A team of lawyers from McGuireWoods’ Brussels office helped Belgium-based Pluriomics establish Ncardia — a new privately held biotech group with operations in Europe and the United States — through a complex cross-border merger with its German-based competitor Axiogenesis.

Ncardia secured an additional €4.25 million investment from existing investors Vesalius Biocapital, SFPI/FPIM and Sambrinvest as a direct result of the merger, announced Sept. 18.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised Eren Renewable Energy on its combination with Total, which was announced on September 19, 2017.

Total will acquire a 23 percent indirect interest in Eren Renewable Energy by subscribing to a €237.5 million capital increase. Under the terms of the transaction, Total has an option to take control of Eren Renewable Energy after a period of five years. The completion of the transaction remains subject to the approval of the relevant competition authorities.

Squire Patton Boggs has advised Bridas Corporation on the merger of its interests in Pan American Energy (PAE) with Axion Energy, part of a new joint venture with BP that will create the largest privately-owned integrated energy company in Argentina.

BP owns a 60% stake in oil and gas producer PAE and Bridas owns the remaining 40% of the firm, while refiner and marketer Axion Energy is wholly owned by Bridas.

BP and Bridas will hold equal stakes in the newly created Pan American Energy Group (PAEG). The deal is expected to close early next year.

We were the legal advisor to Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company in its planned merger with Etera Mutual Pension Insurance Company. Ilmarinen and Etera signed a merger agreement on 29 June 2017 under which Etera will merge into Ilmarinen. The merger will be completed when the general meetings of Ilmarinen and Etera as well as the authorities have approved it. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority has already deemed that there is no competition law obstacle to approving the transaction. The plan is to complete the merger on 1 January 2018.

Akin Gump is advising long-standing client Bridas Corporation on the formation of an integrated energy company through the combination of Bridas and BP’s interests in oil and gas producer Pan American Energy (PAE) and Bridas’ interest in refiner and marketer Axion Energy.

The new company, Pan American Energy Group (PAEG), will be the largest privately owned integrated energy company operating in Argentina. PAEG will be owned equally by BP and Bridas.

Slaughter and May, Hong Kong, is advising its long-standing client China National Building Material Company Limited (CNBM) in relation its merger by absorption of China National Materials Company Limited (Sinoma) by way of share-exchange.

Travers Smith LLP has advised its long-standing client Micro Focus International plc ("Micro Focus"), the global enterprise software company, on its $US 8.8 billion merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's ("HPE") software business segment ("HPE Software") and the return of value to Micro Focus shareholders of approximately $500 million.

Clyde & Co has advised Babilou SAS on the merger of the Babilou nursery business in the UAE with the Blossom group of nurseries in the UAE.

Babilou SAS is part of the Babilou Group, which is the largest network of nurseries and childminding facilities in France and which had established its own nurseries, day care and early learning centres in Dubai prior to the merger.

DLA Piper has advised Ele.me, one of the largest food delivery service providers in China, on its merger with Baidu Waimai, another giant in the industry.

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre Lyon was counsel for the UITSEM Group, a union of mutuals, as part of the merger-absorption of SMECO and SMEREB with SMERRA.

The UITSEM Group (Managing Director: Lionel Lérissel) coordinates the activities of student mutuals SMERRA, SMEREB and SMECO, members of the "emeVia” national network of student mutuals with more than 30 agencies across various regions, insuring more than 250,000 students.