Macfarlanes has advised UK specialist property lender Octopus Property on the raising of its second commercial real estate debt fund (CREDF II) which, after an efficient fundraising period, has closed at its hard cap of £230m.

The fund focuses on originating short-term loans secured by first charge against UK commercial property and the successful fundraising drew investor commitments from UK, European and Canadian pension funds and funds of funds.

Macfarlanes has advised venture capital investor Dawn Capital on the raising of its third fund, Dawn III, which after increasing its hard cap twice, attracted commitments of £165m which makes it one of the largest venture capital funds raised in Europe in the last couple of years.

The fund which focuses on early-stage investment in fintech and Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses secured investments from UK, European and US institutional investors and notably the European Investment Fund (EIF).    

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) advised Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), a division of Macquarie Group, on the close of its second Asian regional infrastructure fund (MAIF2), with $US3.3 billion in investor commitments.

MAIF2 has attracted interest from a diverse group of returning and new investors across Asia-Pacific, North America, Middle East and Europe - with more than $US1.7 billion of capital already committed across toll roads, renewables and petrochemical storage assets in India, the Philippines, Singapore and China.

Clifford Chance has advised private equity investor Montana Capital Partners on the successful closing of its fourth fund, mcp Opportunity Secondary Program IV, L.P. The fund was closed at a hard cap of EUR 800 million (hard cap).

Significant support from existing and new investors led to substantial oversubscription during a brief fundraising period of only five months. Investors include sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, family offices and foundations from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the United States.

Travers Smith LLP has advised long-standing client TA Associates on its strategic reinvestment in The Access Group alongside new investor Hg. Current majority shareholder TA Associates will retain joint control of The Access Group following completion of the transaction.

With its portfolio spanning ERP, finance, HR, payroll, recruitment, education, warehousing, business intelligence, professional service automation and manufacturing, The Access Group is the leading vendor of mission-critical business software to mid-market organisations in the UK.

Clifford Chance has advised Düsseldorf-based consulting and investment firm Postera Capital on the launch of the first EU-regulated cryptoasset fund "Postera Fonds - Crypto I" in Liechtenstein.

The innovative fund is regulated under the European Directive 2011/61/EU on Alternative Investment Fund Managers. On 26 February 2018, the FMA Financial Market Authority Liechtenstein authorised the fund under Liechtenstein law in the legal form of a trusteeship for professional investors.

Doha - The Doha office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP has advised Qatari asset management firm Amwal on the raising of funds and listing of the first-ever exchange traded fund (ETF) in Qatar, also the largest ETF in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
 
The K&L Gates team that advised on the matter, which demonstrates the growing sophistication of the Qatari financial services sector, consisted of Doha partner Amjad Hussain, Washington, D.C., partner Stacey Fuller, and Doha associates Jaime Oon and Mohammed Tartir.
 

Simpson Thacher represented EQT in connection with the formation and raising of EQT’s flagship private equity fund, EQT VIII. The fund was significantly oversubscribed and held a first and final close at its hard cap of €10.75 billion after less than six months of fundraising.

EQT VIII will continue with EQT’s overall equity investment strategy in seeking to make investments in sectors such as Healthcare, TMT and Services, with a focus on Northern Europe.

Loyens & Loeff advised EQT in the closing of eighth equity fund at EUR 10.75 billion which contributed to strengthen EQT's position as a leading investor and owner.

Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised the Russian Export Center (REC), an institution with specific expertise in export transactions and procedures, on a strategic c.US$30 million investment (with additional c. US$45 million being a callable element) in Class "C" shares of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a supranational trade finance bank.