Baker McKenzie advised Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ("CPPIB") on its two agreements to invest alongside Ivanhoé Cambridge with real estate logistics specialist LOGOS in the LOGOS Singapore Logistics Venture ("LSLV") and LOGOS Indonesia Logistics Venture ("LILV"), which will focus on developing the logistics sectors in Singapore and Indonesia, respectively.
The Firm is representing Blackstone in connection with its sale of an approximate 21% equity interest in SeaWorld to Zhonghong Group at a price of $23 per share. Upon receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. Following the closing, Blackstone will no longer hold any interests in SeaWorld or have seats on SeaWorld’s Board of Directors.
On March 22, 2017, Avaloq Group announced that it has entered into an agreement with Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm focussed on growth investing, under which Warburg Pincus agreed to acquire a stake of approximately 35% in the company from existing shareholders. The transaction values Avaloq in excess of CHF 1 bn and is subject to regulatory approval.
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) successfully assisted the Deng family, the actual controller of Chengdu Techcent Environment Co., Ltd. (Techcent Environment, stock code: 300362) in acquiring two segments of the global environment giant ALBA Group, namely its recycling growth and environmental services. The transaction is another big move of outbound investment taken by a western China-based company in the context of the One Belt One Road initiative.
VISCHER advises Versantis AG, a Zurich based start-up biotech company, which develops products for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of liver diseases. The financing round of CHF 4.4 million was led by Redalpine Venture Partners, with the participation of Altus Partners, HealthEquity, Occident Group, Zürcher Kantonalbank and private investors.
The team at VISCHER was led by Matthias Staehelin with Sebastian Flückiger (both Corporate)
Client name
Strauss Coffee - purchaser
Nature of transaction
Strauss Coffee B.V. repurchases 25.1% of its shares held by Robusta Coöperatief U.A.
Value of transaction
EUR 257 million
Date deal
27 March 2017
De Brauw involvement
Lead counsel
Other advisors
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel to TPG
De Brauw lead partner
Paul Cronheim
De Brauw team
Eversheds Sutherland (International) acts for the Forewind consortium as Statoil and SSE increase their stakes in the wind-farm project at Dogger Bank
SSE and Statoil have each increased their shares in the 4.8 gigawatt Dogger Bank offshore wind development after the companies both acquired additional stakes from exiting consortium partner Statkraft.
The Dogger Bank offshore wind development comprises four projects in the North Sea off the coast of North Yorkshire developed by the Forewind consortium which were granted planning permission during 2015.
Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Vantage Asset Management on the launch of its third fund, which deploys a diversified growth private equity strategy. The fund has been well supported by a number of experienced individual and institutional investors and achieved a first closing earlier this year. The fund remains open to new investors.
Since establishment in 2004, Vantage has developed and managed a Fund of Funds investment strategy focused exclusively on small to mid-market, Growth Private Equity.
Paul, Weiss advised Zhonghong Zhuoye Group in the structuring and review of various licensing agreements in connection with Zhonghong’s acquisition of a 21 percent stake in SeaWorld Entertainment from Blackstone Group. As part of the transaction, SeaWorld will provide advice and support to Zhonghong Holdings, an affiliate of Zhonghong Zhuoye Group, to exclusively develop and operate theme parks, water parks and family entertainment centers in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Zhonghong is a China-based diversified real estate, leisure and tourism holding company.
Clifford Chance has advised Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a leading pan-African multilateral development finance institution and project developer, on its US$25 million investment in Egyptian petrochemicals company Carbon Holdings Ltd.