DLA Piper has advised Knightsbridge Student Housing Ltd (Knightsbridge) on the sale of 13 student accommodation properties across the UK totalling just fewer than 6,000 beds, to a Goldman Sachs and Greystar partnership.

Backed by Oaktree Capital Management, Knightsbridge is a student accommodation investor, developer and operator with the key aims of providing high quality, service-led student accommodation in specifically targeted locations across the UK and Europe.

The cross-sector Energy team at Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co has advised established client Grid Essence on the sale of a portfolio of eight solar PV parks, which have an overall energy production capacity of 53MW, and the subsequent refinancing of the projects.

The first phase of the deal (which completed on 21 April 2015) involved the sale of the portfolio of solar parks to Capital Stage, a German publicly-listed solar and wind park operator, for £67.7 million.

DLA Piper represented Marchex, Inc., a Seattle-based mobile advertising technology company, in the sale of its domain portfolio business to GoDaddy, Inc., a provider of website and domain names.

Under the terms of the agreement, Marchex will receive US$28.1 million in exchange for 200,000 domain names. DLA Piper also represented Marchex in connection with a third amendment to Marchex's Credit Agreement with US Bank in connection with the GoDaddy transaction.

Stibbe advises Accor on the sale and franchise-back of 29 hotels in the Netherlands and Germany for a total value of €234 million.

The portfolio comprises 2 ibis budget, 11 ibis, 12 Mercure and 4 Novotel hotels. Of the 29 hotels sold, 27 were acquired in June 2014 as part of the acquisition of the Moor Park portfolio, on which transaction Stibbe advised Accor as well.

Maarten de Bruin, Rein Wesseling, Paul Quist, David Meijeren, Boris Cammelbeeck, Christien Saris

Slaughter and May is advising GE Capital on certain UK aspects of the US$26.5 billion disposal of the majority of its real estate assets.

CONTACTS

Tax: William Watson (partner), Ed Milliner (associate); Corporate: Nilufer von Bismarck (partner), Lizzie Frost (associate)

DLA Piper advised the owners of The Atlanta Hawks on the sale of the NBA franchise to an ownership group led by Tony Ressler, co-founder of Ares Management. The group also includes seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, Clayton Dubilier & Rice partner Rick Schnall, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, and Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler. The transaction, which was announced April 22, includes operation of Philips Arena, and requires the approval of the NBA Board of Governors.

Setterwalls has represented Nordic Retail Fund regarding the sale of Skrapan in Vasteras. Skrapan, the property Lorens 14, is a landmark in the central of Vasteras. The property consist of 26 000 square meters divied into 25 floors. The range in Skrapan has during the recent years completed a significant modernization and transformation. Kungsleden acquired the property for SEK 465 000 000.

Setterwalls team consisted of i.a. the responsible partner Niklas Svantesson and associate Dan Ornfjader.

Mills & Reeve have advised Cambridgeshire Company Anson Packaging on sale to Danish firm Faerch Plast.

Our corporate team acted for the shareholders of Avro Holdings Ltd, Anson’s parent company, on the successful sale of Avro to Danish company Faerch Plast. Faerch is Europe’s leading producer of packaging for the ready meals industry.

Vinge has advised Platzer Fastigheter in connection with its disposal of five properties with an area of 19 300 sq.m. located in southern Högsbo to Kungsleden among others for SEK 178 million. The sale is part of Platxer Fastigheter’s ambition to concentrate its holdings to northern Högsbo.

Vinge’s team consisted of partner Olof Jisland and associate Mercedes Anderas.

Vinge has advised IKANO S.A. in connection with the sale of 51 per cent of Ikano Retail Centres to the IKEA group. Ikano Retail Centres owns, builds and develops shopping centres and retail parks together with Ikea in the Nordic Region. Ikano Retail Centres currently has five shopping centres in Sweden located in Linköping, Sundsvall, Västeras, Kungens Kurva as well as in Kuopio in Finland. Ikano Retail Centres also owns eight retail parks.