De Brauw has advised NOVEC on a transaction regarding 75% of the shares in Open Tower Company.

Nature of transaction

With a team led by Frankfurt-based partner Dr. Günther M. Bredow and comprising members from several offices, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised Janoschka group on entering into an investment agreement with a financial investor and management. The group's parent company, Janoschka Assets GmbH & Co. KG, that has previously been family-owned will initially be converted into a stock corporation. In a further step, Süd Beteiligungen GmbH (SüdBG) and management of Janoschka group intend to acquire a stake in the future Janoschka AG.

Dentons is providing legal advice to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the implementation of its Scaling Solar Program in Ethiopia. The program will support the local power utility, Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), in the tender process to choose private sector partners to deliver 250MW of solar photovoltaic projects, as one of the first public-private partnerships in the country.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) on tranche 2 of the Social Housing Management Transfer Program (SHMT), which will transfer management of around 14,000 social housing properties to community housing providers across nine separate geographical areas. This involves the establishment of community housing assistance agreements with nine different community housing providers across NSW.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Australia’s leading independent law firm, has acted for St George Community Housing (SGCH) in its bid to manage around 1,400 properties as part of the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) Social Housing Management Transfer (SHMT) program.

SGCH has been awarded the management of ‘Service Package 9’ which encompasses around 1,400 social housing properties in the North Sydney, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove and Willoughby local government areas.

A team of Hogan Lovells lawyers from the firm’s Mexico City and Monterrey offices recently represented British luxury automobile manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover in the launch of its new Mexican distribution subsidiary. Operations began at the beginning of the month.

DLA Piper has advised SMG Group on an agreement to manage one of the world's largest convention and exhibition centers, the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center.

Herbert Smith Freehills has acted as international counsel for Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) on the company’s agreement to acquire the interests of its joint venture partner, Forest City Realty Trust Inc. (Forest City), in 10 U.S. regional shopping malls on behalf of a QIC client. The overall transaction values the 10 malls at approximately US$3.175 billion (A$4 billion).

Ashurst has advised Oxford Properties on its shareholder arrangements with Madison International Realty in relation to the acquisition of the Sony Centre in Berlin for c. €1.1bn from South Korea's National Pension Service.

The six-acre site includes the Bahn Tower and comprises office, retail and leisure space, as well as 67 residential units.  The deal marks Oxford Properties' first mixed-use acquisition in Germany and is part of the fund's aim to reach $5bn of assets under management in continental Europe by 2020.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised Salute Hospitality Group (“SHG”) on the review, negotiation and signing of its management and service agreements with the Italian subsidiary of Melia Hotels International S.A. (“Melia”), regarding running their new five-star and four-star hotels in Venice and Rome respectively.

SHG is a growing Italian hotel management company with an existing portfolio of ten hotels located in prime tourist and business destinations across Italy.