Hogan Lovells advised global diversified chemicals manufacturer SABIC in its recently announced joint venture with ExxonMobil to advance development of the Gulf Coast Growth Ventures project, a 1.8 million tonne ethane cracker currently planned for construction in San Patricio County, Texas.

The project will also include a monoethylene glycol unit and two polyethylene units. Construction is expected to begin following competition of the environmental permitting process and be completed in the 2021-2022 timeframe.

Sidley represented Cityhold Office Partnership (CHOP), through its asset manager, TH Real Estate, on its joint venture with EDGE Technologies, the office development subsidiary of OVG Real Estate. In connection with the joint venture transaction, Sidley also advised CHOP on the development, acquisition and leasing of the EDGE Olympic office building in Amsterdam (completed April 2018), and of EDGE Grand Central in Berlin (which is due to complete in Q4 2019). EDGE Technologies will retain a minority interest in both assets, and the assets will be managed by TH Real Estate.

Slaughter and May is advising Vodafone on the proposed merger of Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers to create a pan-Indian tower company with over 163,000 towers and a pro forma equity value of c.INR965bn (US$14.6bn) that will be the largest of its kind outside China.

Cadwalader represented Inglot Cosmetics in its collaboration with Jennifer Lopez to launch a limited-edition 70-piece collection that ranges from powders to lipsticks, shadows to eyelashes and cosmetic palettes.

King & Wood Mallesons has advised The Star Entertainment Group on its expanded strategic partnership with Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTF) and Far East Consortium (FEC) to enhance the long-term value of The Star’s properties and core businesses.

The expanded strategic partnership comprises:

    a commitment by the parties to jointly pursue and participate in significant growth developments at or adjacent to The Star’s properties;

Baker McKenzie has advised Crédit Agricole Payment Services (CAPS) in the context of a partnership with Wirecard, the European digital transaction and payment platform.

Thanks to this partnership, Crédit Agricole Payment Services, a specialist subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, will be able to expand its service offering internationally and rely on a wide range of means of payment accepted by the Wirecard platform in order to develop new payment solutions – in particular in terms of e-commerce – which will be available in 2019.

Jeantet has advised CRA, European leader in the manufacture of agricultural equipment, for the setting-up of a joint venture with Agrial, one of the leading French agricultural cooperatives. The newly-formed company, SM3 Claas, brings together the distribution activities of SM3, an Agrial subsidiary already part of the distribution network, the activities of Claas Caen and some of the activities of Claas Rennes. SM3 Claas now covers the French departments of Calvados, Manche, Mayenne, part of Ille-et-Vilaine and Orne, territories including major milk and cereal production areas.

De Brauw has advised Redevco on its joint-venture agreement with PGGM.

Client name
Redevco Investment Management

Other parties involved
PGGM Private Real Estate Fund

Nature of transaction

DLA Piper has advised Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG on its joint venture (JV) with India- based automobile manufacturer Force Motors. The joint venture will be established between Force Motors and Germany's MTU Friedrichshafen, which is an arm of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. Force Motors will hold a 51 percent stake and Rolls-Royce Power Systems 49 percent. Overall, the parties are investing more than €40 million in the JV in proportion to their respective stakes.

International law firm Ashurst is advising Providence Resources plc ('Resources'), the Irish based oil & gas exploration company, and Lansdowne Oil and Gas plc on a farm-out agreement ('FOA') with APEC Energy Enterprises Limited ('APEC') relating to standard exploration licence ('SEL') 1/11, containing the Barryroe Field. SEL 1/11 is owned by EXOLA DAC ('EXOLA') (80%), a wholly-owned Providence subsidiary, and Lansdowne Celtic Sea Limited (20%), collectively the 'Barryroe Partners'.