Addleshaw Goddard's Dubai Corporate team has advised the founders of leading regional digital media agency hug digital, in relation to their sale of a majority stake to Grey Group (part of the WPP Group).

Founded by Oussama Jamal (Chairman) and Tim Baker (Chief Executive Officer) in 2009, hug digital is one of the largest and fastest growing, 360°digital agencies in the MENA region.

Eversheds Sutherland acted as legal advisor for the Finnish security and IT group Viria Plc in a transaction in which Viria acquired the entire stock of Nordic LAN & WAN Communication Oy.

The strong growth of Viria's operations focuses on security and network solutions as well as information management services that are further strengthened by the security and data network services and real estate security solutions produced by Nordic LAN & WAN.

DLA Piper represented SoftBank Group International, the investment arm of Tokyo-based telecommunications and internet company Softbank, in connection with its US$360 million Series E investment and associated joint venture into Guardant Health, a Silicon Valley-based world leader in comprehensive liquid biopsies.

The owners of Nodes Group have sold 85 percent of the share capital to Japanese Monstar Lab. 

Nodes develops apps for businesses, and their list of customers includes Weatherbys, BMW, Abellio, Samsung, Danske Bank and Arriva. The company has offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus and London, and the sale to Monstar Lab is part of Nodes’s plan to expand their European activities significantly. Nodes’s founders will continue to own 15 percent of the Nodes Group.

Bech-Bruun acted as legal counsel to the sellers of Nodes Group throughout the sales process.

Kramer-Werke GmbH ("Kramer"), a subsidiary of Wacker Neuson SE, Munich, listed in the S-Dax, and John Deere GmbH & Co. KG ("John Deere"), part of at the New York exchange listed group company Deere & Company, USA, agreed on a long-term, strategic cooperation with regard to the sale of Kramer compact machines for agriculture.

For these purposes, Wacker Neuson and John Deere have agreed on an investment of John Deere in Kramer.

The shareholders of Synaix Gesellschaft für angewandte Informations-Technologien mbH and of Synaix Service GmbH, jointly Synaix Group, each sold 100% of their shares in Synaix Group to Cancom SE. A team led by Dr. Jörg aus der Fünten, Partner at the Cologne office, advised the shareholders of Synaix Group.

The total acquisition price is in the mid-double-digit million-euro range. The acquisition allows Synaix's management and founders to contribute their experience from the IT industry and their network of contacts to Cancom SE.

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised the shareholders of MatsSoft Limited, a leading cloud-based low-code software provider, on its acquisition by Netcall PLC.

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised the Bizagi Group on a $47 million investment from equity fund, Invus.

With global headquarters in the UK, offices in the US, Europe and Latin America, Bizagi is a leader in enterprise software for digital transformation and process automation. It has delivered several high profile projects, working with global brands such as GE, Adidas and Old Mutual, among many others.

International law firm Bird & Bird advised long term client Darktrace, a machine-learning cybersecurity company, on its $75 million Series D fundraise led by Insight Venture Partners, with existing investors Summit Partners, KKR and TenEleven Ventures also participating. The deal gives the Cambridge-based company a post-money valuation of $825 million, edging it ever closer towards entry to the 2017 unicorn club.

In January of this year, Aevis Victoria SA launched a public tender offer for all outstanding shares of LifeWatch AG. LifeWatch is a Swiss stock corporation based in Zug, listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LIFE). In the wake of the offer of Aevis Victoria, LifeWatch started an auction process and has been able to secure the US domiciled BioTelemetry, Inc., as a bidder. In April, after having signed a transaction agreement with LifeWatch, BioTelemetry announced a competing public tender offer. On 14 July  2017, BioTelemetry's offer could finally be settled.