Norton Rose Fulbright has acted for major Chinese steel company Ansteel Group Corporation on a US$1.481 billion refinancing of Karara Mining Limited, utilising a cross-border team of Asia-Pacific corporate, and banking and finance lawyers.

Our lawyers in Melbourne, Perth and Beijing advised Ansteel on a secured refinancing of its majority owned Karara Mining Limited (KML), which was provided by a syndicate of Chinese banks. KML was established in 2007 for the development of the major Karara Iron Ore Project in Western Australia.

Hill Dickinson’s banking and finance team has advised water utility company, Dee Valley Water plc, on the refinancing of its existing bank funding which includes a £30 million funding package from HSBC.

Dee Valley Water supplies around 63 million litres of water every day to more than 258,000 people over 831 square kilometres across North East Wales and the North West of England.

Dentons advised Bank Dhofar on its issuance of US$300 million Perpetual Tier 1 Capital Securities, which completed on 27 May 2015. The transaction represented the first ever issuance of Basel III-compliant securities in the form of Additional Tier 1 bonds in Oman and Bank Dhofar's maiden international bond issuance. The Capital Securities were listed on the Irish Stock Exchange and were offered to sophisticated investors outside of the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the US Securities Act 1933.

Clifford Chance has advised LATAM Airlines Group S.A. on its inaugural issuance of $1,020,823,000 Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETCs). The offering was upsized to include two tranches of EETCs - $845,213,000 of 4.200% Class A Certificates, and $175,610,000 of 4.500% Class B Certificates. The proceeds of the offering will be used to finance the acquisition of 17 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft scheduled for delivery from July 2015 to March 2016.

Clifford Chance has advised BNP Paribas, Bancolombia, HSBC Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation on the US$500 million refinancing of the El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. The project is a central component of the Colombian government's multibillion dollar push to improve infrastructure across the country, and one of the largest merchant projects in Latin America.

Clifford Chance advised Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and Volkswagen Group of America Finance, LLC on the issuance of U.S.$ 2.8 billion of bonds by Volkswagen Group of America Finance, LLC primarily to U.S. institutional investors pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933.  The bonds are irrevocably and unconditionally guaranteed by Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. This was Volkswagen Group of America Finance LLC's third issuance of bonds to U.S institutional investors.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised the financiers on the A$2 billion acquisition by a consortium of investors, led by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, of Crown Castle Australia Limited, the largest independent telecommunications tower operator in Australia.

White & Case LLP has advised Groupe Michelin on a two-tranche €600 million bond issuance.

The bonds bear interest at a rate of 1.125 percent and 1.750 percent respectively, maturing on May 28, 2022 and May 28, 2027. The proceeds will be used for Michelin’s general corporate purposes. The bonds were issued by Michelin Luxembourg SCS and guaranteed by Compagnie Financière du Groupe Michelin.

The bank syndicate was led by Crédit Agricole CIB and comprised Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities and Natixis.

King & Wood Mallesons advised Albingia through a bond issue of €5 million made by the company Chateau du Galoupet for Albingia, to finance the renovation of the real property Chateau du Galoupet and develop the wine trade of the domain.

Independent French insurance company, Albingia is a risk business key player for over 50 years. Its range of solutions is exclusively distributed by a network of brokers that Albingia accompanied throughout France.

DLA Piper advised Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co., Ltd. ("BSAM") on its debut offering of US$ 1 billion dual tranche bonds, which closed on Tuesday 26 May. The bonds were issued by BSAM's wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong and have the benefit of a keepwell and liquidity support deed, and a deed of equity interest purchase undertaking provided by BSAM.  The bonds were offered in reliance on Regulation S under the US Securities Act.