Hogan Lovells has acted as legal adviser to Rothschild on the sale of FALG to challenger bank, Paragon, for the sum of approximately of £117m. FALG specialises in print, broadcast, construction equipment leasing and finance, and leases vehicles to local authorities.

The Hogan Lovells team was led by Head of Private Equity Tom Whelan assisted by private equity partner Amit Nayyar, with associates Fraser Galloway and Dermot O Riordan supporting.

Beijing - Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has advised Sunridge Gold Corp. on the sale of its 60% interest in the Asmara Mining Share Company, the holder of the Asmara Project in Eritrea, to Sichuan Road & Bridge Mining Investment Development Corp. Ltd. for an upfront purchase price of US$65 million cash.

As part of the deal, Sichuan Road & Bridge Mining Development Corp. assumed the obligation to pay Sunridge Gold Corp. the remaining principal of the deferred payment of US$13.33 million owed to Sunridge by Eritrean National Mining Corporation.

Clifford Chance advised private equity investors HgCapital and Advent on the sale of Casa Reha group to Curanum AG, held by Korian SA. Completion is subject to regulatory approval. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Founded in 1995, Casa Reha is one of the leading German providers of care services for the elderly. The company’s current portfolio consists of 70 nursing homes with more than 4,000 employees.

Polaris Private Equity (Polaris) and Byggmax Group AB (Byggmax) have entered an agreement whereby all the shares in Skånska Byggvaror Group AB (Skånska Byggvaror) are sold to Byggmax for SEK 741 million. In addition to funds managed by Polaris, the selling shareholders are the previous principal shareholder, senior executives and members of the board of directors and minority shareholders of Skånska Byggvaror.

Houthoff Buruma advised H2 Equity Partners on the € 91.5 million sale of its portfolio company Isero to merchanting and DIY group Grafton, an Irish company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The acquisition is the group’s largest to date in continental Europe. Isero is a specialist distributor of tools and fixings in the Netherlands, and trades from 38 branches under the Gerritse, Breur Ceintuurbaan and Van der Winkel brands.

Houthoff Buruma team included: Michiel Pannekoek, Bram Caudri, Maurits de Haan

Kirkland & Ellis is advising J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited as financial advisor to the Special Committee of Youku Tudou Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), a leading multi-screen entertainment and media company in China, in connection with its acquisition by Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) in an all-cash transaction. The transaction was announced on November 6, 2015.

The Kirkland team on the transaction is being led by Hong Kong corporate partner Jesse Sheley.

Stibbe advised Alstom on the Dutch corporate law aspects of the reorganisation of the ALSTOM Group in connection with the disposal of its energy and grid business to General Electric (GE) and the subsequent establishment of joint ventures in three key energy sectors.

Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance has advised on three high-profile M&A transactions across Asia in September and October 2015, with a total value of approximately US$300 million.
 

Hong Kong team advises on notable transaction in the insurance sector.

Zurich’s General Insurance business (Zurich) in Hong Kong has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kono Insurance Limited (Kono Insurance), an authorised general business insurer in Hong Kong. Kono Insurance is a multi-line general business insurance player, underwriting most classes of general business insurance, with a particular focus on construction and engineering related insurance.

DÜSSELDORF (4 November, 2015) – McDermott Will & Emery advised insolvency administrator Horst Piepenburg on the sale of business operations of the insolvent Strauss Verwaltungs GmbH to Deutsche Mittelstandsholding (DMH). The purchase agreement is expected to be concluded in early November.

The relevant components of Strauss’s business operations will be taken over by the newly established Strauss Innovation GmbH. Around two thirds of the 77 branches, the online shop and parts of the administration will be transferred to the new company.