Dechert advised PepsiCo, Inc, via its subsidiary Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods, on its sale of five dairy farms in Russia (Atamanskoye, Niva, Trud, Plemzavod Za mir i trud, and Zavety Ilicha). The farms are engaged in the production of milk, winter wheat, barley, seeds, beets, and forage. The farms also own more than 12,000 head of cattle, which provide about 38,000 tonnes of milk per year. PepsiCo plans to continue purchasing raw materials from these farms.

The farms, which are located in the Krasnodar and Leningrad regions of Russia, were acquired by Pepsi in 2011 as part of its US$3.8 billion acquisition of Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods, on which Dechert also advised.

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Skadden is advising Vitol Group, one of the world’s largest independent energy trading companies, on its $2.6 billion purchase of Royal Dutch Shell plc’s Australia downstream businesses, announced February 20. More >>

A banking consortium consisting of Rabobank, the German KfW IPEX-Bank and the European Investment Bank will provide a total loan of EUR 350 million to NOP Agrowind. Part of the financing is refinanced through the KfW 207 Energy programme. Thanks to this financing NOP Agrowind will build 26 wind turbines on shore with a total capacity of 195 megawatts the largest wind farm in the Netherlands. These wind turbines are part of the Windpark Noordoostpolder. The involved banks want to stimulate the development and use of renewable energy. Approximately 185,000 households are expected to be benefit from this renewable energy.

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Cooley LLP announced today that it advised Auspex Pharmaceuticals on its $96.6 million IPO. Auspex is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel medicines for the treatment of orphan diseases. Orphan Diseases are rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States and that may often present unmet medical needs. Auspex now trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ASPX.”

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Covington & Burling advised American Tire Distributers in the acquisition of Terry’s Tire Town from Talisman Partners for up to $365 million. American Tire, a portfolio company of TPG, is a wholesale distributor of replacement tires throughout the United States and Canada. The acquisition is expected to close at the end of March, pending antitrust clearance. More >>

The transaction involves four acquisitions: a takeover bid for RCT, acquisitions of the responsible entity and operating entity of RCT and the acquisition of Casino Canberra. RCT is the owner of the Cairns Reef Casino and hotel and Casino Canberra is the owner and operator of the Canberra Casino.

Aquis has entered into a Takeover Bid Implementation Agreement with the responsible entity of RCT. Aquis’ takeover bid will be an off-market cash bid to acquire all the ordinary units in RCT for $4.354 per unit, for a total value of approximately $217 million. The RCT Board have unanimously recommended unitholders to vote in favour of the takeover bid, in the absence of a superior proposal.

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Hogan Lovells has advised Mishmeret Trusts Company Limited in its role as Trustee and Security Agent for the high yield issuance of $800 million of Senior Secured Notes due 2021 by B Communications, which closed on Wednesday 19 February 2014. B Communications owns a controlling stake in Bezeq, Israel’s largest telecommunications provider.

Mishmeret, a Tel-Aviv based company, is the leading trust company in Israel, acting as trustee for holder of over NIS 50 Billion (about $17 Billion) in debt by public and non public issuance. More >>

Linklaters has advised HSH Nordbank AG on an innovative asset-based lending structure. The reference portfolio consists of ship loan receivables of HSH Nordbank.

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Simpson Thacher is representing Kronos Parent Corporation and its controlling stockholders, investment funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman LLC, in connection with Kronos’s pending recapitalization transaction. In connection with the transaction, investment funds managed by Blackstone and GIC will make a $750,000,000 investment in Kronos and will acquire a minority stake in the company. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals.

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