Clifford Chance advised BGP Investment S.à r.l. on a CMBS transaction relating to a residential portfolio. The CMBS issued by Irish special purpose vehicle Monnet Finance Limited are secured by a commercial mortgage loan granted to Borrowers of the BGP Investment group of companies. BGP Investment S.à r.l. is a Luxemburg private company which holds interests in portfolios of real estate assets through special purpose vehicles in Europe.

The total amount of CMBS issued was EUR 406 million with a maximum maturity until 2021.

Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW”), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised Eiffage, Orange, Caisse des dépôts et consignations, FIDEPPP2, Crédit Foncier de France and Caisse d’Epargne Bretagne Pays-de-Loire on the on the creation of UEB C@mpus, the first digital multi-site campus in Europe.

WFW advised the winning bidder and the lenders on a range of legal issues including the public law aspects and the project documentation.

Ashurst has advised the real estate company DIC Asset AG on the takeover of the majority in the UNITE portfolio and a combined capital increase. The portfolio comprises 54 office and commercial properties with an aggregate portfolio market value of approximately €481 million. The acquisition of the portfolio was conducted via a capital increase against contribution in kind of approximately 6.2 million shares and accompanied by a rights issue of approximately 16.7 million new shares against cash contributions.

DLA Piper has advised construction company PORR on a 50 million euro corporate bond. Capital markets specialist Christian Temmel, partner at DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach, acted as leading transaction counsel, alongside Frankfurt partner Nina-Luisa Siedler and senior associate Petra Reinholz.

DLA Piper has advised Entrecampos Cuatro, SOCIMI S.A. on the admission to trading on the Alternative Stock Market (Mercado Alternativo Bursátil - MAB). This is the first time in Spain that shares from a company investing in the real estate market (SOCIMI) have been allowed to trade.

A recent reformation of laws has resulted in this kind of transaction now becoming legal, and a number of companies in Spain have consequently registered and are in the process of preparing their future listing on the MAB.

Herbert Smith Freehills partner, Justin O’Farrell, and Executive Counsel, Lauren Magraith, led the team, assisted by partners, Robert Bileckij and Philip Podzebenko.

“The placement was well supported”, O’Farrell said “and places Abacus well to take advantage of acquisition opportunities in 2014. The placement again indicates the level of investor demand for Australian property assets and the flexibility for listed REIT’s as prices have traded up to NTA”.

Trowers & Hamlins has advised a consortium comprised of Kier and Thames Valley Housing – known as Evolution – on a major contract with Woking Borough Council to deliver a 371-unit, mixed-tenure housing development in the south east England borough.  The contract was signed on 15 November 2013, following the appointment of the consortium as preferred bidder in November 2012.

The Singapore-listed AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT (AACI REIT), which is managed by AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT Management Limited, has exchanged conditional contracts for the proposed acquisition of a 49% indirect interest in the Optus Centre at Macquarie Park, Sydney, Australia for an aggregate purchase consideration of A$184,425,000 (approximately S$215 million) , through the acquisition of units in the Stockland-managed Macquarie Park Trust from the unlisted Stockland Direct Office Trust No. 2.

Clifford Chance has advised Arabtec Holding PJSC, on its EPC joint venture with Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd. It is anticipated that Arabtec Samsung Engineering will provide engineering, procurement and construction services on large-scale multi-billion dollar projects relating to oil and gas, refineries, petrochemicals, water treatment, steel mills, and metallurgical process plants in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The joint venture also entails the establishment of a 'Centre of Excellence' in Abu Dhabi to train Emirati engineers.

Clifford Chance advised Munich-based BLUE Asset Management GmbH, acting as the vendor's asset manager and agent, on the sale of the Trikolon multifunctional shopping, office and residential complex, to Jargonnant Partners S.à r.l. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

The complex is located right next to "Arabellapark" underground railway station and has 30,000 sqm of office space, 7,000 sqm of retail space and more than 5,000 sqm of residential space.