Reed Smith LLP has announced the arrival of fund finance partner Bronwen Jones to the firm’s Financial Industry Group in London. Bronwen joins from Macfarlanes, where she led the investment fund finance group and previously served as the firm’s head of finance. As a key player in the funds finance market in London, Bronwen brings a wealth of experience at a key moment of growth for Reed Smith’s funds finance practice.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has added new partner Steven Otillar to its Oil & Gas Industry Group in Houston.

""Steven is a great addition to our growing Houston office, bringing extensive experience in the US domestic and cross-border upstream and midstream space,"" said Philip Stopford, co-head of White & Case's Global Oil & Gas Industry Group. ""In particular, his knowledge of the Latin American market will enhance the market-leading services we already offer to clients in countries such as Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.""

Clifford Chance advised EDF Energies Nouvelles on the establishment of a joint venture with Asia Clean Capital (ACC) to build and operate a portfolio of distributed rooftop solar projects in China.

EDF Energies Nouvelles is the renewable subsidiary of EDF Group, one of the world's largest electricity companies with a presence in China for more than 30 years. ACC is considered China's leading multinational rooftop solar developer.

Dentons has advised Oman 70 Holding Company ("Oman 70") on the establishment of Oman Towers Company ("the Company"). Oman 70 owns a 56 percent stake in the Company, with ActivCo owning 34 percent and the Omani Government, represented by Oman Broadband Company, owning 10 percent. The agreement to establish the Company was signed in Muscat on 20 February 2018.

DLA Piper has advised Deutsche Bank on its special situations investment in Australian listed Paladin Energy Limited (PEL), which holds substantial uranium and mining assets in Namibia, Malawi, Canada and certain Australian states.

DLA Piper acted for Infineon Technologies on the acquisition of the Copenhagen-based tech-company Merus Audio, which is specializing within the development of integrated audio amplifier solutions.

DLA Piper has advised China Communication Technology Co. Ltd. (China Communication) on the acquisition of G. Telecoms Inc. (G. Telecoms), a major telecommunications carrier in the Philippines. With this transaction, China Communications aims to expand its footprint into other countries in the South East Asia region.

Macfarlanes has advised the majority shareholder in South Downs Capital Limited, the parent company of Portsmouth Water, on its acquisition by infrastructure investment manager Ancala Partners. The acquisition is expected to complete in March 2018.

Portsmouth Water is an independent provider of high quality public water supplies to a domestic population of over 700,000 individuals, and wholesale water supplies to a wide range of industrial and commercial customers in Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

Judgment has today been handed down in the case of Grove Developments Limited v S&T(UK) Limited. The judge has departed from the line of cases starting with ISG v Seevic which are the basis for the practice of contractors’ “smash & grab” adjudications.

The decision is likely to put a large dent in this practice, and will allow employers to challenge, via separate adjudication proceedings, the valuation of a contractor’s payment application, even if no valid payment notice or pay less notice has been issued.

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised Angelo, Gordon & Co and APF International on the purchase of office buildings at the Sarphatistraat 8-14 in Amsterdam, from sellers Arkin Foundation.

The buildings of more than 2,000 square meters are conveniently located in the centre of Amsterdam, near the Amstel river. The joint venture will see them renovated to a high standard and, after completion, positioned as offices in the market.