The financing was extended by funds advised by Permira Debt Managers, one of Europe's leading specialist debt investors.

Willkie client Permira Credit Solutions III G.P. Limited, advised by Permira Debt Managers, financed the acquisition of Technogroup IT-Service by Vitruvian Partners.

Founded in 1990, Technogroup offers third party maintenances services for IT systems in data centers, in particular insurance-like technology maintenance services. Technogroup serves over 4,000 customers across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Linklaters has advised Chariot Top Group, a company represented by Griffin Real Estate, on a real estate portfolio acquisition comprising 28 shopping centres located across Poland from A-R-A Retail Centres, owned by a consortium formed by Ares Management L.P., AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets and Apollo Rida, and on the subsequent resale of 12 properties from this portfolio to Echo Polska Properties. This transaction has been widely acknowledged to be one of the largest real estate deals signed in 2017 in the CEE region (closing took place on 4 January 2018).

Linklaters has advised Chariot Top Group, a company represented by Griffin Real Estate, on a real estate portfolio acquisition comprising 28 shopping centres located across Poland from A-R-A Retail Centres, owned by a consortium formed by Ares Management L.P., AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets and Apollo Rida, and on the subsequent resale of 12 properties from this portfolio to Echo Polska Properties. This transaction has been widely acknowledged to be one of the largest real estate deals signed in 2017 in the CEE region (closing took place on 4 January 2018).

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP has advised Seaoil Philippines, Inc., the country’s largest independent fuel operator, in a strategic partnership with Caltex Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd. Caltex will acquire a 20% equity interest in Seaoil.

The transaction, valued at US$100 million, will allow Seaoil to benefit from Caltex’s support for continued growth strategy.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has jointly advised Nomura International plc on Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's (Geely) acquisition of the activist fund Cevian Capital's entire shareholding in AB Volvo, the leading global manufacturer of trucks and the largest listed company in Sweden.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised the Group Les Mousquetaires on a significant victory against the French Ministry of Economy.

Kirkland & Ellis advised Nordic Packaging and Container (Finland) Holdings Oy (‘NPAC Holdings’), a company controlled by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC on the €365 million sale of its Powerflute semi-chemical fluting business to Mondi Group. The transaction, which was announced on December 22, 2017, remains subject to competition clearance and customary closing conditions and is expected to complete during the first half of 2018. Them full press release is available here.

Slaughter and May advised Marks & Spencer (M&S) on the sale and franchise of its retail business in Hong Kong and Macau to its long-established franchise partner, Al-Futtaim. The sale, which completed on 30 December 2017, sees Al-Futtaim become the new sole franchisee for M&S in Hong Kong and Macau.

The sale follows M&S’s strategic review of its international business in November 2016, where M&S proposed to have a greater focus on its established franchise and joint venture partnerships and operate with fewer wholly-owned markets.

Contacts

Ashurst advised Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate GmbH (Warburg-HIH Invest) on the sale of the office and commercial building "Kö-Blick" in Dusseldorf's Königsallee 61 to the "Cicerone Fund", an Italian pension fund managed by CBRE Global Investors and Fabrica SGR. The property belonged to the portfolio of an individual fund (open real estate special AIF) of Warburg-HIH Invest. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase volume.