A&O Shearman

The Ministry of Finance of China has just made history with its first USD-denominated sovereign bond offering in the Middle East. “The offering of China’s sovereign bonds in the Middle East and listing of the bonds on Nasdaq Dubai reinforces the growing economic and financial collaboration between China and the Middle East. This landmark transaction not only opens new avenues for investment from Middle East investors but is also a testament to the robust financial linkages and mutual growth opportunities that exist between these regions. Our global capital markets expertise together with our Middle East offering enables us to work closely with our clients to explore new market opportunities.” – Agnes Tsang, partner Learn more about this inaugural offering here: https://lnkd.in/eByVRZ3R #AOShearman #SovereignBonds #CapitalMarkets

XpFibre, owned by Altice, OMERS, Allianz, and AXA IM Alts, is the largest independent Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) operator in France. Our energy, natural resources and infrastructure (ENRI) team worked with the underwriters, arrangers, lenders and European and USPP noteholders on the EUR5.8bn debt refinancing of XpFibre in one of the largest European digital infrastructure financing transactions to date. The financing has been documented under a new common term secured debt platform that includes bank facilities, institutional private placement notes across a range of tenors, a capex facility to support the end of the roll-out, and a bridge-to-private placement. The cross border team was led by ENRI partners Ed Moser, Tim Conduit in London and Driss Bererhi, Paris, alongside senior associates Sarah Mulcahy and Dorian Le with support from the wider team. Get an in depth look of the broader team involved and transaction here: https://ow.ly/XVRS50U7UTw #AOShearman

As COP29 gets underway, it is crucial to remember that there is no net zero without nature. While countries’ implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework falls short, outside of multilateralism, more promising trends have emerged in nature-related disclosures, transition planning, science-based targets and private finance. Read our latest article for an overview of key recent developments surrounding the recent UN Biodiversity Conference Key biodiversity developments and COP16: https://ow.ly/vJQh50U7Jit #AOShearman #Biodiversity #Nature #COP #Disclosure #TransitionPlans #PrivateFinance

This week, partners, counsel, senior associates, and senior business team leaders from our global offices came together for an enriching MBA highlights program. This unique development initiative, facilitated by McKinsey & Company and delivered by esteemed professors from some of the world's leading business schools, was a remarkable experience for all involved. Key learnings included deepening our understanding of client environments, fostering internal networking across offices and teams, and providing an invaluable opportunity for our leaders to shape the future of our firm collectively. As a firm we are deeply committed to the learning and development of our people. We are thrilled about the insights gained and the connections made during this program, and we look forward to leveraging this knowledge to drive our firm forward. #LeadershipDevelopment #GlobalNetworking #AOShearman

A&O Shearman’s global Life Sciences & Healthcare M&A team, led by partners Matthew Appleton and Clare O'Brien is advising BioNTech on its proposed acquisition of Biotheus, a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel antibodies to address unmet medical needs of patients with oncological or inflammatory diseases. Our team have been working closely alongside BioNTech’s legal team, led by James Ryan (Chief Legal Officer & Chief Business Officer), Jonathan Falconer (Senior Director Legal - Transactions), and Irsida Zefi (Associate Director Legal). With the acquisition of Biotheus, BioNTech aims to boost the global execution of its oncology strategy by strengthening one of the three key pillars of its oncology portfolio: its next-generation immuno-modulator capabilities. Expected to close in Q1 2025, BioNTech will pay an upfront purchase price of USD800 million for Biotheus to acquire 100 percent of the issued share capital, and up to USD150 million in potential milestone payments. “This acquisition represents a significant opportunity to enhance BioNTech’s capabilities to develop, manufacture and commercialize next-generation bispecific antibodies and novel treatment combinations in oncology. We are privileged to have worked in close collaboration with the BioNTech team and proud to support them as they work towards enhancing outcomes for patients with solid tumors.” Matthew Appleton, partner. #AOShearman

We are proud to partner with the Paris Peace Forum for the first time as A&O Shearman. This year's theme, "Wanted: A Functioning Global Order", gathered representatives from states, international organizations, businesses, and NGOs to address how global elections, including significant 2024 elections in the European Parliament, India, Mexico, Indonesia, France, the U.K., and the U.S., influence our geopolitical landscape and multilateralism. Our multidisciplinary team provided pro bono support to the Forum’s structuring and operations on institutional matters including: statutes, governance, partner relations, employment law, intellectual property, and litigation. “The Paris Peace Forum stands as a remarkable international platform for dialogue and cooperation, addressing global challenges and finding sustainable solutions to build a more inclusive and resilient global community”, says Romaric Lazerges, Paris partner and head of the firm's partnership with the Forum. #PPF2024 #AOShearman A&O Shearman France

The volume of investment dedicated to reducing emissions is rising faster than at any point in history. Yet the world is falling further behind in the race to deliver Net Zero by 2050, according to our second annual study conducted in partnership with global NGO Climate Policy Initiative. Explore the study and read our full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/ebhKSPnC #AOShearman

Bridgepoint becomes majority investor in Schuberg Philis, a leading mission-critical IT service provider in the Netherlands. The partnership will propel Schuberg Philis' ambitious growth and innovation strategy throughout Europe by harnessing Bridgepoint's expertise in technology-driven businesses, extensive global office network, and industry connections. Our M&A team was led from Amsterdam by partner Karine Kodde and senior associate Kayleigh Rijnberg-Sanders, the sponsor side leveraged finance team was led from London by partner Nick Hallam and senior associate Nihaal Khanna and IT contracting expertise provided by Peter Van Dyck. The breadth of our cross-border team from the Netherlands, U.K. and Belgium highlights our firm's ability to bring together a diverse team of experts to achieve outstanding results for our clients. Go in-depth on the transaction and the full cross-border team here: https://ow.ly/3t4N50U4UCp #AOShearman #MergersAndAcquisitions

We supported multiple PRC local governments with RMB15 billion bond issuances to facilitate significant infrastructure and ESG eligible projects. “The bond issuances by the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, and the People's Government of Hainan Province highlight the growing importance of ESG finance in the Greater Bay Area and Hainan Province, further enhancing Hong Kong as a robust international finance centre. We are proud to support these pioneering efforts, reflecting our commitment to advancing ESG finance, contributing to the region's long-term economic and environmental goals.” Agnes Tsang, partner. The team was led by Agnes Tsang with support from Yu Jiayin, Gordon Ng and Eileen Qu. #AOShearman #CapitalMarkets

Completion of the Emirates Hospitals Group LLC (EHG) restructuring marks the third ever large-scale restructuring implemented under the UAE’s bankruptcy laws. The transaction is also the first of its kind in terms of scale, complexity and the tailored solutions provided to the myriad stakeholders under the aegis of the UAE bankruptcy law.?? ? EHG is a leading multi-specialty healthcare provider based in the United Arab Emirates. The restructuring involves a significant reduction of unsustainable debt, a new tiered capital structure, the establishment of a new robust governance structure with a board comprising internationally and domestically well-known healthcare professionals, and the provision of additional financing to meet EHG’s ongoing funding requirements.? ? Partner Adam Banks, who led the team from Dubai commented: "Successfully implementing EHG’s restructuring is a tremendous achievement for all parties involved. This milestone reflects the dedication, hard work and creativity of everyone throughout the process. As with any complex, multi-stakeholder restructuring, there have been many challenges along the way. The fact that it has been possible to address these challenges in a robust and sophisticated manner is testament to both the stakeholders involved and the UAE’s progressive bankruptcy and restructuring framework.”? ? The team advising the Creditors’ Committee to EHG was led by our dedicated Middle-East restructuring team with support from various other practice groups to reflect the comprehensive nature of the restructuring. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gjjup8pT ? #AOShearman #Restructuring #UAEBankruptcyLaw