International law firm Taylor Wessing has advised FDM Group (Holdings) plc, the international provider of professional IT and business services, around the successful pricing of its initial public offering of shares to the premium segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and for trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

Based on the offer price, the market capitalisation of FDM will be approximately £308.5 million, making it the UK’s largest listed IT services provider.

FDM announced the pricing of its IPO earlier this week (17th June), placing 81,774,399 shares with investors, priced at 287p each, which is expected to raise £242.7 million. Of the funds raised, £234.7 million will be for selling shareholders, including certain company directors and Inflexion Private Equity, which is selling its entire shareholding in FDM as part of the offer.

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Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised a syndicate of banks led by Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs International on the initial public offering of Worldline on the regulated market of Euronext Paris.

The IPO was initiated by Worldline’s shareholder, Atos SE (listed on the Paris stock exchange). The prospectus received the visa from the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorité des marchés financiers) on June 13, 2014 with the first listing scheduled for June 27, 2014. The size of the global offering is approximately €610 million.
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Davis Polk advised Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters on an SEC-registered public debt offering by Airgas, Inc. of $300 million principal amount of its 3.650% notes due 2024.

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Herbert Smith Freehills is pleased to have advised Greencross Limited (Greencross) on its A$120 million fully underwritten pro-rata accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer and institutional placement (Offer), announced 16 June 2014.

The proceeds from the Offer will be used by Greencross to partially fund its acquisition of CF Group Holdings Pty Limited (City Farmers).

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Global law firm K&L Gates acted for Karoon Gas Australia Limited (Karoon) in the sale of its 40% equity interest in Browse Basin exploration permits WA-315-P and WA-398-P to a subsidiary of Origin Energy Limited. The terms of the sale include an upfront cash payment of US$600 million and deferred cash payments of up to US$200 million.
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King & Spalding represented the Government of Greece on landmark agreements for the award of the first new oil and gas exploration leases in the country for nearly 20 years. The agreements may have an estimated investment value of €700 million.

The Ministry of Environment Energy & Climate Change launched an “open door” sale of exploration rights of license areas in Western Greece in 2012, which it is estimated may have up to 300 million barrels of oil deposits. The government recently signed agreements with private sector parties for oil and gas exploration rights in three blocks, Ioannina, Katakolon and West Patraikos Gulf.

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Linklaters has advised the Emaar Malls Group LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, on its inaugural $750 million 10 year debut Sukuk issue. Emaar Malls is the operator of numerous malls, shopping centres and other retail shopping developments in Dubai, including The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping malls.

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Simpson Thacher represented the initial purchasers, led by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, in connection with an offering by CommScope, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CommScope Holding Company, Inc., of $650 million aggregate principal amount of 5.000% Senior Notes due 2021 and $650 million aggregate principal amount of 5.500% Senior Notes due 2024. The proceeds of the notes offering were used to fund the redemption of CommScope Inc.’s 8.25% Senior Notes due 2019 and for general corporate purposes.
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Willkie represented longtime client Level 3 Communications, Inc. in its stock-and-cash acquisition of tw telecom, valued at approximately $7.3 billion, including the assumption of $1.6 billion in tw telecom net debt.

Under the terms of the agreement, tw telecom shareholders will receive $10 in cash and 0.7 shares of Level 3 common stock for each share of tw telecom common stock that is owned at closing. The transaction is valued at $40.86 per share of tw telecom common stock based on market close as of June 13, 2014.
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