Charles Russell Speechlys is pleased to have advised Kallidus, a leading provider of learning and talent management solutions (backed by FPE Capital), on its acquisition of Advorto.

Advorto is a provider of SaaS recruitment technology and services to some of the UK’s largest organisations, including Lloyds Banking Group, the NHS and TSB.
The acquisition will enable Kallidus to offer employment management services throughout the entire employee life cycle and builds upon a successful joint venture arrangement between the two organisations prior to the deal.

The plan to open a flagship Microsoft Store on Regent Street at Oxford Circus was announced by Microsoft, for whom Eversheds Sutherland is a principal international legal service provider for real estate and construction. This location will join flagship Microsoft Stores on Fifth Avenue in New York and Pitt Street Mall in Sydney.

Eversheds Sutherland worked closely with Microsoft’s lead in-house legal counsel for Microsoft Store, and external projects teams to negotiate heads of terms.

International law firm Hogan Lovells represented Synopsys, the world's 15th largest software company, in its acquisition of QuantumWise, a leading provider of simulation tools for materials modeling in early manufacturing process development.

The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised Digital Barriers plc, the specialist provider of visually intelligent technologies to the global surveillance, security and safety markets, on the proposed sale of its video business to a newly incorporate subsidiary of Volpi Capital LLP.

Slaughter and May advised Equinix Inc on its acquisition of Zenium's data centre business in Istanbul for US$93 million. The acquisition was signed and completed on 6 October 2017. The Zenium data centre, which will be renamed Equinix IS2, will further strengthen the Equinix position in Europe and address growing demand for interconnection services in Turkey.

The firm led an integrated team including Kolcuoglu Demirkan Kocakli in Turkey and Carey Olsen in Cayman.

Paul Hastings announced that the firm advised SoftBank Vision Fund, one of the largest investment funds in the world that focuses on the global technology industry, in its approximately US$550 million investment in the US$1.5 billion Hong Kong initial public offering of ZhongAn Online Property and Casualty Insurance (“ZhongAn Insurance”), China’s first internet-only insurer.

SoftBank Vision Fund bought a minority stake in ZhongAn Insurance, acting as a key cornerstone investor. The IPO is the largest ever by a financial technology company in Hong Kong.

Henri Pieyre de Mandiargues, Félix Huon, Marie-Muriel Barthelet, Anne Febvre, Laurent Ayache, Charlotte Michellet, Myrtille Lapuelle, Laura Morelli, Charles de Raignac and Romain Desmonts advised Sogetrel, a French network and communication systems integrator, on an LBO involved with the acquisition of the Eryma group.

Gide has advised BIM on the operation, structured in two tranches with fixed coupons (6 and 7 years) for a total amount of 85 million euros.

Gide’s team was led by Hubert du Vignaux (partner), assisted by Laurent Vincent (counsel), Mariléna Gryparis and Louis Ravaud (associates).

Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, sole arranger, was advised by CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre.

Osborne Clarke’s sports law team led by partners Pierfilippo Capello and Andrea Bozza acted for Faac S.p.A., a multinational based in Bologna and leader in gated automation, automatic barriers and garage doors, in the renewal of its sponsorship of Bologna FC 1909.

The agreement, for the third consecutive year, between the club and Faac, provides that Faac will be the main sponsor for the 2017/2018 season.

Hogan Lovells advised OUTFRONT Media in its successful bid for the renewal of its advertising concession on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus, subway, and commuter rail systems. The public-private partnership presents new opportunities for the MTA to provide real-time and intelligent communications to its customers while generating advertising revenue.