Kirkland & Ellis advised IK Investment Partners, a leading Pan-European private equity firm, which recently closed its eighth mid-cap fund, IK VIII Fund. The fund was closed at its hard cap with aggregate capital commitments of €1.85 billion. The fund, which will make majority investments in companies with enterprise values up to €500 million in Benelux, DACH, France and the Nordics, accepted commitments from a broad mix of global institutional investors. More information on the fundraise is available here.

Nordea Life Holding AB has sold 25 per cent of its shares in Nordea Liv & Pension to Foreningen NLP that represents the customers of Nordea Liv & Pension. Plesner assisted Nordea Life Holding AB with the transaction.

The price of the 25 per cent of the share capital is DKK 2,175m (EUR 291m). As part of the transaction, Foreningen NLP will further invest DKK 932.5m in hybrid core capital issued by Nordea Liv & Pension.
 

RTPR Allen & Overy has advised Allianz Capital Partners on the acquisition of a 30% stake in E.ON Distributie Romania, the largest electricity and gas distribution network operator in the northern part of Romania. This is the largest transaction in Romania in the energy sector in the last years.

Simpson Thacher is representing Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts & Co. L.P. in connection with the announced acquisition by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui”) of a 22% interest in Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd. (“PHCHD”) for approximately 54.1 billion yen (approximately $510 million). KKR will retain a majority stake in PHCHD following the closing of the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions.

Simpson Thacher is representing Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. in connection with the planned tender offer by KKR’s affiliate, CK Holdings Co., Ltd., to obtain up to 100% of the issued and outstanding common stock of Calsonic Kansei Corporation (“Calsonic Kansei”). In connection with the tender offer, KKR has entered into a tender agreement with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (“Nissan”), pursuant to which Nissan has agreed, subject to certain conditions, to tender its approximately 41% stake in Calsonic Kansei into the tender offer.

Osborne Clarke has advised ArangoDB GmbH on its investment by Target Partners GmbH. The Cologne-based database start-up raised EUR 2.2 million in total in the current financing round. The investment will be used to further accelerate the company’s growth as well as to promote its expansion in the USA.

Osborne Clarke has advised figo GmbH on its investment by Deutsche Börse AG. DB1 Ventures, the Corporate Venture Capital arm of Deutsche Börse Group, has participated in a Series B financing round for the Hamburg-based FinTech company and is investing a seven-digit amount for a significant minority stake. Further investors are reputable business angels from Germany.

Addleshaw Goddard's Business Support and Restructuring team advised EY, the appointed administrators of Manchester based plant hire company Hewdens, on the sale of three business divisions to Ashtead Plant Hire Company Limited.

The sale saw the transfer of Hewdens' Access and Power Generation assets, OnSite Plant Hire and Interlift. The remaining assets are undergoing assessment to maximise value. AG continues to advise EY in connection with various matters related to the administration.

Linklaters has advised Rosneft on the sale of 20% ordinary shares in PJSC Verkhnechonskneftegaz, one of the largest producing subsidiaries of the Rosneft Group, to the Beijing Gas Group Co. The sale includes a related joint venture established for the purposes of further exploration of the Verkhnechonskoye field.

Osborne Clarke has advised Growth Capital Partners (“GCP”) on its investment in Shorterm Group, a leading specialist technical engineering recruitment and training company.

GCP is an independent private equity company which invests in growing UK SMEs. Its investment and partnership with Shorterm’s management will support the continued strong growth of the business, facilitate its entry into new sectors, and accelerate the development of its training division.