National law firm Shoosmiths has advised Amber Infrastructure Group, manager of the National Digital Infrastructure Fund (NDIF), on the fund leading a £25 million investment into full-fibre internet service provider, Community Fibre.

Community Fibre will use the investment to roll out full-fibre connectivity to a further 100,000 homes by 2019, covering social and private housing estates across London. The NDIF has invested £18 million, while long term investor Railpen has provided £7 million.

DLA Piper has advised LabTech Investments Inc on the acquisition of 90 High Holborn, a landmark office building in central London. LabTech is a technology and property co-working company whose strategy is to create modern collaborative co-working spaces using cutting edge technology.

90 High Holborn is situated in the heart of the Midtown area of central London, which has recently seen high levels of private investment bring a new wave of blue chip companies to the area. The building's curved glass facade makes it one of the most recognizable London landmarks.

Bird & Bird advises the Finnish construction equipment rental company, Renta (a portfolio company to the Finnish private equity firm Intera Partners) in their international expansion through the acquisition of the Swedish Stål & Hyr Group.

Squire Patton Boggs has advised French-headquartered real estate investor Frey on the €82.5 million acquisition of Parc Vallès, a leisure and retail park in Barcelona, from a real estate fund managed by Pradera.

Paul Hastings, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm advised Sino-Ocean Group (“Sino-Ocean”), one of the largest real estate companies in China, in its US$95 million acquisition of boutique hotel and members’ club Soho House in Chicago’s booming Fulton Market neighborhood. Hong Kong private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners and Huarong International Financial Holdings also teamed up for the six-storey, 40-room hotel.

Osborne Clarke has advised Barratt David Wilson Kent (BDW Kent) on its purchase of land to develop over 300 new homes at Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent. 

The Ebbsfleet development was recently accelerated by a £74 million deal completed by Homes England, to fund a range of infrastructure works that include earthworks to fill in a lake to prepare the land for the development of housing.

New homes will also be developed at the site by Countryside Properties and Clarion Housing Group in a new joint venture.

Affiliates of the Harbert European Real Estate Fund HEREF IV LP (UK) have acquired the Düsseldorf office ensemble Duo from Deka Immobilien. No information has been provided about the sale price. The international law firm Clifford Chance advised Harbert on the transaction.

The property on Luise-Rainer-Straße, also known as Büropark Grafenberg, consists of an arc-shaped low rise building and an 18-story high rise with a total of about 34,000 sqare metres lettable space. DW Real Estate in Frankfurt is taking on the asset management of the property.

Ashurst has negotiated a section 106 agreement on behalf of St William Homes, the joint venture between Berkeley Group and National Grid, to secure the grant of planning permission for the redevelopment of the former Clarendon Gas Works in the London Borough of Haringey. The scheme includes 1,714 homes and retail and office space and is central to the regeneration of Wood Green.

Two major infrastructure projects in Bermuda are a step closer to completion following an extensive planning process in which Gowling WLG served as a key legal adviser.

The Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC) recently launched a request for qualifications (RFQ) process to plan and build a national energy generation facility and an international marine cargo port. Both sites are to be redeveloped on property previously occupied by US and Canadian military forces, known as Ships Wharf.

MinterEllison has advised a syndicate of five investment and retail banks as lenders to Blackstone Private Equity (Blackstone) in its bid to acquire AMA Group Limited’s (ASX: AMA) vehicle panel repair business.

The proposed transaction will involve the demerger of AMA Group’s automotive component, accessory and procurement business, and the subsequent de-listing and purchase of the remaining vehicle panel repair business by Blackstone.