Ashurst LLP has advised the lenders on the refinancing of Park Resorts' debt facilities. The refinancing, which is due to complete within the next two weeks, will reduce the existing senior debt from £353 million to £316 million and extend maturity to December 2017. The transaction will also see funds managed or advised by Electra Partners (including Electra Private Equity plc and third party investors) become the majority shareholders in the company. Existing shareholder GI Partners will become a minority shareholder, together with management.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on the A$280 million acquisition finance facilities provided to RCR Tomlinson Ltd with funds used to complete the acquisition of Norfolk Group Limited by way of a scheme of arrangement.

RCR Infrastructure Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RCR Tomlinson Ltd, has acquired 100% of Norfolk Group Limited’s ordinary shares. 

The scheme of arrangement was approved by the Federal Court of Australia on 19 June 2013 and the acquisition of Norfolk Group Limited completed on 31 July 2013.

The international law firm Clifford Chance advised Banco Santander, S.A., HSBC, Natixis and UniCredit as Lead Managers on a EUR 600 million German auto loan securitisation. The auto loans were originated and sold by Santander Consumer Bank AG to SC Germany Auto 2013-2 UG.

Allen & Overy advised Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited, London, and Close Brothers Seydler Bank AG, Frankfurt am Main, as joint bookrunners on the placement of New York law governed high-yield bonds of TAG Immobilien AG (TAG) with a total volume of EUR 200 million and a term of five years.  Application has been made for inclusion of the bonds in trading on the Open Market (Entry Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with participation in the Prime Standard for corporate bonds.

DLA Piper represented the investment banks in the Ps.4.8 billion (US$379 million) global offering of Real Estate Certificates (Certificados Bursátiles Fiduciarios Inmobiliarios) of Mexican real estate investment trust (REIT) Fibra Shop completed on July 29, 2013. The Real Estate Certificates are listed on the Mexico Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol “FSHOP13.” The deal included a public offering in Mexico and an international offering in the United States under Rule 144A and other jurisdictions under Regulation S.

A team of HFW lawyers, led by Partners Ashwani Kochhar and Richard Spiller, advised Sagicor Financial Corporation on its sale of Sagicor Europe Limited and its subsidiaries to a wholly-owned subsidiary of AmTrust Financial Services, Inc.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. as the placing agent on the US$34.4 million top-up placement of shares in ChinaVision Media Group (Stock Code: 1060).

Under the placing, 582,630,000 existing shares were placed by Goldman Sachs resulting in net proceeds of approximately HK$260 million for ChinaVision Media Group.

The Herbert Smith Freehills team was led by partners Matt Emsley, Kevin Roy and Michelle Chan, with support from senior associate Victor Ding and associates Jackie Chen and George Wu.

Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW”), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised Lloyds Bank, Lombard and Barclays Bank plc on the financing of a portfolio of helicopters for the purpose of offshore oil and gas operations.

The financing for the initial portfolio of helicopters was completed on 12 July with helicopters valued at approximately US$400 million to be financed over the next 18 months. Lloyds Bank through its Corporate Asset Finance team acted as the arranger and agent with Lombard and Barclays as lenders.

Osborne Clarke has advised Liberum Capital in its capacity as nominated adviser, broker and sole bookrunner on the successful AIM IPO of Plus500 Ltd  (Plus500), which is the third IPO Osborne Clarke has acted on this year.

Global law firm Eversheds has advised Citibank on the registration of its representative office in Baghdad, Iraq, making it the first US bank to establish a presence in the country.

According to Citi's press release, the representative office in the Iraqi capital will support Citi’s clients in the country, and the New York-based bank will also seek to open two more offices, in Erbil and Basra, in the future.

The Eversheds team, led by Partner Tawfiq Tabbaa, advised Citibank on all aspects of project.