International law firm Ashurst advised SNCF on the competition and employment matters related to the sale of its bus division Ouibus, to the French startup BlaBlaCar, global leader of carpooling.

Ouibus has transported more than 12 million passengers over the past few years in France and Europe. By offering buses on BlaBlaCar directly, the company can capitalize on its brand and huge community to counter the trend of bus travelling and become a marketplace for all road travel.

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised the Volkswagen Group on the acquisition of 49 percent of the shares in the German digital specialist diconium. With the investment, the Volkswagen Group will be securing further know-how and strengthening its digital business capabilities. Together, the two companies will continue the development of Volkswagen’s business models and digital added-value services. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The transaction is subject to antitrust approvals

A cross-border CMS team internally led by CMS London has advised Norwegian marine seismic services provider, Shearwater GeoServices, in its $650m cross-border acquisition of the marine seismic acquisition assets and operations of WesternGeco.

Casablanca—Dentons Morocco has advised Cepsa, Spain's leading energy company, on the development of its business in Morocco. Cepsa intends to develop an integrated downstream business in North Morocco by creating a joint venture with Derhem Holding.

Hogan Lovells has assisted Vodafone Group in the first successful trial in Europe demonstrating how mobile networks could support the European’s Commission’s vision of safe long distance drone flights. Regulators will need technology support to ensure drones are constantly monitored when flying ‘beyond visual line of sight’ (BVLOS) and to enforce no fly zones around sensitive buildings (including schools, hospitals, prisons, government buildings and chemical plants).

Leading law firm Mason Hayes & Curran has announced the appointment of Daragh O’Shea as a partner in their Financial Services team.

Daragh was first appointed as a partner in the firm in 2012. He then spent time working as legal counsel with Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, a multilateral development lender active in the financing of other financial institutions and major regional infrastructural projects.

The leading Swedish fashion brand company Hope has been sold to Gotoga AB, whose owners are the majority shareholders of fashion brand Whyred. The sellers are Hope founders Ann Ringstrand and Stefan Söderberg and investment company Varenne.

Baker McKenzie acted as legal advisor to the founders and Varenne in connection with the sale. Baker McKenzie's team was led by Anna Orlander with assistance of Erik Holmgren and Johanna Flink.

China International Water & Electric Corp., a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corp., builder of the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world, has signed two concession agreements with the Republic of Guinea – one concerning the operation of the hydroelectric power plant of Kaléta and the other concerning the construction and operation of the Souapiti hydropower plant as well as two power purchase agreements with the state utility, Electricité de Guinée (EDG).