Frankfurt/Hamburg/Boulder, Jan. 22, 2018 – A Bryan Cave corporate, venture capital and technology team from Frankfurt, Hamburg and Boulder (Colorado), led by Managing Partner Tobias Fenck (Germany) and Partner Mark Weakley (USA), advised the private equity and venture capital company LEA Partners on a seed financing-round in the amount of USD 2.8 million for the machine learning startup understand.ai. The company focusses on training and validation data for self-propelled vehicles and intends to drive growth in the United States through this investment.

DLA Piper has advised the property fund manager, Savills Investment Management, on the establishment of its new fund Nordic Fund III – Retail, and the fund's subsequent acquisition of four retail parks in Haparanda, Borlänge, Uppsala and Uddevalla in Sweden from IKEA Centres.

DLA Piper advised on the Swedish, German and English law in relation to the acquisition of the retail parks, as well as the financing of the acquisition.

Dentons is pleased to have advised BankDhofar SAOG (BankDhofar) on its recent fully subscribed rights issue of OMR40 million (circa US$104 million). The transaction follows BankDhofar's fully subscribed rights issue in 2016, which Dentons also advised on.

Dentons Managing Partner and Head of Corporate in Muscat, Nick Simpson, led the team, working with assistance from partner Dali Al Habboub, senior associate Darshi Sanganee, associate Fatma Al Rashdi and paralegal Raiyan Al Toky.

Davis Polk advised the placing agent for the top-up placement of up to 110,000,000 shares in China Maple Leaf Educational Systems Limited for a total consideration of approximately HK$1 billion.

China Maple Leaf is incorporated in the Cayman Islands with its shares listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. China Maple Leaf is principally engaged in the business of operating international schools in the PRC.

Davis Polk advised Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. on its SEC-registered takedown offering of senior TLAC notes, which consisted of $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of 3.102% senior notes due 2023, $750 million aggregate principal amount of 3.544% senior notes due 2028 and $500 million aggregate principal amount of floating-rate senior notes due 2023. The notes are structured to count as total loss-absorbing capacity (“TLAC”) when TLAC regulations are implemented in Japan.

Davis Polk advised Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in connection with a global medium-term note program update and a benchmark takedown, which consisted of $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of 2.514% senior notes due 2020 and $750 million aggregate principal amount of senior floating-rate notes due 2020, each guaranteed by SMBC’s New York branch.

SMBC is one of world’s largest commercial banks by assets.

Davis Polk advised Rumo Luxembourg S.à r.l., as issuer, and Rumo S.A., as guarantor, in connection with Rumo Luxembourg’s $500 million offering of 5.875% senior notes due 2025, which were issued pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S under the Securities Act.

Based in Brazil, Rumo is the largest intermodal logistics operator in Latin America, focusing on rail transportation, warehousing, operation of terminals and other logistics services.

A Bryan Cave M&A team led by Partner Michael Leue and Counsel Hubertus Schröder advised Weiderer Holding GmbH, headquartered in Deggendorf, Germany, in the sale of its HR service activities to TimePartner-Gruppe, a leading German HR service provider. The sale included all of the Weiderer Group’s shares in Aartos Personalservice, Weiderer Personaldienste and opTEAMum Personaldienstleistungen. The parties agreed to keep the sales price confidential. The German Federal Cartel Office has approved of the transaction.

Fried Frank represented Sberbank in a successful challenge against an application made to the High Court by the International Bank of Azerbaijan (the “IBA”), pursuant to which the IBA sought an order for a permanent moratorium against creditor action in England and Wales. The application related to the voluntary restructuring of the IBA in Azerbaijan.
 

The international law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP has advised Philipp Lahm Holding GmbH on the acquisition of a majority in health food producer Schneekoppe.