The team was led by partner Mandeep Lotay with support from partner Brian Rance

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised Morgan Stanley (MS) on the acquisition, sale and capital markets financing of a portfolio of Dutch non-conforming residential mortgage loans.

The mortgage loans were initially originated by ELQ Hypotheken, a specialist Dutch consumer lender.

MS acquired and subsequently securitised the loans through a special purpose vehicle, Delft 2017 B.V..

Zug Estates Holding AG (SIX: ZUGN) has successfully issued its first CHF 100 mio. fixed-interest bond with a 0.7% coupon and a 5-year maturity.

Walder Wyss acts as legal counsel to Zug Estates on this capital market transaction. The Walder Wyss Team is being led by Alex Nikitine (Partner, Capital Markets, M&A) and further includes Sarah Schulthess (Associate, Capital Markets, M&A) and Janine Corti (Counsel, Tax).

Hogan Lovells advised The Central America Bottling Corporation (CBC), a beverage distributor with operations in Central America, the Caribbean and South America, in the issuance of a US$500 million 5.75% Rule 144A/Regulation S notes due 2027 sold in the international markets.

Allen & Overy LLP advised Oesterreichische Kontrollbank on legal aspects of its public offering of $1.5 billion of 1.750% Guaranteed Global Notes due 2020.

The bonds are guaranteed by the Republic of Austria and will be listed on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Hong Kong – Paul Hastings, a leading global law firm, announced today that it represented Yuzhou Properties Company Limited (“Yuzhou Properties”) in the issuance of two senior notes offerings. The first - US$250 million 6.00% Senior Notes due 2023, were issued on 25 October 2016 and are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. BOC International, Credit Suisse, Haitong International, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited and Yuzhou Financial acted as the joint lead managers.

Cravath represented the European Investment Bank in connection with its US$4 billion registered debt offering. The European Investment Bank, which functions as the bank of the European Union, supports projects that make a significant contribution to growth, employment, economic and social cohesion and environmental sustainability, both in the EU and beyond. The notes were listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The transaction closed on January 12, 2017.

The Arab Republic of Egypt has today closed a US$4 billion multi-tranche sovereign bond issuance consisting of $1.75 billion 6.125% notes due 2022, $1 billion 7.50% notes due 2027 and $1.25 billion 8.50% notes due 2047 issued under its US$10 billion Global Medium Term Note Programme. The transaction is the largest ever public bond issuance out of Egypt and Africa, as well as the first triple-tranche bond from the African continent. Egypt was advised by a London-based team from Dechert LLP consisting of Camille Abousleiman, Patrick Lyons, Jennifer Buckett and Claire Donnelly.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) advised Iccrea Bancaimpresa S.p.A. (“Iccrea”), the corporate banking arm of Credito Cooperativo, on two financings for companies operating in the maritime sector that are part of Greece’s Zouros Group.

The first financing was provided to Leon Z Maritime Company, Panther Z Maritime Company and Thalassa Z Maritime Company and will be used to refinance said companies’ financial exposure and meet general corporate needs.

Dentons advised Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a leading pan-African multilateral development finance institution and project developer, on its inaugural issuance of US$150 million trust certificates (Sukuk) due 2020, which completed on 24 January 2017. In addition to being AFC's maiden Sukuk issuance, the transaction represented the first Sukuk to be issued by an African supranational entity. The Sukuk were offered to international investors outside of the United States on a private placement basis.

On 12 January 2017, IMMOFINANZ AG invited the holders of its EUR 515.1 million 4.25% senior unsecured convertible bonds due 2018 to convert their outstanding bonds into ordinary IMMOFINANZ shares and ordinary BUWOG shares or to accept payment of a corresponding cash settlement in exchange for their BUWOG shares. This conversion offer was limited to 45% of the nominal amount of outstanding bonds and was not addressed to retail investors.