Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised China Communications Construction Group (CCCG) on its acquisition of a 24.288% stake in Greentown China Holdings Limited (Greentown China).

The HK$6bn (US$770m) stake was purchased from existing controlling shareholders and the deal was announced on 23 December 2014.
Greentown China is one of China’s leading largest property developers.

The Freshfields team advising on the transaction was led by China Chairman Teresa Ko and Beijing corporate partner Richard Wang.

IGopher Asset Management Company, Ltd (“GOPHER”), the subsidiary of NYSE listed company Noah Holdings, Ltd (NYSE:NOAH) (“NOAH”), and Shanghai Sunac Greentown Investment Holdings, Ltd (“SUNAC-GREENTOWN”), a joint venture of SUNAC CHINA (01918.HK) and GREENTOWN CHINA (03900.HK), have successfully entered into the agreement in respect of the purchase of a 32-storey Class A business building through asset acquisition by the Gopher real estate fund, with the asset price in an aggregate amount of RMB 3.126 billion.

Ashurst acted for the founding shareholders of Greentown China Holdings Limited (Greentown China), a Hong Kong-listed property developer based in Hangzhou, China, on their conditional sale of 24.3% stake in Greentown China to China Construction Communications Group (CCCG) at a total consideration of approximately HK$6 billion. Upon completion, the founding shareholders (Mr Song Weiping, the existing board chairman, and Mr Shou Bainian, the existing chief executive officer) will retain an aggregate of 18.5% stake in Greentown China, while CCCG will be interested in 24.3% stake.

Squire Patton Boggs’ Projects team has advised building contractor, Wates Construction Limited, on the Hull Extra Care Housing PFI Project, a major £80m contract, which achieved financial close on 17 December 2014.

The project financed care infrastructure scheme is set to deliver 316 extra care apartments and community facilities for vulnerable adults across three locations in Hull and is designed to enable residents to live an independent life in a socially supportive environment.

A huge 690,000 sq ft logistics base in Warrington is set to house The Hut Group after a major deal confirmed by Omega Warrington.

As part of 2014’s biggest logistics deal, developer Londonmetric has purchased the site for £47.5m via a forward-funding agreement with Omega, who were advised by Addleshaw Goddard.

The Hut has signed a 15-year lease with Londonmetric at a rent of £3.77 million pa, reflecting a net initial yield of 7.5%.

DLA Piper advised Cushman & Wakefield, a global leader of commercial real estate services, in its acquisition of Massey Knakel Realty Services, New York’s number one investment sales firm by transaction volume for more than a decade.

The transaction will further strengthen Cushman & Wakefield’s capital markets presence in the tri-state region. It is also representative of an ongoing consolidation trend in the commercial brokerage industry.

DLA Piper has advised Market Tech Holdings Limited ("Market Tech"), a holding company that combines iconic real estate assets in London's Camden Town with an e-commerce business, on its £750 million AIM IPO.

China Vanke Co., Ltd. (“China Vanke”) has received a notice of acceptance (No.[2014] MTN459) from National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors (“NAFMII”) on the registration of RMB1.8bln worth of medium-term notes (“MTNs”). The registered amount would be effective within two years upon receiving the notice of acceptance.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Moorfield Real Estate Fund (MREF) and Moorfield Real Estate Fund II (MREFII) on its sale of a diversified real estate investment portfolio to Lone Star Real Estate Fund III (LSREFIII) for c.£1 billion.

According to Marc Gilbard, Chief Executive Officer of Moorfield Group (Moorfield), this is the largest transaction that Moorfield has undertaken in its corporate history and is a very effective way for MREF and MREFII to realise the majority of their investments.

DLA Piper has advised Aviva Commercial Real Estate Finance (Aviva), and multiple officeholders appointed by Aviva, on the disposal of a distressed portfolio of 180 mixed use properties located across the UK to Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate Plc (KWE) for £503 million. KWE's acquisition of the portfolio is expected to complete at the end of January.