Clifford Chance and the Yegin Cifti Attorney Partnership — the firm’s Istanbul arm — have advised the joint lead managers on the third international Rule 144A/Reg S Sukuk issuance by the Republic of Turkey: USD 1 billion 4.489 per cent lease certificates due 2024.

The Republic Sukuk is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. It uses an ijara structure, which relies on a statutory framework allowing for asset-leasing certificates to be issued by a special-purpose company called an "asset-leasing company."

Wiersholm assists Norske Skogindustrier ASA (Norske Skog) in its EUR 250 million bond offering and an exchange offer and consent solicitation in respect of its existing notes.

Wiersholm assists Norske Skog in connection with the contemplated transaction announced by Norske Skog 22 January, 2015 whereby Norske Skog  is launching two separate offers (i) an offering of EUR 250 million five-year Senior Secured Notes (SSN) to achieve a broader refinancing and debt extension of the group’s capital structure and (ii) an exchange offer in respect of its existing notes.

Davis Polk advised Barclays Bank PLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, Singapore Branch, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc and Samsung Securities Co., Ltd. as underwriters in connection with concurrent SEC-registered Schedule B debt offerings by KEXIM of US$1 billion aggregate principal amount of its 2.25% notes due 2020 and US$1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of its 2.875% notes due 2025. 

The Kyiv, London and Amsterdam Offices of Baker & McKenzie acted as legal counsel to Metinvest B.V. in connection with an update of its US$1.5 billion Guaranteed Medium Term Note Programme, issuance of US$289,734,000 10.50 per cent. Guaranteed Amortising Notes due 2017 under the Programme and exchange offer in respect of its outstanding US$500 million 10.25 per cent. Guaranteed Notes due 2015.

DLA Piper LLP (US) advised W. P. Carey Inc. on an underwritten public offering of €500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.000% Senior Unsecured Notes due January 20, 2023. The offering of the Notes closed on January 21, 2015.

W. P. Carey is a self-managed real estate investment trust and a leading global owner and manager of commercial properties, primarily net leased to companies on a long-term basis. Through its investment management business, the Company also manages a series of non-traded real estate investment trusts.

Fareva has raised 275 million euros by an issuance of notes through a private placement of non-listed and non-rated bonds and through a loan (“Euro PP”).
The notes issued under the Euro PP have been subscribed by and offered to institutional investors in France. Luther acted as Luxembourg legal advisor to Fareva S.A., the Luxembourg holding company, and as such was particularly in charge of reviewing the Euro PP documentation and drafting the corporate documents.

About Fareva

The London and Kyiv Offices of Baker & McKenzie acted as legal counsel to Agroton Public Limited in connection with solicitation of consents of holders of its US$50 million 12.50 percent Guaranteed Notes due 2019 listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. The issuer requested the note holders consent to the amendment of the terms and conditions of the Notes in connection with the substantial losses that Agroton had suffered as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Luhansk Region of Ukraine where the main production facilities of the issuer are located.

Hogan Lovells has advised on LatinFinance’s Sovereign Bond of the Year, Structured Finance Deal of the Year, Financing Innovation of the Year, and Equity Deal of the Year. The LatinFinance Deals of the Year, presented at the annual awards dinner, are the Latin American region's most prestigious and rigorously judged awards for excellence in investment banking, capital markets issuances, and legal advice.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd. Hong Kong Branch on the second drawdown of its US$5 billion Medium Term Note (MTN) Program established in 2014.

The second drawdown consisted of RMB1 billion Formosa bonds, issued and listed in Taiwan, and another RMB1 billion worth of Lion City bonds, issued and listed in Singapore. The Formosa bonds have a 4.05% coupon and will mature in 2019 while the Lion City bonds have a 3.95% coupon and mature in 2017.

Allen & Overy LLP has advised Sartorius AG, a leading laboratory and biopharmaceutical equipment provider based in Göttingen, on a EUR 400 million long-term syndicated loan with a term of five years. The loan agreement with an international syndicate of banks led by BNP Paribas, Commerzbank AG and LBBW was signed on 17 December 2014.

Based on this transaction, Sartorius is consolidating the financing within the Group, thereby giving leeway for taking further strategic measures and enabling the Group to invest flexibly in its various business areas.