A&O Shearman

Colleagues from across the firm attended the Berlin Global Dialogue 2024 this week including Hervé Ekué, our managing partner and Wolf Bussian, our Germany managing partner. Our top insights from the event: It is important that we continue to find innovative ways to work together amid an increasingly fragmented global environment. The urgency to tackle global challenges collectively remains, despite shifting power dynamics. Focus on areas where collaboration is possible, bridging local viewpoints to recalibrate cooperation. This event serves as a great platform to rediscover common ground and identify pragmatic areas for collaboration. We believe it is our common goal to address these global challenges and find sustainable solutions. Dialogue is the way forward. Let's keep having difficult conversations. A special thanks to Lars-Hendrik Röller, founder of the Berlin Global Dialogue, and the entire BGD team for organizing this event. #AOShearman #BGD2024

Gedik & Eraksoy and A&O Shearman celebrated our new horizons with our clients. We were thrilled to introduce the new A&O Shearman brand and the latest additions to our team. “It was an honour to attend and spend a special evening with our colleagues and so many valued clients. This celebration was a testament to our ongoing commitment to building strong relationships and delivering exceptional services to our clients.” Khalid Garousha, Senior Partner, A&O Shearman   “This event not only strengthened our existing relationships but also opened new avenues for collaboration and growth. We are excited about the future and look forward to many more successful events. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.”  Umut Gurgey, Managing Partner, Istanbul   “A huge thanks to our clients for making the evening such a wonderful success and helping us celebrate this special milestone for A&O Shearman in Turkey.” Adam Fadian, English Law Partner, Istanbul “It was a pleasure to share this evening with our clients showing our historical dedication over the last decade as well as our commitment to the future of this market. I am very happy that I can be a part of the latter.” Caner Elmas, Partner and Head of Corporate M&A, Istanbul Thanks to our clients and team for joining us in this journey. We look forward to shaping the future together. Get a glimpse into the event here: https://lnkd.in/edZwPf2x

Our cross border team advised on the EUR1 billion financing for TDR’s acquisition of Acqua & Sapone, Italy’s leading non-food discount retail brand. The team was led by high yield partner John Kicken and leveraged finance partner Filippo Crosara in London, supported by partners Pietro Scarfone and Cristiano Tommasi and by counsel Alessandra Pala from our Italian offices. Get an in depth look of the transaction and broader team here:https://ow.ly/P8iL50TCfyJ #AOShearman

Telemos Capital, a European private equity firm has acquired Helios Global Group Limited a leading healthcare communications business with operations in the U.K. and the U.S.. Founded in 2015 and now with almost 300 employees across five office locations spanning the U.K. and U.S., Helios provides high-quality and impactful healthcare communications, as well as health economic and market access solutions. The team advising Telemos Capital was led by private equity partner Chris Sabine alongside senior associate James Funder, associates Oliver Mills, Shaan M. and Alex Brown. Tax advice was provided by senior associate Hugh Brooks and associate Sadia Khan. Read more here: https://ow.ly/J7Lk50TC1HV #AOShearman

We deployed a multi-jurisdictional team of lawyers to advise the joint lead managers and the initial purchasers on a EUR500 million high-yield bond offering by International Game Technology PLC (IGT), a global leader in providing lottery solutions. “It was a privilege to advise the Joint lead managers on this transaction that not only underscores our firm's expertise in navigating complex, multi-jurisdictional deals but also highlights our commitment to delivering exceptional results for our clients” commented partner Trevor Ingram. The team advising on the New York law aspects of the transaction was led by partner Trevor Ingram supported by senior associate Evangelia Andronikou and associates Irene Mainar Borao, Connor Anear and Shruti Sethi (London). The transaction involved advice from several network offices, with partners Robert Burt (London and Milan), Craig Byrne, Pietro Scarfone, and counsel Alessandra Pala in Italy, partner Thomas Mastoras in New York, partner Thomas Neubaum in Germany and partner Jonathan Heeringa and counsel Tom Reutelingsperger in the Netherlands. Read more here: https://ow.ly/82TS50TBnXl #HighYield #LeveragedFinance #AOShearman

We are thrilled to announce that we have achieved Certification Plus status in both the U.K. and the U.S. for the Diversity Lab's 2023-2024 Mansfield Initiative. This prestigious recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within the legal profession. Our global managing partner, Hervé Ekué, emphasizes: "Achieving the Mansfield Certification Plus status is testament to our dedication to creating a workplace where every individual has a fair and equal opportunity to advance. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment not only enriches our firm, but also enhances our ability to serve our clients and communities effectively." We are proud to lead by example and ensure that our talent practices are transparent, inclusive, and equitable for all. Read more here: https://ow.ly/qml350TBrPf #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #AOShearman

Helios Investment Partners becomes the largest investor in M2P Solutions with an USD800m investment. M2P provides back-end software as a service (SaaS) to some of India’s largest fintech companies, financial institutions and banks, in addition to developing Visa’s networks in various markets. “This transaction demonstrates our capability to assist international investors in their push to access the fast-growing Indian market and also the breadth and depth of our global Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice.” Harsh Pais, partner The team advising Helios Investment Partners was led by partners Harsh Pais and Will Samengo-Turner, senior associates Aviral Chauhan and Charlotte Rowlandson and associate Adithyan Sreekumar. Get an in depth look of the broader team involved and transaction here: https://ow.ly/ROjS50TAWLo #AOShearman #SASS

Stellex Capital Management, a private equity firm with over USD2.8 billion in AUM have acquired Fox Brothers Holdings Group. As part of this transaction, UK-based Fox Brothers, which provides services to the construction and infrastructure industry, will merge with J.A. Jackson, with a focus to further integrate the company to transform Fox Brothers into a fully integrated, circular economy construction materials solutions business, able to help decarbonise the construction materials supply chain. The cross-practice team advising Stellex Capital was led by private equity partner Peter Banks alongside senior associate Adarsh Chhabria, with financing advice provided by partner Catherine Lang-Anderson and tax advice by partner Tim Harrop. Find out more about the transaction here: https://ow.ly/6t6O50TzPk4 #AOShearman

Azelis, a Belgium-based distributor of specialty chemicals and food ingredients, issued EUR600 million 4.75% Senior Notes due 2029 and entered into a new senior credit facilities agreement, comprising a EUR600m term loan and a EUR500m revolving credit facility. It will use the net proceeds from the bond issuance and drawings under the new term loan to repay indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. Partner Marc Plepelits said: “Following Azelis’ successful debut bond issuance in March 2023, our cross-border team was delighted to be working with Azelis again on its latest refinancing, delivering innovative financing solutions for our clients. The European leveraged finance market had a very strong first half of the year, and this transaction demonstrates continued confidence in the market to provide a supportive backdrop for dealmaking going forward.” Our integrated team led by partners Marc Plepelits and Darren Hanwell alongside senior associates Evangelia Andronikou, Baxter Schooley and Kiddist Forsythe represented the banks, led by BNP Paribas and HSBC, on this transaction. Get an in depth look of the broader team involved and transaction here: https://ow.ly/Zq2c50Tx0iP #AOShearman

We are pleased to announce the re-launch of our Restructuring Across Borders (RAB) toolkit. This invaluable resource offers information and guidance on key aspects of restructuring and insolvency proceedings in over 50 jurisdictions. Katrina Buckley, global co-head of restructuring, shares: “The RAB toolkit is a tremendously valuable resource and demonstrates the expertise, global reach and deep bench of the A&O Shearman Global Restructuring team and our partner firms. To celebrate the re-launch of RAB, we will also shortly be publishing a series of a podcasts taking a detailed look at the main pre-insolvency restructuring and compromise proceedings in several European jurisdictions – watch this space!” Discover more here: https://ow.ly/R3lH50Tu7rS #AOShearman