Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised the New Kansai International Airport Company, Ltd. (NKIAC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Government of Japan, on the privatisation of Kansai and Osaka (Itami) International Airports.
The concessionaire company, formed by the winning consortium made up of ORIX Corporation and VINCI Airports S.A.S., signed a 44-year concession agreement for the operation of the two airports on 15 December 2015. Over the concession term, the company will pay JPY2.2 trillion (US$18bn) to NKIAC.

Nabarro has advised Business Loan Network Limited t/a ThinCats, the leading UK-based peer to peer lending platform focused on providing secured loans to SMEs, on the acquisition of a 73.4% stake in the company by European Speciality Finance Capital (ESF). Under the deal, ThinCats founder and Managing Director, Kevin Caley, will become chairman while co-founder Peter Brown will remain as finance director.  ESF CEO John Mould will also become CEO of ThinCats.

Ashurst is advising UBM plc, one of the world's leading B2B events organisers, on its obligations under the Listing Rules, including the preparation of a class 1 circular, in relation to the disposal of PR Newswire, its press release distribution business.

PR Newswire is to be acquired by Cision, a business controlled by GTCR Canyon Holdings (Cayman), L.P., for US$841 million. The consideration comprises US$810 million in cash and US$31 million of preferred equity (on a fair value basis).

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised PetroChina Company Limited (PetroChina) on the sale of its 100% equity interest in PetroChina Kunlun Gas Co., Ltd to Kunlun Energy Company Limited (Kunlun Energy).
The value of the sale, which remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, is RMB 14.82bn (US$2.28bn).

Kunlun Energy is a Hong Kong-listed company controlled by PetroChina and is a leading developer of oil and gas fields, and provider of natural gas products in mainland China.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised two China Shipping Group (CS) entities on a number of simultaneous asset acquisitions, disposals and a subsequent restructure as the group undergoes a broader restructure involving China Ocean Shipping Group (COSCO).

Freshfields advised China Shipping Container Lines Company Limited (CS Container) on its acquisition of equity interests in 10 target companies, from its parent company China Shipping Group, as well as China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO Company) and COSCO Pacific Limited (COSCO Pacific).

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has advised SNS Bank on reaching an agreement with NIBC Bank on the acquisition of SNS Securities.

De Brauw has assisted AAC Capital Partners in reaching an agreement to sell Salad Signature, the leading manufacturer of spreadable salads in the Benelux, to IK Investment Partners.

De Brauw has assisted the Stork Group in the Fluor Corporation’s acquisition of the Stork Group.

The current owner Arle Capital Partners has agreed on the sale for EUR 695 million. The Fluor Corporation is a global engineering and construction firm. Fluor intends to combine its Operations & Maintenance organisation with the Stork Group. The combined group, branded Stork and headquartered in the Netherlands, will have an annual turnover of approximately EUR 2.1 billion and a total of approximately 19,000 employees.

Team

Göteborg Energi and Lidköping municipality have entered into an agreement with FordonsGas Sverige, a subsidiary of the French company Air Liquide, on the transfer of Lidköping Biogas to FordonsGas Sverige. The transfer is expected to be completed in February 2016.

Hannes Snellman acted as counsel to EQT Infrastructure Limited in its sale of Adven Group to a consortium comprising of AMP Capital Investors and Infracapital Partners II.

Our team included Johan Aalto, Jesper Kostiainen, Bruce McGinn, Heikki Vesikansa, Katja Jaakkola, Henrik Hautamäki, Annika Salparanta and Marta Monteiro.