confirmed will be sold to Cerberus.