Baker Botts L.L.P., a leading international law firm, today announced that four corporate partners, formerly of Vinson & Elkins, have joined the firm. Three of the lawyers will be based in the firm’s New York office and one in its Washington, D.C. location.

“These are exceptional lawyers, and their arrival bolsters our existing teams of New York and Washington based corporate lawyers in our private equity, capital markets and M&A practices,” said Andrew M. Baker, Managing Partner of Baker Botts.

Charles Russell Speechlys has advised long-standing clients FPE Capital and Bestport Ventures on the sale of Creditcall to US trade buyer NMI, which is backed by Francisco Partners and Great Hill Partners.

Creditcall offers omni-channel payment gateway services for clients including independent software vendors, sales organisations and payment institutions.

Charles Russell Speechlys originally advised on the management buyout of Creditcall in 2012 which was backed by FPE Capital and Bestport Ventures who subsequently realised a 4.2x return on the sale.

Simpson Thacher represented a finance subsidiary of Cognita in connection with a Regulation S offering of £60 million in aggregate principal amount of its 7.75% Senior Notes due 2021. The transaction closed on February 22, 2018. The proceeds of the offering, together with local bank debt, will be used to acquire the American British School in Chile and pay related local transaction costs, with the remaining amounts to be used to fund cash on balance sheet for general corporate purposes and to pay transaction costs and expenses related to the placement of the Notes.

Bremer Kreditbank (BKB) has successfully completed a capital increase with an issue volume of EUR 300 million. The Annual General Meeting of BKB had already approved the capital increase on 24 May 2017. International law firm Clifford Chance advised BKB on this transaction.

DLA Piper has advised on the sale of Pharmazeutische Fabrik Evers GmbH & Co KG to the Chinese company Bright Future Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. The company mainly produces natural health products for the urology and gastroenterology sectors, which are sold internationally with a strong presence in the Asian market, primarily Japan and China. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

JAB Holding, together with management of the Swiss luxury show and accessories company, has entered into definitive agreements for the sale of control in Bally International A.G. to Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding, a leader in textiles and apparel in China. The transaction, which sees a reinvestment on the part of management alongside Shandong Ruyi, remains subject to closing conditions including customary regulatory approvals.

Ince & Co was instructed by longstanding client, Aegean Marine Petroleum Network (AMPNI), the world's largest independent physical bunker supplier, on its approx.$367 Million acquisition of HEC Europe. The acquisition signed on 20 February and closing is subject to customary conditions.

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised InfraRed Capital Partners, a leading global investment manager focused on infrastructure and real estate, on the disposal of its £320 million UK light industrial portfolio to Blackstone and M7 real estate.

The portfolio comprises 4.5m sq ft of light industrial space across 40 properties located mostly in the North West and the Midlands along the M6 corridor. InfraRed created the powerhouse portfolio through multiple acquisitions, the first of which took place in 2014.

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) advised China Development Bank in connection with the multi-billion dollar debt restructuring of Indonesia's largest thermal coal producer, PT Bumi Resources.

Following its restructuring, lenders have been approved to exchange existing debt for new debt and securities – comprising senior loans and notes, mandatory convertible bonds, and contingent value rights.

Slaughter and May, working with Norwegian firm BA-HR, is advising Aker Energy AS on its proposed acquisition of Hess Corporation’s interests in Ghana, consisting of a 50 per cent. participating interest in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) block.