International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (“BLP”) has advised Ribston on the launch of the Ribston UK Industrial Property Unit Trust (the “Fund”). The Fund has launched with £75 million of equity commitments which with proposed gearing will give it a capacity to invest up to £107 million. Equity is being provided by clients of Aviva Investors Real Estate Multi Managers.
Eversheds has advised Specsavers, the largest optometry provider to the NHS, on its significant investment in a partnership with independent ophthalmology provider, Newmedica to help improve eye health services for patients in the community.
The team was led by Eversheds’ James Trevis, client partner to Specsavers and comprised corporate specialists partner Nigel Cooke and associates Robert Worsfold and Christopher Archer.
Osborne Clarke has advised TWT agency group on its investment in reality bytes GmbH. The full-service internet agency will be part of TWT Digital Group, widening its range of services in project management, creation, technology and online marketing under the name TWT reality bytes. The investment enables TWT Digital Group further to expand its service and solution portfolio.
International law firm Gide has advised Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A. (PFR) on the acquisition by PFR and Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen S.A. (PZU) of a 32.8% stake in Bank Polska Kasa Opieki S.A. (Bank Pekao) from UniCredit S.p.A. (UniCredit).
Hill Dickinson’s corporate team has advised BGF (Business Growth Fund) on substantial investment in Woodall Nicholson, the Westhoughton headquartered manufacturer of specialist vehicles for the funeral, public transport and emergency services markets.
A cross-border team from global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised L1 Capital on the establishment and global offering of L1 Capital Global Long Short Fund.
L1 Capital is an independent equities fund manager whose investment team comprises experienced portfolio managers, Raphael Lamm, Mark Landau and Lev Margolin. The team has managed one of the best performing large cap Australian equities funds since 2007.
Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Malaysian telecoms giant Axiata on a US$600 million equity investment in its telecoms infrastructure company, edotco.
The largest global telecoms tower sector placement of the year saw Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) invest US$400 million in edotco, alongside a US$200 million investment by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund.
Established in 2012, edotco owns and manages over 25,000 telecoms towers in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
The Freshfields team was led by partners Bruce Embley, Natascha Doll and Andreas von Bonin
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised Anheuser-Busch InBev (‘AB InBev’) on its agreement with Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. to sell the businesses formerly owned by SABMiller Limited (formerly SABMiller plc, ‘SABMiller’) in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania for an agreed enterprise value of €7.3bn, subject to customary adjustments.
Charles Russell Speechlys has advised Newmedica on a major investment by Specsavers to create a partnership that will focus on transforming eye health services for patients in the community. With hospital eye departments under pressure due to an ageing population and an increase in treatable eye conditions, the partnership hopes to support the NHS ophthalmology services, with support from their stores.
Baker McKenzie advised the Heraeus Group on the sale of the global high-performance target materials business to the US-based Materion Group. The business segment sold entails the so-called sputtering targets, i.e. materials for the production of the thinnest precious metal coatings for the glass, photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. The business activities sold are located at the Heraeus headquarters in Hanau as well as in Taiwan, USA, China and Japan. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.