Berlin—Global law firm Dentons has advised the investment fund Catalyst Capital on the acquisition of a specialist retail center in the Rhine-Main region by means of a share deal. The seller of the "Rathaus Center" in Dietzenbach, Hesse, is a Dutch-based real estate broker belonging to the German Hahn Group. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The property, built in 2007, has a rental area of 21,600 square meters and about 30 commercial units. Commercial anchor tenants include retailers Media Markt, Müller and Rewe.

Linklaters has advised Katara Hospitality, a leading global hotel owner, developer and operator based in Qatar, on the acquisition of the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London. Katara is owned by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).The hotel is leased to Marriott Hotels.
 
The Linklaters team was led by Real Estate and Hospitality partner Simon Price assisted by Matthew Plaskow in corporate, Kathryn Griffiths and Tom Farrar in real estate and included Banking partner Mark O’Neill and associate Yetunde Adegboyega. Ward Yates provided Jersey law advice.

McCann FitzGerald is advising Novo Nordisk on its $145 million acquisition of the U.S. and Canadian rights to Macrilen from Strongbridge Biopharma plc. Novo Nordisk will also acquire newly issued Strongbridge shares representing approximately 10% of the outstanding shares of Strongbridge in an investment of approximately $37 million. The transaction, which is expected to close in December 2018, is subject to regulatory approval.

Slaughter and May advised Dobbies Garden Centres on the acquisition of six garden centres from Wyevale Garden Centres.  The centres are located in Woodcote, Gloucester, Heighley Gate, Huntingdon, Woodbridge and Woodlands.  The acquisition strengthens Dobbies Garden Centres’ position as one of the UK’s largest garden centre retailers and brings its estate to 40 centres across the UK.

International law firm Ashurst advised John Laing on its acquisition of the Finley Solar Farm, a greenfield solar project with a total capacity of 174.9 MWp to be constructed west of Finley in Berrigan Shire Council, New South Wales.

This is the second solar project investment for John Laing in Australia, following investment in Sunraysia Solar Farm in October, and will form part of a larger Asia Pacific renewable energy portfolio that includes investments in the Kiata Wind Farm in Victoria and the three stages of the Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia.

Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised China energy major ENN on its first acquisition in the United States' liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.

ENN has acquired the rights to a 20-year liquefaction tolling agreement with Texas-based Freeport LNG from Japan's Toshiba Corporation. The contract guarantees access to around 2.2 million tonnes of US LNG each year.

The transaction is also the first investment by a private Chinese company in the US LNG market and is subject to regulatory approvals.

Greenberg Traurig advised BNP Paribas Group on the completion of the transaction of the acquisition of the core banking business of Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. ("RBPL") by Bank BGZ BNP Paribas S.A. ("BGZ BNP Paribas") and the related equity investment of PLN 430 million (approximately EUR 100 million) by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD") through the acquisition of a circa 4.5 percent stake in BGZ BNP Paribas from Raiffeisen Bank International AG ("RBI") and BNP Paribas SA.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised developer and long-standing client RAL Development Services LLC (“RAL”) in connection with the acquisition and development of a US$190m mixed-use property in North Philadelphia.

Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa has advised Pangaea Investment Management, an associate of Chinese copper giant Jiangxi Copper, on a large and highly complex US$200 million platinum metal purchase transaction with the Lonmin group, the third largest global platinum producer. The funds were released to the Lonmin group from escrow in October 2018.