Ashurst advised J.P. Morgan Securities plc, who acted as sponsor, global co-ordinator and bookrunner to Sanditon Investment Trust plc in connection with its placing, offer for subscription and listing on the Official List and the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

Sanditon Investment Trust plc is a closed-ended investment company managed by Sanditon Asset Management Limited, an investment manager that specialises in pan-European equities. Sanditon Investment Trust's objective is to invest in a diversified portfolio of leading large capitalisation equity indices.

Hogan Lovells' Hong Kong banking team has advised a syndicate of 11 banks in relation to a US$3.2 billion loan to the COFCO Group ("COFCO") to finance COFCO's acquisitions of a 51% stake in Noble Group Limited's agri-business, and a 51% stake in Nidera, the Dutch commodity trader and agri-business company.

Herbert Smith Freehills acted as independent legal advisers to TSB Banking Group PLC in connection with its IPO and related matters. The team was led by James Palmer and Nick Moore. Nick Pantlin and David Coulling led the advice for the Company on the terms of its long term IT and operations services arrangements with Lloyds.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Citigroup, HSBC and J.P. Morgan in relation to the issue by the Republic of Bulgaria of EUR 1,493 million 2.95% Notes due 2024.

The Republic of Bulgaria made another impressive foray into the public international debt capital markets following a successful return in July 2012.

The Freshfields team advising on the deal was led by Freshfields debt capital markets partner Duncan Kellaway and senior associate Nick Hayday.

Allen & Overy has acted for the lenders on a jumbo USD 1.3bn prepayment facility in favour of Glencore Energy UK Ltd for advance payments for crude oil purchases from the national oil company of the Republic of Chad, Société des Hydrocarbures du Tchad (SHT).

Ashurst advised RBS, RBC and Santander as lenders to Greencoat UK Wind Holdco Limited, a subsidiary of Greencoat UK Wind plc, on an expansion of the original facility that enabled Greencoat limited fund to purchase two additional wind farms (Maerdy and Kildrummy) to add to the 10 wind farms they already own. Greencoat now has an aggregate operating portfolio of 226.4MW. This deal closed on 25 June 2014.

Clifford Chance has advised Kasikornbank on the financing of four solar PV rooftop projects developed by Gunkul Engineering Public Company Limited, the first such financings in Thailand. The projects are owned by WHA Corporation Public Company Limited and Gunkul Engineering Public Company Limited. Each project is located on the rooftop of an existing warehouse of WHA Corporation Public Company Limited.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Canaccord Genuity and Numis Securities, joint sponsors and joint bookrunners, on the initial public offering (‘IPO’) of River and Mercantile Group PLC, the advisory and investment solutions business.

The Company’s shares were priced at 183p each, giving a total market capitalisation for the business of £150.2 million. £41.5 million was raised through the IPO between the selling shareholders and new money.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised a consortium of underwriters on a US$421m rights issue for Uni-President China Holdings Limited (Uni-President).

The new issue, comprised of 3,599,445,000 shares at a price of HK$4.56 per share, commenced trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 25 June 2014.

Uni-President is one of China’s largest food and beverage manufacturers and includes the iconic ‘Uni-President’ brand.

Allen & Overy has advised ING and NN Group on the initial public offering of up to 77 million ordinary shares of NN Group through ING (the Selling Shareholder). This includes the exchange into NN Group shares of EUR 450 million of mandatorily subordinated notes and excluding the exercise of the over-allotment option, gross proceeds to ING at settlement of the IPO amount to approximately EUR 2.0 billion.