International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Crédit Agricole and UniCredit on the £452million bridge term loan for the financing of Steinhoff International's public bid for Poundland Group plc, which is listed in London and announced on 13 July 2016.

Steinhoff owns UK retail businesses including Harveys and Bensons for Beds. Last year, South African billionaire Christo Wiese, Steinhoff’s largest shareholder, acquired majority stakes in Virgin Active, the fitness group, and New Look, the UK clothing chain.

We acted as legal advisor to SATO Corporation in an arrangement in which the company secured new EUR 400 million unsecured credit facilities. Nordea Bank Finland Plc acted as sole coordinating bookrunner and facility agent. The rest of the syndicate group consisted of Danske Bank A/S, Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ), OP Corporate Bank plc and Swedbank AB (publ).

FRANKFURT (July 11, 2016) – Global law firms Reed Smith and Mayer Brown advised WEPA Group, a leading family-owned European hygiene paper producer, on its €450 million offering of senior secured notes and a €125 million super senior revolving credit facility. The bond was listed on the Euro MTF market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The proceeds of the new bond issuance will be used among other things to finance investments of WEPA Group and were used to prematurely redeem previously issued bonds of WEPA Group.

Mayer Brown announced today that it represented WEPA Group, a leading family-owned European hygiene paper producer, on its EUR 450 million offering of senior secured notes and on a EUR 125 million super senior revolving credit facility. The bond was listed on the Euro MTF market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The proceeds out of the new bond issuance are among other things to be used to finance investments of WEPA Group and were used to prematurely redeem previously issued bonds of WEPA Group.

NEW YORK, 7 July 2016 – Hogan Lovells has advised Central American investment group Grupo Terra in the financing for the acquisition of Banco Citibank de El Salvador. Immediately after acquisition, the bank changed its name to Banco Cuscatlán, its former name.

The US$50 million unsecured bridge loan financing was provided by Credit Suisse and was guaranteed by some of Grupo Terra’s operating companies.

Davis Polk advised the lead dealer managers in connection with cash tender offers by Rio Tinto Finance (USA) plc and Rio Tinto Finance (USA) Limited to purchase for cash certain of their respective U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities.

Slaughter and May advised The Vitec Group plc (Vitec) on the renegotiation of the terms of its multicurrency revolving credit facility (the Facility) with both existing and new banking partners. The revised Facility has total commitments of £125 million and runs until July 2021. Vitec is a global provider of premium branded products and services to the Broadcast and Photographic markets and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

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International law firm CMS has advised MOL Plc. (“MOL”), an integrated international oil and gas company, headquartered in Budapest, on a EUR 615m revolving credit facility provided by a group of ten banks.

The Facility refinances the EUR 439m expired part of the EUR 1bn revolving credit facility which expired in June 2016. Due to favourable market conditions and a positive market response to the announced financing, MOL increased the amount of the Facility to EUR 615m.

The London office of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is advising Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (“CD&R”) in the financing aspects of its announced exclusive discussions for the acquisition of BUT, the largest furniture retailer network in France. The proposed acquisition is structured as a 50:50 partnership between CD&R-managed funds and WM Holding, a company related to the XXXLutz Group, one of Europe’s three largest furniture retailers.

Ashurst is advising UBS Switzerland AG on the UK aspects relating to the financing of the proposed acquisition of Premier Farnell plc ("Premier Farnell") by Dätwyler Holding AG.

Under the offer, each Premier Farnell shareholder will be entitled to 165 pence in cash for each Premier Farnell share. The offer values Premier Farnell's issued and to be issued share capital at approximately £615 million. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2016.