Hogan Lovells has advised LeapFrog Investments, the leader in profit-with-purpose investing, in connection with the formation of LeapFrog Financial Inclusion Fund II, LP, LeapFrog’s second investment fund. The fund closed at US$400 million, reaching its fund raising target. LeapFrog, which seeks to maximize both financial and social returns, intends to invest the fund in high-growth companies that offer empowering financial tools, such as insurance, savings, and investment products, to emerging consumers in Africa and Asia.

Slaughter and May is advising Standard Chartered Bank in relation to its settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services regarding Standard Chartered Bank's anti-money laundering transaction surveillance system at its New York branch.

Slaughter and May is working as a team with Sullivan & Cromwell.

CONTACTS

Corporate and Commercial: Nigel Boardman (partner), Nilufer von Bismarck (partner), Harriet Gallagher-Powell (associate).

Slaughter and May advised The Arsenal Football Club (Arsenal) on its recent transfer dealings over the course of the summer transfer window (which closed at 11pm on 1 September 2014), including the purchase of Alexis Sánchez from Barcelona. Our team provided support and assistance to Arsenal's internal legal team, led by general counsel Svenja Geissmar.

CONTACTS

Corporate and Commercial: Andrew Jolly (partner), Nigel Boardman (partner), Paul Mudie (associate), Nick Johnston (associate).

Mills & Reeve advised Argentinian international footballer Angel Di Maria on his British record transfer to Manchester United from Real Madrid for £59.7 million.

Specialist employment and IP lawyers from our sports law team worked alongside Di Maria’s Spanish lawyers from Laffer Abogados to finalise the 26-year-old winger’s five-year-contract, which was officially signed on Tuesday.

Allen & Overy LLP has advised swb AG (swb) and its subsidiaries in connection with a total of eight public procurement proceedings for the awarding of concessions for operating the distribution networks for electricity, gas, water and district heating in Bremen and Bremerhaven.

Slaughter and May is advising BHP Billiton on its plans to create an independent global metals and mining company based on a selection of its high-quality aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel and silver assets.

The new independent company will be created by way of a demerger through an in-specie distribution. It is intended that the new independent company will be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and will have an inward secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Shearman & Sterling advised Marathon Oil Corporation on the negotiation of a deep-water off-shore oil exploration and production-sharing contract with the Government of Gabon.

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO), through its wholly owned subsidiary Marathon Oil Exploration Limited, has signed a deepwater exploration and production-sharing contract (EPSC) for Gabon offshore Block G13, named Tchicuate.

The Shearman & Sterling team was led by Christophe Asselineau, head of the firm’s Paris Project Development & Finance Group.

Clifford Chance has advised UniCredit Bank pro bono in the successful launch of a microfinance loan facility for Fair Finance. Clifford Chance and UniCredit Bank teamed up to support the London-based non-profit organisation Fair Finance. Fair Finance provides loans and debt advice to customers who would otherwise be unable to access mainstream sources of finance, thereby providing socially responsible access to necessary loan finance.  Fair Finance was founded by Faisel Rahman, who is a pioneer in the UK microfinance industry, where he has been active for over a decade.

Ashurst advised International Management Group GmbH, the German subsidiary of IMG, the world's leading sports marketer, on the amicable termination of the marketing agreement with professional Bundesliga football club, 1. FC Köln. The agency agreement with 1. FC Köln was the first large marketing mandate for IMG in German professional football in 2001. Both parties agreed to terminate the contract that was originally planned to last until 30 June 2016 by mutual agreement retroactively to 31 May 2014.

Herbert Smith Freehills has today announced the signing of long-standing client Transport for London's £660 million contract for its provision of next generation ticketing and fare collection services, which includes the iconic Oyster brand and the framework to introduce contactless payment cards across TfL's network in London.

TfL awarded the contract to the existing contractor, Cubic, after a competitive procurement process.