Travers Smith's corporate partner and head of Paris Office William Howard has acted as UK counsel for existing client LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Groupe Arnault (alongside lead counsel Chicago-based Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP), on their combination with US private equity firm Catterton Holdings L.L.C.
Kirkland & Ellis represents KKR in connection with its agreement to pursue acquisitions and investment opportunities by establishing an integrated entity to provide asset management services to the oil and gas industry globally. The agreement was announced on December 23, 2015. To read more about the transaction, please click here.
The Kirkland team is led by Hong Kong corporate partners Jesse Sheley, Pierre Arsenault and Xiaoxi Lin.
Slaughter and May is advising Shire plc in relation to its agreed combination with Baxalta Incorporated. The combination will create a global biotechnology company with a leading global position in rare diseases, projected to deliver double-digit top-line growth with over US$20 billion in annual revenues by 2020.
Slaughter and May advised Alibaba Group Holding Limited (Alibaba) in relation to the injection of its Online Movie Ticketing and Yulebao businesses into Alibaba Pictures Group Limited (APG). The total consideration for the asset purchase is approximately HK$4.06 billion (approximately US$520 million), subject to specified post-completion adjustments.
Bona Film Group Limited, a leading distributor and vertically integrated film company in China, announced it has entered into a merger agreement with Mountain Tiger International Limited and its subsidiary, Mountain Tiger Limited, to be acquired for a cash consideration equal to $27.40 per ordinary share, or $13.70 per ADS. The transaction implies an enterprise value of Bona Film at approximately $1,001.3 million. The merger, which is currently expected to close during the second quarter of 2016, is subject to various closing conditions.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised PetroChina Company Limited (PetroChina) on its consolidation of three pipeline operators into PetroChina Pipelines Co., Ltd (PetroChina Pipelines).
The cumulative value of the three companies being consolidated in the proposed transaction – PetroChina Eastern Pipelines, PetroChina United Pipelines and PetroChina Northwest United Pipelines – is RMB 280bn (US$43bn).
Upon completion, PetroChina will hold a 72.3% stake in PetroChina Pipelines, with the remaining stake held by 11 minority shareholders.
On 21 December 2015, THERAMetrics holding AG and RELIEF THERAPEUTICS SA announced that they had signed a binding agreement to combine their businesses by way of an exchange of RELIEF's shares for new THERAMetric shares.
King & Wood Mallesons is advising DEXUS Property Group in connection with their proposed merger with Investa Office Fund via an informal trust scheme.
DEXUS, Australia's biggest listed office landlord, has offered 0.424 of its securities and approximately 82c in cash for each IOF security, implying an offer of $4.11 per security.
The KWM team is led by partner Susan Hilliard, supported by senior associates Daniel Natale, Amanda Isouard and Miriam Kleiner.
Ashurst is advising Rockhopper Exploration plc on its proposed £57 million merger with Falkland Oil & Gas Limited (FOGL).
The all-share offer, which is recommended by the directors of both companies, will be effected by means of a Falkland Islands scheme of arrangement. When the merger becomes effective, the current shareholders of Rockhopper will own approximately 65% of the enlarged group and FOGL shareholders will own approximately 35%.
Macfarlanes has advised law firm Thomas Eggar on its merger with Irwin Mitchell, in a deal that will see the creation of a £250m legal services business.
The merger is expected to formally complete in December 2015 and Thomas Eggar will adopt the Irwin Mitchell brand in the first half of 2016.
The Macfarlanes team was led by corporate M&A partners John Dodsworth and Jessica Adam with solicitor Claire MacMillan.