Simpson Thacher, acting as sole international counsel, represented The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited as joint bookrunners and joint lead managers, in connection with the offering of CNY 1.2 billion 4.2% Notes due 2018 by Shinhan Bank under its $6 billion global medium term note program. The offering was conducted in reliance upon Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Within the framework of the US program in which it participated voluntarily, PKB Privatbank reached a non-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice. PKB Privatbank agreed to pay USD 6.3 million and to further cooperate with US authorities. In return, the US Department of Justice will abstain from criminal prosecution. The penalty amounts to approx. 1.9 percent of the total assets held by PKB Privatbank's US clients.

Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA, and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc entered into a definitive agreement regarding the sale and purchase of the international private banking activities of Coutts in Switzerland, Monaco, Singapore, Hong Kong, DIFC, Dubai and Abu Dhabi with around CHF 30 billion of client assets with approximately 1,300 employees. Closing of the transaction is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and other conditions usual for this type of transaction.

Clifford Chance has advised the underwriters on China Railway Signal & Communication Corporation Limited's (CRSC) US$1.4 billion initial public offering, the fourth largest IPO in Hong Kong this year. The underwriters were Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, UBS Securities, Macquarie Capital, BOC International, Goldman Sachs, China Merchants Securities, CMB International and Haitong Securities. Clifford Chance also advised on the largest IPO this year, HTSC's US$5 billion IPO and second largest, GF Securities' US$4 billion IPO.

Houthoff Buruma advised ING and ABN AMRO in relation to a loan facility for DRES Master Fund C.V. for the purpose of financing a residential portfolio.

Houthoff Buruma team included: Jan Veeningen.

A cross-border Norton Rose Fulbright team from Sydney and London has advised the Sydney branch of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) on its five-year A$1.1 billion fixed and floating notes under its Australian Debt Issuance Programme.

The Notes, issued today, form part of RBC’s US$40 billion global Programme for the Issuance of Securities. They are settled in Australia’s domestic clearing system, Austraclear, and indirectly in Euroclear and Clearstream.

Osborne Clarke has advised Wealth Wizards, an innovative algorithm-based financial advice platform, on its majority stake buyout by retirement specialist LV=. The Osborne Clarke team was led by corporate Partner Rob Wood and corporate Associate, Mike Freer.

Ashurst has advised pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG ("pbb") on the financing of the acquisition of the Germany-wide commercial real estate portfolio "New Wave" by the Investa Property Group. Pbb provides a loan in the amount of EUR80m for the financing completed in June 2015.
Investa acquired the portfolio comprising 41 inner-city properties in the second quarter of 2015 from Euro Castle Investment.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised The Bank of New York Mellon in its role as trustee for Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ)’s US$650 million 3.5% senior unsecured offering.

APSEZ is part of the Adani Group, an integrated infrastructure corporation. The issue was the Indian private ports operator’s inaugural bond offering. The bonds are listed and quoted on the official list of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited.

Macfarlanes has advised The Royal Bank of Scotland plc on the sale of its interest in Cairn Capital Group Limited (Cairn Capital) to Mediobanca S.p.A., Italy’s leading investment bank. Cairn Capital is an independent London-based full service credit asset management, advisory and securities restructuring firm, established in 2004.

The Macfarlanes team was led by corporate partner James Dawson.