Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is pleased to announce the opening of an office in Seoul, Korea, our 23rd office worldwide and seventh in the Asia Pacific region. The office provides the firm with a local platform to represent Korean and international companies and financial institutions in one of the world’s leading and dynamic business centers.

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Macfarlanes acted for Intu Properties Plc on the acquisition of three shopping centres from Westfield for a consideration of £867.8m.  The centres are in Derby, Sprucefield (Northern Ireland) and Merry Hill (West Midlands). In the case of Merry Hill, Intu acquired a 50 per cent interest, with the remaining Merry Hill interest being owned by QIC, an Australian fund.  The interests were held in a complex trust/partnership/corporate structure and the firm led on the acquisition of those interests and all underlying real estate.

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Shearman & Sterling represented Almirall, S.A. (“Almirall”) on its inaugural High Yield bond offering of €325 million 4.625% Senior Notes due 2021 (the “Notes”). The Notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain of Almirall’s subsidiaries. The offering, which was conducted pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S under the US Securities Act, closed on March 27, 2014. The net proceeds from the issue and sale of the Notes are to be used to repay certain loan facilities and for general corporate purposes.

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International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges has advised new London office client Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited (“Aston Martin”), British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, in connection with a private offering of $165 million of high yield PIK notes. More >>

Navigating complicated Russian market circumstances, Allen & Overy’s Moscow team recently advised two syndicates of lenders on new loan facilities for Sberbank Europe AG (an Austrian bank owned by the state-owned Sberbank of Russia) and Credit Bank of Moscow (a privately owned Russian bank).

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Appleby acted as Bermuda counsel to the Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) group of companies in relation to its approximately US$470 million secured loan financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).

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The London office of Arnold & Porter recently advised the Republic of Azerbaijan in connection with its debut offering of US$1.25 billion 10-year Eurobonds. Barclays, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank acted as the joint lead managers.

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Addleshaw Goddard has advised Mount Anvil, central London’s specialist residential property developer, on a £200 million partnership with leading global alternative asset manager Ares Management to purchase new sites and build more, much-needed homes in Central London. The Pears Family has participated in the refinancing of certain of the existing Mount Anvil facilities.

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