Hannes Snellman acted as counsel to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, acting on behalf of the German open ended real estate fund “grundbesitz europa”, in its acquisition of a prime office property located in Leppävaara, Espoo with an underlying property value of approx. EUR 70 million from Veritas Pension Insurance Company Ltd.

Our core team in Helsinki comprised Tapio Teräkivi, Antti Antikainen and Tuuli Pikkarainen.

Clifford Chance has advised Ascott, the wholly owned serviced residence business unit of CapitaLand Limited, on its US$600 million 50:50 joint venture with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) to set up a serviced residence fund, with an initial focus on the Asia Pacific and Europe regions.

Lead partner Valerie Kong said, "We are delighted to have advised Ascott on this significant joint venture with QIA, and it further demonstrates the increasingly global focus of many Singapore headquartered companies like Ascott Group."

Ashurst advised Aberdeen Asset Management ("Aberdeen") on the acquisition of 392 flats with 40,000 square metres gross floor space on Ferdinand-Happ-Strasse in Frankfurt's Ostend borough. Project developer Max Baum Immobilien sold the flats before the start of construction this summer to a special fund of the British asset manager.

International law firm Clifford Chance acted as advisor to AEW Europe on the acquisition and the financing, on behalf of a newly established partnership between a subsidiary of China Investment Corporation (CIC) and an affiliate of AEW Europe, from the CBRE Retail Property Fund France Belgium CV ("RPFFB"), of the "Celsius" portfolio which comprises 10 shopping centres across France and Belgium.

Clifford Chance advised the German-based Dietz Group on entering into a joint venture with KWASA Europe S.à r.l., the European investment company of the Malaysian government's EPF fund.

The joint venture company, KWASA Dietz Germany GmbH, plans to invest equity up to EUR 500 million in logistics and industrial properties in Germany and neighbouring countries over the next three years.

Clifford Chance advised West Register PRIME Frankfurt ML GmbH, a subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc. (RBS), on the sale of the VAU office complex in Frankfurt to ML Grundbesitz GmbH.

The buyer is majority-owned by Park Lane Capital Managers GmbH, whose managing partner is the Frankfurt-based investor, Manfred Hillenbrand.

Mayer Brown JSM has advised Supreme Key Limited, a consortium of investors that are advised and managed by Gaw Capital Partners on the purchase of InterContinental Hong Kong (the Hotel), an iconic 5-star hotel in the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. It has also advised the Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, Union Overseas Bank on the financing of the same transaction, which is scheduled to complete in the second half of 2015.

Ashurst advised WCM Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG ("WCM AG"), Frankfurt am Main, on its successful €156 million rights issue as well as on the acquisition of several real estate portfolios.

Slaughter and May is advising Derwent London on the acquisition of Aldgate Union, Whitechapel High Street, London E1 for £132 million.

Slaughter and May is advising Derwent London on the development of the site above the new Crossrail station at Tottenham Court Road. Derwent London has entered into an agreement with Transport for London and London Underground Limited for a 150-year lease of the site to be granted following practical completion of the development. Derwent London will pay a premium of £55 million on completion, 5% of the rent on the commercial space and 16% of any development profit. The 275,000 sq. ft. landmark development will comprise 204,000 sq. ft. of offices, 37,000 sq. ft.