Bird & Bird has advised client Crowdcube Limited on its £6 million Series B round financing. The financing was led by Numis, a leading UK stockbroker and corporate advisor. Tim Draper and London-based venture firm Draper Esprit also joined the funding round alongside existing investor Balderton Capital, one of Europe’s largest venture firms.
Simpson Thacher is representing Alibaba Group Holding Limited (“Alibaba”) in connection with its recently announced investment in Suning Commerce Group Limited (“Suning”) and Suning’s investment in Alibaba. Pursuant to the terms of the transaction agreement, Alibaba will invest approximately RMB28.3 billion (US$4.63 billion) for a 19.99% stake in Suning, one of the largest consumer electronics retail chains in China. Upon completion of Alibaba’s investment in Suning, Alibaba will be the second-largest shareholder in the company.
Baker & McKenzie has advised LSE-listed investment fund BBGI SICAV S.A. [BBGI] on its acquisition of two educational Public-Private Partnership Funds in Northern Ireland. The deal was announced by BBGI on 29 July 2015.
Charles Russell Speechlys has advised BGF on its investment in Four Communications, the UK’s sixth largest independent communications agency.
BGF invested for a minority stake in London-headquartered Four Communications (Four) which also has offices in Edinburgh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and employs over 200 staff.
Clifford Chance has advised UNIT on the IFC's 23% subscription in UNIT Investment NV, UNIT’s power sector development and investment arm.
The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and UNIT, will raise $365 million for Unit Investment NV, which will be used to strengthen the company’s balance sheet and support its growth and expansion with the development of new independent power plant projects in Europe and the Middle East.
UNIT Investment NV is headquartered in Amsterdam with operations in Turkey, Southeast Europe, and the Middle East.
King & Wood Mallesons has advised one of London's leading residential developers Galliard Group on the £50 million investment by Singaporean property developer Oxley Holdings, for a 20% interest in the company.
Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance has advised Myanmar Investments International Limited (MIL), the AIM-quoted Myanmar focused investment company (AIM: MIL), in connection with its investment in Apollo Towers Pte. Ltd. (Apollo Towers).
Apollo Towers is the Singapore-based holding company of Apollo Towers Myanmar Limited (Apollo Myanmar).
MIL led a consortium of investors to make an investment of US$30 million into Apollo Towers, of which MIL itself invested US$20 million.
Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Italmobiliare on the sale of its 45% stake in Milan-listed Italcementi S.p.A. in Italy, to HeidelbergCement AG, one of the world’s largest building materials companies.
The firm's German corporate team was led by partners Ralf Thaeter and Markus Lauer, assisted by Berlin based associates Ralf Tietz and Genevieve Baker.
Italcementi Group is the world’s fifth largest cement producer with an annual production capacity of over 60 million tons and 46 cement plants.
Charles Russell Speechlys has advised VinaWealth Fund Management JSC, the investment manager of VCG Partners Vietnam Fund, a sub-fund of Forum One, a Luxembourg UCITS, and its associated company VinaCapital Investment Management Limited, the investment manager of AIM quoted Vietnam Infrastructure Limited (VNI).
VinaCapital Group is a leading investment management and real estate development firm in Vietnam, with a diversified portfolio of USD1.5 billion in assets under management. VCG Partners Vietnam Fund is the first UCITS fund that VinaCapital Group has managed.
Artá Capital, venture capital Company of March Group, and other shareholders transfer 35% of port operator Ocibar
Venture capital company Artá Capital, the investment arm of March Group, has sold off a 28% shareholding in Ocibar, an operator specializing in port installations that currently manages Port Adriano (Mallorca) and Ibiza Magna (Ibiza).
The company Asúa Inversiones has bought Artá Capital’s shares, as well as the 6% from certain founding shareholders, to reach a 35% share in Ocibar.