Freshfields has advised Swiss-based Frontiers Media on a joint venture with Nature Publishing Group. Both companies want to innovate communications and publishing around scientific content via Open Access and Open Science tools.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Swiss-based publishing group Frontiers Media SA on a joint venture with Nature Publishing Group. NPG has acquired a majority stake in Frontiers.

LONDON: Allen & Overy has advised on the refinancing of communications infrastructure and media services company Arqiva's GBP3.4 billion existing senior and mezzanine bank facilities.

Hogan Lovells advised 2e2 on the sale of its European businesses to Logicalis Group Limited, part of the Datatec group, the largest technology group traded on Aim, for €24 million in cash in a deal announced on Monday 4 March 2013.

DLA Piper successfully advised net mobile AG as the main shareholder listed in the segment of the Munich Stock Exchange on the squeeze-out procedure of net-m privatbank 1891 AG. The squeeze-out, which was resolved upon by the Extraordinary General Meeting on November 21, 2012, was entered into the Commercial Register on February 5, 2013 and became effective immediately, since no challenges to the resolution had been filed. The cash compensation to be paid by net mobile AG as main shareholder amounts to € 6.49 per share.

Speechly Bircham has acted as the legal adviser to SMS Systems Maintenance Services Inc, an investee company of US private equity house Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. on its acquisition of Exquip Network Services Limited (trading as Olympic Support), a leading independent provider of multi-vendor enterprise support to the IT community.

DLA Piper has represented ESPN on the acquisition of its UK and Ireland TV business, including its live sports rights portfolio, by BT Group. Under the terms of the deal, BT will acquire the ESPN and ESPN America channels in the UK and Ireland and broadcast rights to the FA Cup, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League, UEFA Europa League and the German Bundesliga.

DLA Piper has been advising Alfresco, an open platform for enterprise content management (ECM) and collaboration, on the takeover of WeWebU Software AG, a supplier of content-centred business applications. Alfresco is rounding off its portfolio for content solutions through the acquisition.

Herbert Smith has advised long-standing client BSkyB plc on its recent acquisition of Telefónica UK’s entire Broadband and Fixed-Line Telephony Business. This transaction will make BSkyB the second-largest provider in the UK broadband market, building on its existing position as the UK’s fastest-growing broadband and telephony business.

Announced on 1 March 2013, the acquisition is expected to complete by the end of April, subject to regulatory clearance.

Following on from a £3.25 million institutional fundraising in May 2012, we have advised Bango on another substantial fundraising. Bango is a leading mobile technology company specialising in providing mobile payment and analytics solutions for leading app stores and websites. Bango’s technology makes it easier and quicker for people to make payments with their smartphones.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Axiata Group Berhad ("Axiata") on the strategic merger in Cambodia of Hello Axiata Company Limited (“Hello”) and Latelz Company Limited (“Latelz”) which operates under its main Smart Mobile (“Smart”) brand name. The transaction has an implied enterprise value of US$180 million. Axiata now hold a 90% stake in the combined entity and emerge as one of the largest operators in Cambodia in terms of subscribers and revenue.