Allens Arthur Robinson has advised Pfizer Inc, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, on the divestment of its animal health assets to animal heath specialist Virbac. The divestment was in compliance with Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) requirements in line with Pfizer’s US$68 billion acquisition of Wyeth in October 2009, and represents the final divestiture of assets required by the ACCC. The assets acquired by Virbac consist of the Fort Dodge Australia livestock business, including a range of livestock vaccines, sheep and cattle parasiticides, and a biologicals manufacturing facility. The firm’s advisory team was led by corporate partner Jeremy Low and IP partner Andrew Wiseman. Ali Budiardjo, Nugroho, Reksodiputro (ABNR) has represented the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in the issuance of US$2 billion 5.875% Fixed Rate Notes due 2020 under its US$9 billion Global Medium Term Note Program. Partners Ferry P Madian and Chandrawati Dewi led the firm’s advisory team. AZB & Partners has represented global television network Star Group Limited before India’s Authority of Advance Rulings (Income Tax) in relation to taxation of cross-border mergers. In the proposed amalgamation of Star Group with an Indian company, the Authority ruled on 21 January 2010 that the transaction would not be taxable in India. The firm’s advisory team was led by partners Ajay Bahl and Sunil Agarwal. AZB & Partners has advised Indian GSM service provider Bharti Airtel Limited in its acquisition of a 70 percent equity stake in Warid Telecom International Limited (Warid), a Bangladesh-based telecom operator. The acquisition, valued at approximately US$300 million, was made through subscription of fresh shares in Warid and through the...

Allen & Gledhill LLP has advised Frasers Centrepoint Asset Management Ltd, as manager of Frasers Centrepoint Trust (FCT), in respect of the proposed acquisitions of Northpoint 2 and YewTee Point for approximately S$290.2 million (US$205.9m) and a private placement of 137 million new units in FCT to raise gross proceeds of approximately S$191.4 million (US$135.8m). The proceeds from the private placement will be used to partly finance the acquisitions, with the balance to be funded by borrowings. Partners Jerry Koh, Margaret Soh and Chua Bor Jern led the firm’s advisory team. Allen & Overy LLP has advised the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on a Rule 144A/Reg S US$1 billion sovereign bond offering. This is the country’s first sovereign bond issuance since 2005. The notes will pay a coupon of 6.75 percent per annum, will mature on January 29, 2020 and are listed on the Singapore Exchange. The notes are rated Ba3 and BB by Moodys and Standard and Poors, respectively. The firm’s advisory team was led by partner David Johnson and assisted on Vietnamese law by a team from Audier & Partners Vietnam LLC led by managing partner Nicholas Audier. Appleby is advising CP Pokphand Co Ltd in connection with its proposed acquisition of substantially all of the independent feed mill operations in the PRC controlled by shareholders in the country. The HKSE-listed CP Pokphand is a Bermuda company involved in the feed additives and industrial businesses, and is the investment arm of the Charoen Pokphand Group, a leading Asian conglomerate operating within the agribusiness, retail and telecommunications markets. Consideration for the acquisitions is HK$5.38 million...

Allen & Gledhill LLP has advised Singapore’s national water agency, the Public Utilities Board, in its issuance of S$250 million (US$178m) 2.42 percent notes due 2016 which are listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. The firm also advised Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited and Standard Chartered Bank as the joint lead managers, DBS Trustee Limited as the trustee and DBS Bank Ltd as the paying agent for the issue. Partner Margaret Chin led the team which advised the issuer, while partner Au Huey Ling led the team which advised the joint lead managers, the trustee and the paying agent. Allen & Gledhill LLP has also advised Tiger Airways Holdings Limited (Tiger Airways), the first low-cost airline to list on the SGX-ST with market capitalisation of approximately S$781.3 million (US4556m) at listing, in its initial public offering and listing on the Mainboard of the SGX-ST, which raised total proceeds of approximately S$247.7 million (US$176m). If the over-allotment option granted by Ryanasia Limited, a substantial shareholder of Tiger Airways, to Morgan Stanley & Co International plc (as stabilising manager) is exercised in full, the total proceeds raised would increase to approximately S$277.5 million (US$197.6m). Partners Tan Tze Gay, Shawn Chen and Rhys Goh led the firm’s advisory team in this IPO, which is the largest in Singapore since that of CapitaMalls Asia Limited in Q4 2009. Underwriters Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and DBS were advised by a team from Clifford Chance, led by partners Joan Janssen and Crawford Brickley. Baker & McKenzie has advised the joint lead underwriters and bookrunners PT CIMB Securities Indonesia and PT Mandiri Sekuritas in the US$200...

Allen & Gledhill LLP has advised Prudential Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd (Prudential), a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK Prudential plc, in respect of a sale and purchase agreement with United Overseas Bank Limited for the purchase of all the interests in Singapore-based UOB Life Assurance Limited. The deal, which involves a cash consideration of approximately S$428 million (US$306.53m), also involves the setting-up of bancassurance arrangements between the two groups in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. The firm’s advisory team was led by partners Andrew M. Lim, Richard young, Lim Chong Ying, Sunit Chhabra, Lim Pek Bur and Francis Mok. AZB & Partners has advised one of India’s oldest textile companies and leading industry players, Morarjee Textiles Limited, in respect of the issuance of more than 18 million fully paid equity shares to the existing equity shareholders. The issue, which opened on 30 September 2009 and was listed and traded on 29 October 2009, raised approximately Rs2,725.42 lakhs (US$59m). The firm’s advisory team was led by partner Vishnu Jerome. AZB & Partners has also advised Citigroup Global Markets India Private Limited as the sole agent in the sale of 25.85 million shares of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), held by the Petroleum Trust (which is a trust settled by Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RIL). The sale, which was signed and completed on 4 January 2010, generated Rs2675 crores (US$580.5m) and was made in accordance with the screen-based trading platform and in compliance with the rules, regulations and by-laws of the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited. The firm’s advisory team was...

Baker & McKenzie has advised Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited on the Hong Kong regulatory and legal aspects of its A$3.33 billion (US$3.07b) acquisition of 100 percent of the issued share capital in Australia-based mining firm Felix Resources Limited. The transaction is one of the largest acquisitions by a PRC company in Australia to date, and the biggest investment in the Australian mining and natural resources sector. Baker & McKenzie has also advised one of New Zealand’s largest companies, Infratil Limited, on its successful exit as the largest shareholder in Australian clean energy company Energy Developments Limited, for A$140 million (US$129.3m). Infratil sold its 32 percent stake in Energy Developments as part of a takeover offer by Greenspark Power Holding Ltd, an investee company of Pacific Equity Partners. The company was advised by the firm’s M&A partner Ben McLaughlin. Finally, Baker & McKenzie has advised Australia’s largest private hospital operator, Ramsay Health Care Limited on the proposed acquisition of a 57 percent interest in Groupe Proclif SAS, a leading French private hospital group, for €87 million (US$126.28m). The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of March, subject to regulatory approvals, banking consents, and formal documentation. M&A partners Ben McLaughlin (Sydney) and Laurent Barbara (Paris) advised the client. Clifford Chance has advised leading bank Kasikornbank Public Company Limited on the groundbreaking THB700 million (US$21.2m) project financing of Thailand’s first utility scale 6MW solar power project. The project, to be built in the Nakorn Rachasrima Province, has been supported by the Energy for Environment Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation founded in 2000 to promote the development of renewable...