FRESHFIELDS, CC AND NRF CALLED IN ON BT’S £12.5BN PURCHASE OF EE
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised telecoms giant BT as it opted to acquire Britain’s largest mobile network group EE, over rival O2, for £12.5bn. The joint owners of EE, Deutsche Telekom and Orange, were advised by Clifford Chance and Norton Rose Fulbright respectively.
NEW SCOTLAND YARD SALE HAULS IN LINKLATERS AND MICHELMORES
Michelmores’ London real estate head Paul Paling was selected by the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime to help sell the iconic Metropolitan Police HQ with Linklaters and Appleby lining up on the other side for buyer Abu Dhabi Financial Group. The £370m secured for the site was £120m more than its asking price, though its famed spinning sign will relocate to the force’s new HQ on the Embankment.
CITY LINK ADMINISTRATION BRINGS IN LAW FIRMS OVER HOLIDAY BREAK
Macfarlanes advised the administrators as parcel delivery company City Link collapsed just before Christmas. Mayer Brown and Gateley acted for City Link companies prior to the administration, while White & Case secured a role advising rival DX as it acquired some of the company’s assets.
TRAVERS SMITH AND SIMPSON THACHER ACT AS THETRAINLINE.COM IS SOLD TO KKR
Longstanding adviser of thetrainline.com owner Exponent, Travers Smith was brought in to advise the online rail booking company on its sale to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett client KKR. The sale halted plans for an IPO, which had seen Herbert Smith Freehills advising the joint bookrunners, including Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.