A&O Shearman

We are delighted to announce the hire of Dan Graham and Paul Dunbar, who will join our team of over 200 partners who work with private capital investors across the U.S., U.K., EMEA and APAC. “A&O Shearman has set out its plan to invest in growing one of the pre-eminent private capital practices worldwide. Having Dan and Paul join us will significantly grow our London private equity and infrastructure bench. Our intention is that this is just the first step in a global growth strategy for our private capital offering.” Stephen Lloyd, global co-head of private equity and private capital sector lead Dan brings a wealth of knowledge, particularly in guiding financial sponsors through intricate international and cross-border deals. Paul's expertise lies in a diverse range of transactions for private equity clients, with a focus on sectors such as financial services, fintech, and healthcare, to name a few. Find out more here: https://ow.ly/fM5J50TckuE #AOShearman

Cinven, a leading international private equity firm has agreed to acquire a 50% interest in Policy Expert from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Policy Expert has been one of the UK’s fastest growing insurance businesses since it was founded in 2011. With a strong position in the UK insurance market, benefitting from increasing consumer demand for competitively priced insurance products and personalised service. “It was a privilege to advise the team at Cinven on this transaction – the third one we have navigated together. We had the opportunity to provide advice not just from our private equity team but also from our expert colleagues in the firm’s insurance practice, a highly relevant combination for the current market. All told this is an exciting investment and growth opportunity for the Cinven team.” partner Monika Przygoda The team was led by private equity partner Monika Przygoda and insurance group lead Philip Jarvis alongside senior associate Preethi Correa. Get an in depth look of the broader team involved and transaction here: https://ow.ly/sHjy50TlHVI #AOShearman

Significant risk transfer (SRT) trades are increasingly recognised as an important risk and capital management tool for banks and an exciting opportunity for investors, providing an efficient way to optimise balance sheets and facilitate lending to the real economy. Our guide offers a practical starting point for new issuers, investors and those interested in finding out more about these products. It analyses the inherent complexities of SRT trades and offers advice on navigating and negotiating these transactions. Explore the guide here: https://ow.ly/irS850Tk3BG #AOShearman

OCI Global looked to us to advise on the USD2.05 billion sale of its global methanol business to Methanex Corporation. This is the second $2+ billion deal in a month in which we have advised OCI Global, a leading global producer and distributor of hydrogen products. Methanex is a publicly traded company and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of methanol. Romain Dambre, lead partner on the transaction, highlighted the global scope of the deal: “Given that the seller is headquartered and listed in Amsterdam, the buyer is based in Vancouver and listed both in Canada and the U.S., and OCI’s methanol business assets are predominantly in the U.S. and Europe, this transaction exemplifies our truly global offering. It highlights the extensive international expertise and global network that A&O Shearman brings to our clients, made possible by our strategic combination.” The A&O Shearman team that advised OCI Global was led by New York corporate partner Romain Dambre and associates Brittany Beyer and Yuwei Liu, supported by a cross-border and cross-practice team in the U.S., the UK and the Netherlands that included London corporate and OCI relationship partner Andrew Schoorlemmer, partner Oliver Bacon, senior associate Tom Betts and associate Andrew Boyce, and Amsterdam corporate partner Tim Stevens and senior associate David Jacobs. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/exw2ZD25 #AOShearman #MergersandAcquisitions #CrossBorder

The results are in from the Sixth Allocation Round (AR6) of the UK Government's Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. A record number of low carbon electricity generation projects received CfDs across emerging and mature technologies. With no offshore wind project bids in the previous allocation round, notably AR6 has seen a rebound in this sector. Six offshore wind projects (fixed foundations) secured almost 5GW of capacity and there was a 400MW capacity award for a commercial scale floating wind project to deliver electrification to Scottish North Sea oil and gas platforms. Onshore wind projects also received allocations and this sector is seeing renewed focus in the new Government’s net zero plans. With the Government's ambitious 2030 goals in the balance, the focus now shifts to next year’s Seventh Allocation Round (AR7) and how that will play out. Click here for a more detailed look at the outcome and implications: https://ow.ly/2v7K50ThEJ3 #AOShearman #RenewableEnergy #EmergingTechnologies

We advised the underwriters on the Republic of the Philippines’ USD2.5 billion bond offering, highlighting their strategic engagement with global capital markets. “We are proud to support the underwriters in this significant transaction, which reinforces the Philippines’ strategic position in the international capital markets. This issuance showcases the Republic’s continued commitment to robust fiscal management and market confidence.” – Felipe Duque, partner. This transaction is a clear demonstration of the Republic's proactive engagement with global capital markets and its commitment to fiscal resilience and economic growth. Our cross-border team was led by Felipe Duque, with support from Giancarlo Sambalido, Sean C., Julie Song, John Hibbard, and Jack Heinberg. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/egjEEfmJ #AOShearman #CapitalMarkets #FiscalResilience

We are advising IHH Healthcare on a landmark USD900 million acquisition of Island Hospital, Penang. The transaction, one of the largest in Malaysia in 2024, once again highlights the ongoing strength of healthcare M&A in the ASEAN region post-Covid and our outstanding track record of transactional work in Malaysia. Our team was led by partner James Mythen and senior associate Felicia Tan, with key support from Purita Thanachoksopon and James C. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/egsFNvAt #AOShearman #HealthcareM&A #ASEANGrowth

Our sponsor side leveraged finance team advised Partners Group, one of the largest firms in the global private markets industry, on the financing for its acquisition, on behalf of its clients, of a majority stake in FairJourney Biologics. FairJourney Biologics is a leading antibody discovery Contract Research Organization supporting pharmaceutical and biotech companies working at the cutting edge of innovation to develop the next generation of antibody-based therapies. The team was led by sponsor side leveraged finance partners Neil Sinha (private equity sector lead (Europe)) and Nick Hallam, together with senior associate Tiffany Liow, associates Ramone Bedi and Jack Mellett and trainee Nicholas C H Ho. Read more here: https://ow.ly/2JNG50Tgbpr #AOShearman

Singapore’s status as a leading financial centre in Asia and regional hub for commodity trading, shipping, and increasingly, private capital activity has been founded on its mix of political stability, neutrality, and a sophisticated legal system. In this article, Singapore-based partners Rishi Hindocha and Prakash Raja Segaran highlight the key factors that make Singapore an attractive destination for international investors looking to tap into ASEAN’s dynamic markets and industries. Read their analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gBndbaMk #AOShearman

We are enhancing our restructuring capabilities with the strategic hire of Paolo Manganelli, who joins our team as restructuring lead in Italy. Katrina Buckley, global co-head of restructuring at A&O Shearman said, “we are delighted to have Paolo and his team join the Global Restructuring group. Their addition deepens our bench strength in Italy and increases our European restructuring coverage enabling us to deliver innovative restructuring solutions for our clients wherever they are located.” Read more: https://ow.ly/7kxa50Tcv3M #AOShearman #Restructuring