Ashurst has advised the lenders to Agility Trains East on the successful financial close of the second phase of the Department for Transport's £5.7bn Intercity Express Programme (IEP) project.

The banking group includes Japan Bank for International Co-operation, EIB, BTMU, Lloyds, HSBC, SMBC, Mitsubishi Trust Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Mizuho, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale and the Development Bank of Japan.

Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) provided insurance for part of the loan.

Ashurst has advised Nomura as placing agent in relation to a HK$580 million (approximately US$15 million) placement of shares in HK-listed Tsui Wah Holdings Limited.

Norton Rose Fulbright advised a syndicate of lenders on a limited recourse financing to PT Hoegh LNG Lampung for the purpose of financing the construction of one LNG Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) under construction in Korea and the procurement of a tower yoke mooring system.

The FSRU was delivered to PT Hoegh LNG Lampung last week and is en route to Indonesia where she will be employed offshore south Sumatra under time charter to PT PGN LNG Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (Persero) Tbk for an initial period of 20 years.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Investec Bank plc and TD Securities Inc. as joint bookrunners in relation to the €200 million initial public offering of Irish residential property investment company, Irish Residential Properties REIT plc (IRES REIT), and its admission to trading on the regulated market for listed securities of the Irish Stock Exchange. Investec Bank plc, acting through its Irish Branch, was sponsor.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges has advised the lenders to Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division who, together with Koch Industries Inc., acquired Luxembourg-based Flint Group, the global supplier of inks and other print consumables, from CVC Capital Partners. Weil advised Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley as Lead Arrangers and Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Barclays as Joint Bookrunners. Completion is scheduled for H1 2014.

Davis Polk advised The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, a public limited company incorporated in Scotland, in connection with its SEC-registered shelf takedown of $700 million aggregate principal amount of 1.875% senior notes due 2017 and $300 million aggregate principal amount of floating-rate notes due 2017. The notes were underwritten by RBS Securities Inc. as sole bookrunner and joint lead manager, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co.

Paul Hastings LLP represented Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. as agent and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, in connection with XPO Logistics, Inc.’s $415 million asset based revolving loan credit facility.

Paul Hastings LLP represented Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as an agent, in connection with a credit facility for AFS Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of software solutions for the food and beverage industry. The financing consisted of a $150 million term loan facility and a $5 million revolving loan facility.

Finance attorney Jennifer Hildebrandt led the Paul Hastings team, which also included associates Claudia Kye, Todd Schneider and Daniel Tola.

Simpson Thacher represented Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BBVA Securities Inc., Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc., Mizuho Securities USA Inc. and other underwriters in connection with a $2.5 billion offering of debt securities by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

The Manchester office of Addleshaw Goddard has advised Investec Asset Finance plc on its acquisition of Mann Island Finance. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Mann Island Finance is based in Liverpool and employs more than 140 staff across its four offices in Liverpool, Stirling, Edinburgh and Stevenage. It was founded in 1991.

The Addleshaw Goddard team was led by corporate finance partner Roger Hart and included associates Helena Drury and Rabia Burton and tax partner Michael Hunter.