• April 16, 2013 |

    CC and A&O among international quartet on key Hong Kong IPO double

    Clifford Chance (CC) and Allen & Overy (A&O) have landed lead roles on two key Hong Kong initial public offerings (IPOs), working opposite US outfits Davis Polk & Wardwell and Kirkland & Ellis respectively. The planned listings of state-owned brokerage China Galaxy Securities Co and Sinopec Engineering (Group) Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Asia's biggest oil refiner, Beijing-based Sinopec Group, are said to be the biggest IPOs in Hong Kong so far this year.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2013 |

    DLA and MoFo act on Sinopharm's Hong Kong share sale

    DLA Piper and Morrison & Foerster have scored lead roles on the HK$4bn (£335m) sale of new shares by China's biggest drug distributor Sinopharm. The deal marks the second H share placement for Sinopharm since its $1.1bn (£714m) IPO in 2009, with 165.7 million shares being sold to between six and 10 non-retail investors at HK$24.60 (£2.06) each.

    1 minute read

  • March 25, 2013 |

    The Transfer Window: recent moves including SNR, Gateley, K&L Gates

    Harbottle & Lewis has recruited top-rated defamation and reputation management partner John Kelly from Schillings, in an eye-catching hire for the City firm. Kelly has acted for a raft of high-profile clients including disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong and former England manager Steve McClaren, as well as other celebrities including Steve Coogan, Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and Matt Lucas.

    1 minute read

  • March 24, 2013 |

    Reed Smith, Ashurst and Olswang advise on BBC's Lonely Planet sale

    Reed Smith, Ashurst and Olswang are among a number of firms to have taken roles on BBC Worldwide's £51.5m sale of travel publisher Lonely Planet. US media company NC2 Media will acquire the Melbourne-headquartered company at the end of the financial year (31 March), paying £41.2m on completion and £10.3m in one year's time.

    1 minute read

  • March 21, 2013 |

    UK duo lead as RBS gives up control of Direct Line

    Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughter and May have led on a deal that has seen the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) give up control of UK insurer Direct Line with a £507m share sale. RBS, which sold a 34.72% share in Direct Line when it listed on the London Stock Exchange last year, has now sold a further 15.3%, reducing its stake in the insurer to just below 50%. A&O City corporate partner David Broadley advised RBS on the sale, while Slaughters corporate partner Andy Ryde provided counsel to Direct Line. Linklaters corporate partner Dan Schuster-Woldan and managing associate James Wootton represented the banks.

    1 minute read

  • March 21, 2013 |

    DLA boosts Hong Kong real estate practice with Skadden hire

    DLA Piper has strengthened its Hong Kong real estate practice with the hire of partner Ed Sheremeta from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Previously head of the Asia real estate group for Skadden, Ed specialises in real estate investment both in the equity and finance space, advising on everything from acquisitions and institutional investments, to REITs, asset and property management and the establishment of real estate joint ventures.

    1 minute read

  • March 19, 2013 |

    Pinsents adds two financial services partners with Eversheds and CC hires

    Pinsent Masons has moved to strengthen its financial services team with the hires of Richard Tripp and Monica Gogna from Eversheds and Clifford Chance (CC) respectively. Tripp, who will joins Pinsents' Leeds office on 29 April, is a restructuring specialist who has acted on several high-profile matters including the administrations of Little Chef, Pindar and Modus Group.

    1 minute read

  • March 18, 2013 |

    Linklaters and White & Case win roles on record $2bn Thailand IPO

    Linklaters and White & Case have landed lead roles on the planned $2.1bn (£1.4bn) initial public offering (IPO) of BTS Group's new infrastructure fund, reportedly Thailand's largest-ever new listing. BTS, which operates Bangkok's SkyTrain transit system, is in the process of setting up the BTS Rail Mass Transit Group Infrastructure Fund, which will be independently managed.

    1 minute read

  • March 15, 2013 |

    A&O US financial services regulatory chief exits to join Milbank

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has seen the departure of US financial services regulatory head Douglas Landy to Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy. Landy, who has been at the magic circle firm since 2008 after joining from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, joined Milbank yesterday (14 March).

    1 minute read

  • March 14, 2013 |

    A&O and Slaughters called in once more as RBS cuts Direct Line stake below 50%

    Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughter and May have led on a deal that has seen the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) give up control of UK insurer Direct Line with a £507m share sale. RBS, which sold a 34.72% share in Direct Line when it listed on the London Stock Exchange last year, has now sold a further 15.3%, reducing its stake in the insurer to just below 50%.

    1 minute read