Peter Wright and Rinku Bhadoria Strengthen International Power Generation, Oil & Gas and Project Finance Capabilities

Squire Patton Boggs is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Wright and Rinku Bhadoria as partners in the global Energy & Natural Resources Practice Group in London. Mr. Wright was previously a partner at , in its London and Singapore offices. Ms. Bhadoria was formerly a partner in the Global Energy and Resources Group at King & Wood Mallesons in London.

National law firm Weightmans has continued its recruitment drive with the hire of insurance specialist Simon Durkin.
 
Listed as a 'brilliant' key individual in the Legal 500, Simon worked at Fishburns, now DWF, for five years, where he was a Partner in the Global Casualty and Property team prior to joining Weightmans.
 

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) advised Comsys Financial Leasing (Comsys) on its acquisition and finance leasing of an A380 aircraft to Mauritius-based operating lessor, Veling Group (Veling), with a 12 year operating lease attached to Emirates. Comsys financed its acquisition of the aircraft with a secured loan from a PRC policy bank.

The KWM team was lead drafting counsel on the finance leasing transaction as well as on the secured loan transaction.

Withers has advised the high-profile Mayor of Venice, Italy, Luigi Brugnaro, on the voluntary and innovative creation of what is believed to be the first blind trust-style structure to be established by an Italian politician. Ivan Sacks, Partner and Chairman of the firm, will also act as Trustee for the Brugnaro Blind Trust, which is being established under New York law.

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has advised Westfield Corporation on a A$32.76bn takeover offer by European shopping centre giant Unibail-Rodamco.

The combined group will have gross market value of €61.1bn ($95.43bn), creating a global property giant with 104 assets in 27 retail markets around the world.

International law firm Ashurst has advised Superstrada Pedemontana Veneta S.p.A. on a €1.57 billion bond issue to finance the construction of the Pedemontana Veneta toll road.

The bond issue, which closed on the 29 November 2017, is divided into two tranches: €1.221 billion, variable Rate (EONIA +1% undrawn, 5% drawn) Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2047; and €350 million 8% Subordinated Secured Notes due 2027 . Both tranches are listed on the Irish stock exchange in Dublin.

Norton Rose Fulbright has acted as foreign legal counsel to both Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SD Plantation) and Sime Darby Property Berhad (SD Property) and their affiliates in relation to the listing of the plantation and property business arms of Sime Darby Berhad (the former parent entity of SD Plantation and SD Property) on the Main Market of the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (the stock exchange of Malaysia).

Slaughter and May, Hong Kong, advised Swire Properties Limited on the first green bond issue by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Swire Properties MTN Financing Limited, of US$500 million 3.50% Guaranteed Notes due 2028. The Notes were issued under Swire Properties' US$4 billion Medium Term Note Programme. The Notes are guaranteed by Swire Properties Limited and are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Slaughter and May advised Yuanta Commercial Bank Co., Ltd (YCB) on the Hong Kong regulatory aspects of its merger with Ta Chong Bank Ltd (TCB).

YCB and TCB, both incorporated in Taiwan, merged pursuant to a statutory merger under Taiwan law, with YCB being the surviving entity. The Taiwan merger was recognised in Hong Kong under the doctrine of universal succession.

Clifford Chance's cross-border project finance team represented Bancomext, ING and KfW in connection with an approximately US$209 million financing for the development of a 300MW photovoltaic project in Mexico, San Luis Potosí. The solar project was awarded to Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) during the second power auction held by CENACE.