Allen & Overy LLP advised HGV Hamburger Gesellschaft für Vermögens- und Beteiligungsmanagement mbH (HGV), a holding company of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (FHH), on an option agreed for the purchase of 74.9% of Hamburg Netz GmbH, which operates the gas grid in the area of the FHH, from HanseWerk AG (formerly E.ON Hanse AG). With the acquisition of this stake, Hamburg Netz GmbH would become wholly owned by HGV.  The purchase option may be exercised by HGV with effect as of the end of 31 December 2017.

Clifford Chance has co-advised Haitong Securities Co., Ltd. on its proposed acquisition of Banco Espirito Santo de Investimento (BESI) for €379 million (US$467 million) from Portuguese banking group, Novo Banco, S.A. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals. Garrigues Portugal, S.L.P. – Sucursal acted as the other co-counsel advising on the Portuguese law aspects of this transaction.

The Swedish e-commerce retailer Babyshop has acquired its British competitor AlexandAlexa to form a leader in the premium segment for kids’ e-commerce. Together, the two companies will form The Luxury Kids Group, which is expected to reach four times the size of its closest European competitor.

Babyshop was established in 2006 by Marcus and Linn Tagesson with a vision of building the leading online store for kids’ clothes in the Nordics. The company is backed by Verdane Capital VII.

Gleiss Lutz has advised Alcoa, a leader in lightweight, high-performance metals, on the acquisition of privately held TITAL. TITAL is a leader in titanium and aluminum structural castings for aircraft engines and airframes.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of required regulatory approvals. Alcoa expects to close the transaction in the first quarter of 2015. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Together with their US partner law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett the law firm Noerr advised the mixed group Tyco International on the announced acquisition of the gas and flame detection specialist Industrial Safety Technologies group (“IST”). The purchase price was approximately 329.5 million US dollars in cash. The seller is the finance investor Battery Ventures.

Osborne Clarke has advised Topcon on its acquisition of German based, Wachendorff Elektronik the highly specialized manufacturer of electronic control mechanisms for machines and vehicles with an American subsidiary and EUR 25 million revenue for an undisclosed sum.

Topcon is one of the world market leaders in innovative precision technology for GPS and GNSS systems, laser and optical instruments as well as electronic control mechanisms.

Macfarlanes has advised Topaz Energy on its acquisition of Esso’s fuels and convenience store businesses in Ireland from ExxonMobil.

Kendrick Investments Limited, the parent company of Topaz, will buy the entire issued share capital of Esso Ireland Limited and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Ireland ROC Limited and Esso Ireland Manufacturing Company Limited from Esso Ireland, a wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil. The deal includes 38 company owned service stations and the right to supply approximately 60 service stations owned by independent dealers.

Roschier represented Nets Holding A/S, a global payment service provider, in the acquisition of 80% of the shares in Paytrail plc, a Finnish based e-commerce payment service provider, from multiple sellers.

With about 4,500 merchants and more than 10,000 online stores and services in its network, Paytrail has a solid market position and a proven track record in providing e-commerce payment services.

Allens is advising Nido Petroleum Limited on its acquisition of Galoc Production Company WLL (GPC) from Otto Energy Limited.

GPC is the holder of Otto’s 33 per cent working interest in the Galoc oil field, located in the North West Palawan Basin in the Philippines. GPC is currently the operator of the field. The transaction is subject to Otto shareholder approval.

Simpson Grierson partner Michael Pollard and senior associate Mark Tan  have acted for Canadian lime business Graymont in its purchase of McDonalds Lime from  Holcim New Zealand and New Zealand Steel for an undisclosed sum and the purchase of Taylors Lime from Holcim.

Graymont is the second largest supplier of lime and lime-based products in North America. This is the Canadian company's first investment outside North America.