- Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) is advising entertainment and communications company ARRIS on its proposed $7.4bn acquisition by CommScope Holding Company. The HSF team is led by corporate partners Gavin Davies, Alex Kay and Caroline Rae. Pinsent Masons is acting for CommScope on the acquisition with corporate partners Rob Hutchings and Roberta Markovina leading. Alston & Bird also advised CommScope while fellow US outfit Troutman Sanders acted alongside HSF for ARRIS.
- Sullivan & Cromwell landed a lucrative mandate advising Japanese conglomerate SoftBank on its Tokyo initial public offering, aiming to raise $21bn. Sullivan’s team is led by Tokyo partners Keiji Hatano and Izumi Akai, while Davis Polk & Wardwell’s Jon Gray is representing a group of underwriters including Nomura Holdings, Mizuho Securities, Goldman Sachs Japan and JP Morgan. Japanese firm Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, meanwhile, is advising the issuer on Japanese law.
- Slaughter and May is advising Drax Group on the buyout of Scottish Power’s portfolio of pumped storage and hydro and gas-fired generation assets from Scottish Power Generation Holdings for £702m. The team is led by corporate partners Victoria MacDuff and William Underhill. Clifford Chance is representing Scottish Power, with a team led by M&A partner Graham Phillips, while Pinsent Masons is handling Scottish property matters for Drax and Scottish independent Shepherd and Wedderburn is also advising Scottish Power.
- Hogan Lovells landed a role advising the UK’s largest listed residential landlord Grainger on its acquisition of GRIP, the residential property joint venture between Grainger and APG. The £396m deal saw London corporate partners Jonathan Baird and Dan Simons advise Grainger, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer represented underwriters JP Morgan and Numis through corporate and M&A partner Mark Austin. Simmons & Simmons acted for APG on the transaction.
- Linklaters is advising on the sale of London’s Grosvenor House Hotel to a Qatari state-backed fund for an undisclosed sum. The Magic Circle firm is advising Katara Holding on the deal, with real estate partner Simon Price heading up the team. Latham & Watkins meanwhile is advising US property investment firm Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation with M&A partner Nick Cline leading the team.
- Addleshaw Goddard is advising on merger talks between accountancy firms BDO and Moore Stephens, in a deal that would create the largest accountancy firm outside the Big Four with an annual revenue of around £600m. Addleshaws, which advised Moore Stephens on its 2015 merger with Chantrey Vellacott DFK, is advising the client again with a team led by professional practices partner Aster Crawshaw. Memery Crystal is advising BDO with a team led by firm chair Lesley Gregory.