Slaughter and May, Hong Kong, is advising Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) Limited, as placing agent, in relation to the US$555 million secondary placing and sale of shares in New China Life Company Limited held by The Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Limited, The Overseas Assurance Corporation Limited and The Great Eastern Trust Private Limited. The placing and sale of shares was undertaken by way of an accelerated bookbuilding process to institutional investors.

CONTACTS

• John Moore (partner), William Ho (associate)

International law firm Clifford Chance has advised a group of 26 underwriters, led by GF Securities (Hong Kong), Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BOCOM International Securities, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch on GF Securities' HK$28 billion (US$3.5 billion) listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The deal was priced at the top end of the price range at HK$18.85 per share making it the largest listing in Hong Kong so far this year.

Allens has acted for Australian superannuation fund REST Industry Super (REST) to achieve completion of its first direct debt investment.

The deal was led by Allens banking and finance Partners Warwick Newell and Michael Ryan and Senior Associate Lisa Zhou.  Geoff Sanders, a Partner in Allens' funds management team, provided key funds management structuring advice.

Leading global law firm Clifford Chance has advised BESI – Grupo Novo Banco and Credit Suisse, as arrangers and placement agents, on a $273.7 million financing for the Red Dorsal Nacional de Fibra Optica project. The nationwide fiber optic network will span approximately 13,400 km in Peru and is the first ever to be developed in the country.

Leading international law firm Watson Farley & Williams (”WFW“) has advised HSH Nordbank, UniCredit Bank, Norddeutsche Landesbank and DNB Bank on the refinancing of a number of loans to the Rickmers Group totaling US$1.385 billion.

The WFW team advised the banks, which we regularly support on maritime and other financing transactions, on the structuring, negotiations and documentation of the refinancing.

Hamburg-based Rickmers Group is an international provider of maritime services, vessel owner and ocean carrier.

DNB Bank ASA (Oslo) (“DNB”), as agent and security agent on behalf of a syndicate of lenders, instructed Watson Farley & Williams (‘WFW’) on a US$475 million secured loan to the Ocean Rig Group for the financing of the ultra-deepwater drillship ''Ocean Rig Apollo''. The drillship was constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea and delivered on 5 March 2015. The drillship is on contract with Total E&P Congo. This follows an earlier US$1.35 billion export credit-supported loan also arranged by DNB for the Ocean Rig Group and documented by WFW.

King & Wood Mallesons have advised the UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) and its FCA regulated subsidiary, UK Green Investment Bank Financial Services Limited (GIBFS), on the £463 million first closing of its planned £1 billion fund to invest in operating offshore wind farms in the UK.

Freshfields advises L-Bank on its legal protection against the classification of the bank as a significant institution under the SSM Regulation and the SSM Framework Regulation.

Freshfields advises L-Bank in relation to legal protection against the classification of the bank as a significant institution by the ECB. It is the first lawsuit against a classification decision in Europe.

Castrén & Snellman advised Nordea Bank Finland Plc, which acted as the global coordinator and bookrunner in Metsä Board’s rights issue of approximately EUR 100 million. The proceeds from the rights issue will be used to finance the final steps of Metsä Board’s transformation plan. The rights issue was oversubscribed by 39.8 per cent.

C&S’s rights issue team consisted of Partner Janne Lauha assisted by Associate Niko Johansson.

Castrén & Snellman advised Nordea Bank Finland Plc and Pohjola Bank plc in the project financing for an LNG terminal to be constructed and operated in Tornio by the Manga group of companies. The Manga group is backed by a consortium consisting of Outokumpu Oyj, SSAB Europe Oy, Skangass Oy and EPV Energia Oy. The start-up of operations of the newly built facility and the LNG and natural gas logistics chain is planned for early 2018.