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Clifford Chance advises syndicate of lenders on financing for Dominican Republic power plant

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:54:00 GMT

The syndicate of lenders consisted of CIFI Services, S.A., as syndication agent, Banco de Reservas de la República Dominicana – Banco Múltiple and Banco Múltiple BHD, S.A., as mandated lead arrangers, and CIFI LATAM, S.A., Banco Internacional de Costa Rica, S.A., Banco Aliado S.A., Banco Industrial, S.A., Bi Bank, S.A., Banco Multiple Santa Cruz, S.A., Metrobank S.A., Banesco Banco Multiple, S.A., Banesco (Panama) S.A., as senior lenders.

The transaction will support the construction of a natural gas generation turbine, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), and a 7.2km natural gas pipeline. With a net capacity of 414MW, the plant represents the largest single expansion of generation capacity in the Caribbean in more than a decade and is one of the largest private infrastructure investments in the Dominican Republic. Once completed, it is expected to supply approximately 15% of the country’s energy capacity.

The deal team was led by Alberto Haito, supported by Fernando Liu and Genevieve McCarthy. The wider team included:

Texas law: Partners Jonathan Castelan and Om Pandya, and associates Julian Pozza and Johnathan Walker
English law: Senior associate Keith Hauck and lawyer Doyin Kazeem
Tax matters: Partner Avrohom Gelber

Clifford Chance also advised Bladex on the US$116 million standby letters of credit facility relating to the development of the Manzanillo power project. The firm has previously advised CIFI on a credit facility for the refinancing of a 345kV, 128-kilometer transmission line across multiple provinces supporting the same project.

Clifford Chance advises on successful reopening of senior notes by Argentine energy company EDENOR

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:24:00 GMT

The team was led by partner Hugo Triaca (New York), with support from associate Cristian Ragucci (São Paulo) and foreign lawyer Juan Andrés Bosch (Madrid).

Clifford Chance advises on many similar transactions across Latin America, including on AES Dominicana's notes issuance, MSU Green Energy's senior secured notes offering and Energuate's senior notes offering.

Clifford Chance acts as lead transaction and consortium counsel to Sixth Street and Bayview Asset Management on their joint acquisition of Castle Trust Bank from J.C. Flowers and Co

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:14:54 GMT

Castle Trust is a UK specialist bank serving nearly 170,000 customers. Founded in 2012, Castle Trust began by offering specialist mortgage finance and investment products. It broadened into point-of-sale retail finance in 2017 with the acquisition of Omni Capital Retail Finance and now provides a range of services spanning savings and Cash ISA accounts, specialist bridging and term mortgages, and retail finance.

As equal partners, Sixth Street and Bayview combine their significant financial strength and deep expertise in credit markets and asset-based finance to fuel growth across the business, including expanding Castle Trust’s retail savings franchise, broadening its product offering and attracting additional customer deposits

The Clifford Chance team was led by partners Richard Crosby and Neil Barlow, with support from senior associates Madeleine McIntosh, Joshua Reynolds, Joshua Higgins and Louise Murray and associates Cristina Rice and Ross Nixon. Partner Simon Crown and associate Joe Paddon led on the Financial Regulation aspects of the transaction.

Press contact: Sonia Malhotra-Denny

Clifford Chance advises easyJet on the recommended £5.7 billion takeover offer by Apollo-managed funds

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:47:00 GMT

The acquisition is subject to shareholder, court and regulatory approvals and is currently expected to complete by the end of the first calendar quarter of 2027.

The Clifford Chance team is led by M&A partners Melissa Fogarty, Katherine Moir and James Bole.

Press contact: Chanelle Mutawe

Clifford Chance advises Russula and Hydnum Steel in connection with a €150 million investment commitment by COFIDES to build Spain’s first green steel plant

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The facility will produce 2.7 million tonnes of green steel per year and will achieve a 98% reduction in its carbon footprint compared with conventional steelmaking processes. The project, which benefits from strong institutional support from COFIDES and the PERTE II for Industrial Decarbonisation, will mobilise more than €1.5 billion in total investment and generate more than 5,000 jobs, establishing itself as a key driver of reindustrialisation and the strengthening of Spain’s and Europe’s strategic autonomy.

The Clifford Chance team was led by Corporate/M&A partner Luis Alonso, with the support of counsel Javier Olábarri and Corporate/M&A team members Sofía Albiñana and José Jordana de Pozas. Other Clifford Chance lawyers involved included José Guardo and Marta Ruiz from the Projects team, and José Luis Zamarro and Mónica Romero from the Regulatory team.

Press contact: Gonzalo Trueba

Clifford Chance advises BlackRock, in collaboration with Influence Media Partners, in its agreement to acquire assets of Anthem Entertainment

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:57:00 GMT

The catalogue includes works from globally recognized artists and songwriters such as Timbaland, Rush, Britney Spears, The Weeknd, Justin Timberlake and OneRepublic, as well as soundtracks from iconic movies and TV shows like the Spiderman franchise.

Learn more about the transaction here.

Private equity partner Neil Barlow and counsel Mark Sheehy led the transaction with support from associates Austin Johnson and Nick Mitchell. Partners Philip Wagman and Adriana Zhan advised on tax matters. Partners Jennifer Storey, Stavroula Vryna and Brian Concklin and counsel Nivi Balaji advised on antitrust and foreign investment matters.

Clifford Chance's role follows on the back of its work advising BlackRock on its launch of Easttree Media.

Clifford Chance advises Bridgepoint on acquisition of Lansweeper

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:50:00 GMT

The transaction will see Bridgepoint partner with Lansweeper's CEO and the wider management team to support the company's next phase of growth, including continued investment in innovation, AI capabilities, international expansion and selective M&A. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Read more about the transaction here.

The Clifford Chance team was led by partners Niek De Pauw (Brussels), Tim Heerschop (Amsterdam) and Jan-Hendrik Horsmeier (Amsterdam), supported by Sebastiaan van Steenbergen, Polly Huls, Gauthier Peemans, Céline Lievens, Martijn van Beusekom and Sietse Vogt. The wider team included Folko de Vries, David Ballegeer, Alexandre Ooms, Giuseppe de Palma, Gert Cuppens, Andrei Mikes, Stijn van Walleghem, Stern Flik, Tamlin Higgins, Pierre Pettiaux, Alec Sanderson, Cile Arnoldy, Hannah van Dijk, Harold Legrand and Philippe Grignard.

Press contact: Iva Celic

Clifford Chance advises SAL Saudi Logistics Services on the acquisition of Aviapartner Liège

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:47:00 GMT

The Clifford Chance team was led by Gillis Waelkens, with a core team consisting of Avril Miller, Maxime Vander Motten and Elsa Neugroschl. The team further included Gert Cuppens, Philippe Grignard, Gauthier Peemans, Pieter De Bock, Stijn Van Walleghem, Sabrina Spoor, Merel van den Burg and Pascal Borsjé. The Clifford Chance team worked in close collaboration with AS&H Clifford Chance in Riyadh.

Press contact: Marion Meunier

Clifford Chance advises the GPT Wholesale Shopping Centre Fund on approx. A$1.2 billion of retail asset acquisitions

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:22:00 GMT

The acquisitions form part of an approximately A$1.2 billion recapitalisation of funds into two institutional-quality retail assets, with the GPT Wholesale Shopping Fund acquiring the interests from Lendlease's Australian Prime Property Fund in Australia's largest retail real estate transaction of 2026 so far.

Philip Podzebenko, Partner, said: "This transaction reflects continued strong demand for high-quality retail assets from institutional investors seeking scale and resilient income streams. We were delighted to support GWSCF on these significant acquisitions."

The core deal team comprised partners Rebecca Elgar and Philip Podzebenko, counsel Laura Walsh and Adrianna Witkowski, senior associate Japonica Sheridan and associates Callum Florance, Lisa Fogarty and Thomas Prestwidge.

The transaction builds on the firm's recent real estate successes in Australia, including advising Scape Australia on its landmark acquisition of Aveo and advising MEC Global Partners Asia, a member of the Mitsubishi Estate Group, on its acquisition of a stake in Salesforce Tower.

Media contact: Danielle Shaw

Clifford Chance advises on US$500 million AES Dominicana notes issuance

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 20:57:00 GMT

AES Dominicana will use the proceeds of the issuance to refinance existing indebtedness, including (i) senior notes due 2028 and (ii) local bonds due 2027. Any remaining proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

The global team was led by partner Hugo Triaca, supported by associate Joyce Moore and foreign law clerk Natalie Jana Deradi (New York). The team also included:

Amsterdam: partners Boudewijn Vermeer and Jurgen van der Meer, senior associates Martine Trip and Marina Sarkisjan and advocaat-stagiaire Mark van Brest.
Madrid: partner Eugenio Fernandez Rico, senior counsel Roberto Grau and foreign lawyer Juan Andres Bosch.

Clifford Clifford Chance has advised on similar transactions across Latin America, including EDENOR's notes issuance and ENERGUATE's notes issuance.

Clifford Chance advising Emirates NBD on the proposed acquisition of the retail banking business of HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E. (“HSBC Egypt”)

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:11:00 GMT

The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

As part of the transaction, Emirates NBD Egypt will acquire HSBC Egypt’s retail banking portfolio along with the associated branch and ATM network, customer base and relevant employee base. The transaction is expected to enhance Emirates NBD Egypt's market positioning as a leading retail and premium banking franchise in Egypt, while deepening the connectivity for the Group across the UAE-Egypt corridor.

The Clifford Chance team was led by Regional Managing Partner, Middle East and Türkiye, Mohammed Al-Shukairy.

Mohammed commented "We have a highly valued relationship with Emirates NBD and are delighted to continue to play a role in their exciting journey and impressive expansion. Emirates NBD continues to show leadership in financial services across the region and beyond."

He was supported by a team from across the Clifford Chance network, including: James Dadford (Senior Associate), Cari Sweeney (Senior Associate), Gareth Dray (Legal Director), Yara Hage (Associate), Jack Hardman (Partner), Karim Vellani (Associate), Paul Coates (Partner), Alistair Woodland (Partner), Clare Hoxey (Partner), Laura Conway (Senior Associate), Nuri Mirwani (Senior Associate), Kate Haywood (Senior Associate), Becky Moore (Senior Associate), Tom Jagger (Associate), Zayed Al Jamil (Partner), Jamie Andrew (Counsel), Mark Comber (Senior Associate), Sabrina Rodrigues (Associate), Violetta Kokolus (Partner), Hayley Kwan (Associate), Edward Page (Partner), Viktoria Parkhomenko (Senior Associate) and Archie Zverev (Associate).

The transaction adds to Clifford Chance's extensive experience advising leading financial institutions on significant banking and financial services transactions across the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye.

Clifford Chance recently celebrated 50 years in the Middle East. Its regional M&A/ Private Equity practice is consistently top ranked by leading legal directories and is ranked first in the Middle East for M&A by deal value in Mergermarket's H1 2026 league tables.

Press Contact : Samantha White

Clifford Chance advises Jackson Square Aviation on 20-aircraft sale-and-leaseback programme with IndiGo

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 07:47:00 GMT

The programme supports IndiGo's continued growth across its domestic and international network while further strengthening the long-standing relationship between JSA and the airline. IndiGo is India's largest airline and one of the world's fastest-growing carriers.

Fergus said, "This 20-aircraft programme highlights the scale of support available to airlines pursuing long-term fleet growth. Acting for a leading aircraft lessor on a large-scale operating leasing transaction of this nature required the development of a bespoke leasing structure that supports both JSA's objectives and IndiGo's continued growth. The transaction also reflects the depth of aviation finance and leasing experience that our team has developed advising lessors, airlines and financiers across Asia Pacific."

Clifford Chance has a strong track record advising on aviation financing and leasing transactions involving Indian airlines. This includes advising SMBC on a first-of-its-kind JOLCO transaction for IndiGo through GIFT City and HSBC on a landmark aviation financing transaction for Air India that marked the first use of GIFT City in aviation financing.

Press contact: Fenix Wong

Clifford Chance advises the Government of Malaysia on its US$1.5 billion global sukuk

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:39:00 GMT

The offering comprised US$850 million 4.612% trust certificates due 2032 and US$650 million 4.949% trust certificates due 2036. The transaction was 4.7 times oversubscribed, with demand exceeding US$9.5 billion, and achieved the tightest spreads ever for Malaysia's global sukuk issuances. The trust certificates are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Labuan International Financial Exchange and Bursa Malaysia under its Exempt Regime.

Partners Gareth Deiner (Singapore) and Qudeer Latif (Dubai) led the Clifford Chance team, which included legal consultant Shauaib Mirza (London), counsel Stephanie Liman, associate Adam Fong and trainee lawyer Aileen Lee (all Singapore).

Gareth said, "This successful issuance reflects the continued confidence of international investors in Malaysia's economic fundamentals and long-term policy direction. Malaysia remains one of the world's leading Islamic finance markets, and we are pleased to have advised the Government of Malaysia on this landmark sovereign sukuk issuance."

CIMB, HSBC, J.P. Morgan and Standard Chartered acted as Joint Lead Managers and Joint Bookrunners.

Clifford Chance has a leading track record advising on landmark sovereign and corporate sukuk issuances globally, including advising on the Republic of Indonesia's US$2.35 billion global sukuk, the Republic of Türkiye's US$2.75 billion sukuk, and Burjeel Holdings' US$1.5 billion sukuk programme and inaugural US$500 million sukuk.

Press Contact: Fenix Wong

Clifford Chance advises Lakestar on oversubscribed fundraising of US$300 million Resilience I Fund, Europe’s largest dedicated dual-use and defence technology fund

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:17:00 GMT

The oversubscribed Fund has raised US$300 million, with investor interest significantly exceeding the Fund’s targeted size. Lakestar confirmed Resilience I to be the largest institutional venture fund of its kind in Europe raised from private capital. The Fund is backed by leading strategic and institutional investors as well as large industrial family offices.

Resilience I will support founders developing critical technologies for Europe and its Western allies, including advanced autonomous systems, AI-driven defence software, sovereign drone manufacturing, missile technology, space technologies and maritime platforms.

Lakestar is one of Europe’s leading technology investment firms, with over US$6 billion in assets under management across institutional venture funds and private investments. Founded by Dr Klaus Hommels, widely regarded as one of Europe's pioneering technology investors and best-known venture capitalists, Lakestar backs technology-enabled businesses founded by exceptional entrepreneurs in Europe and beyond.

The Clifford Chance team advising Lakestar was led by partner Sonya Pauls (Funds) and included senior associate Lisa Giroux, senior transaction lawyer Alina Hochberger and (both Funds), counsel Andrew Nelson (Funds, New York), partner Simon Crown and senior associate Joseph Paddon (both Financial Regulation, London), partners Laura Underhill (London), Hannah Richard and Rebecca Pereira (all New York) as well as associate Rick Thoben (New York, Tax), and many other national and international Clifford Chance colleagues.

Press Contact: Nadja Fersch

Clifford Chance advises DBS on US$1.48 billion unsecured financing for Aviation Capital Group

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:52:00 GMT

The financing was launched as a US$750 million unsecured facility and was subsequently upsized to approximately US$1.48 billion following syndication, reflecting strong lender appetite and confidence in ACG's credit profile. The transaction brought together a syndicate of 33 lenders across Asia and Europe and will support ACG's general corporate purposes, including capital expenditure, refinancing and working capital needs.

Partner Fergus Evans, counsel Nattawat Vilasdechanon and senior associate Vanessa Heng advised DBS on all aspects of the transaction, including the structuring, negotiation and execution of the facility.

Fergus said, "The successful syndication and upsizing of the facility reflects the strong confidence lenders continue to place in established aircraft lessors such as ACG and the depth of liquidity available for high-quality borrowers in the sector. Advising on a financing of this scale required close coordination across a large syndicate of international lenders and a highly focused execution process, demonstrating our ability to deliver complex cross-border financings efficiently and at pace."

Aviation Capital Group is one of the world's leading aircraft asset managers, with approximately 500 owned, managed and committed aircraft serving airlines globally.

Press Contact: Fenix Wong

Clifford Chance advises Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR on their US$ 16.0 billion infrastructure partnership with Kuwait Oil Company

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:33:00 GMT

Private Equity Partners Patrick Scott (London) and Jonathan Dillon (London) jointly commented: "We warmly congratulate our clients on the successful signing of this transaction, which demonstrates the depth and breadth of Clifford Chance's relationships with some of the world's pre-eminent private capital sponsors and the trust they place in us to deliver their most strategically significant matters, whenever and wherever.”

Partner and Head of Middle East & Turkiye Mo Al-Shukairy (Dubai) and Partner Chirag Sanghrajka (Dubai) jointly commented: "Our market leading private equity and projects practices in the Middle East worked hand in hand with our teams in London and New York to deliver the best of Clifford Chance to our clients. We have advised on transactions in Kuwait for many decades and delivered that experience for the benefit of our clients on Kuwait's most significant foreign domestic investment to date."

The global Clifford Chance team advised the consortium across M&A, Finance, Projects and Tax.

The core team includes Private Equity Partners Mo Al-Shukairy (Dubai), Jonathan Dillon (London), Patrick Scott (London), and Projects Partner Chirag Sanghrajka (Dubai).

The wider team includes Partners Craig Nethercott (Dubai), Deniz Tas (Dubai), Ed Page (London), Jessica Littlewood (London), Jemma Dick (London), Nicholas Hughes (London), Gianluca Bacchiocchi (New York) and Avrohom Gelber (New York); Legal Director Gareth Dray (Dubai); Senior Associates James McMillan (London), Rob Colemeadow (London), Josh Reynolds (London), Emma Ierland (London), Marius Fritz (Dubai), Gabriel Miranda (Abu Dhabi), Mhairi Cruickshank (Dubai) and Callum Gribbin (Dubai); and Associates John Wu (London), Jacob Bruchez (London), Luca Goering (London), Luke Guelli (London), Alejandro Espitia (New York), and Philippe Mattoo (Dubai).

Press Contact: Emma Cessford

Clifford Chance advises on Zhongji Innolight's US$7 billion IPO, Hong Kong's largest listing in nearly seven years

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:04:00 GMT

Partners Fang Liu, Virginia Lee and Janet Fok co-led the transaction with support from counsel Carson Wong, senior associates Ada Zheng and Francine Chang, associates Hester Choi, Maybel Qian and Edric Lam, trainee solicitors Patrick Zhang, Donald Tsang and Kristy Lam, paralegal Phoebe Liu and legal analysts Joanne Liu and Vivian Li. Partner Jean Thio also provided support on the transaction.

Fang Liu said, "Zhongji Innolight's IPO is a landmark transaction for Hong Kong's capital markets and one of the most significant technology listings in recent years. The scale of the offering and strong investor demand demonstrate investor confidence in companies at the forefront of AI and digital infrastructure development, while reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a premier international fundraising venue for innovative companies pursuing global growth."

Listed on the ChiNext board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2012, Zhongji Innolight is a leading global provider of optical interconnect solutions. Its core products are optical modules. The company supplies optical interconnect solutions to many of the world's leading cloud and AI companies and has been the world’s largest provider of optical interconnect solutions by revenue for five consecutive years since 2021.

Clifford Chance is a leading adviser on listings across the hard tech industry, including companies at the forefront of semiconductors, AI and other cutting-edge technologies, such as Nexchip Semiconductor (semiconductor foundry), GigaDevice Semiconductor (memory and microcontroller chips), SICC (silicon carbide), InnoScience (gallium nitride) and Circuit Fabology Microelectronics Equipment (pan-semiconductor equipment).

Clifford Chance advises Keppel on Apollo's US$1.5 billion investment into Keppel Offshore Fund

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:58:00 GMT

The Clifford Chance team was led by partner Melissa Ng and counsel Wesley Tan, supported by senior associate Lim Hui Qi. Singapore partner Daryl Liu, senior associate Rebecca Liu and associate Phoenix Chiu advised on funds aspects of the transaction. Hong Kong counsel Dayu Man, together with A&SH Clifford Chance counsel Aysh Chaudhry and senior associate Asfand Gulzar in Riyadh, advised on antitrust aspects. Singapore counsel Claire Neo and associate Jun Kai Choo advised on SGX compliance and disclosure requirements. New York partner Gianluca Bacchiocchi also advised on the structured finance aspects.

Melissa Ng commented, "As one of the first transactions of its kind in Southeast Asia, this transaction brings together a large-scale offshore asset monetisation programme, a new fund platform and significant institutional capital into an innovative structure. It reflects the growing sophistication of asset management strategies across Asia and the important role private capital can play in the energy and infrastructure sector."

The transaction represents a significant step in Keppel's continued transformation as a global asset manager and operator. The transaction is expected to add approximately S$3.9 billion to Keppel's funds under management and contribute approximately S$1.2 billion towards Keppel's announced asset monetisation for 2026. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Further details of the transaction are available in Keppel's announcement.

Press contact: Fenix Wong

Clifford Chance is advising DP World on agreement to expand UAE gateway network with new Fujairah terminals

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:04:00 GMT

The projects will establish a new deep-water trade gateway on the UAE's east coast, capable of handling the latest generation of Ultra Large Container Vessels. Al Rugaylat is designed to handle up to 2.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually, alongside 1.7 million tonnes of general cargo and 190,000 Car Equivalent Units (CEUs), while Dibba will add up to 3.6 million tonnes of annual general cargo capacity.

The new terminals build on Fujairah's growing role as a global maritime hub. Positioned on the Gulf of Oman, Fujairah is poised to become a leading centre for maritime services, and the development of ports and logistics zones will bring further investment, employment and long-term economic opportunity to the emirate. Once operational, the development will increase DP World's total container handling capacity in the UAE from 19.4 million TEUs to almost 22 million TEUs, while significantly expanding general cargo and Ro-Ro capability.

The projects will be delivered in phases, with construction expected to take approximately 24 to 30 months from commencement.

The Clifford Chance team is being led by UAE partners Tariq Imam, Deniz Tas and Chirag Sanghrajka, with support from Associate Dan Forshaw, Senior Associate Gabriel Miranda and Counsel Tom Lloyd, as well as London-based Partner and Co-Head of the Infrastructure Sector Michael Pearson and Senior Associates Lucy Roberts and Caireen McCluskey.

Press Contact: Samantha White

Clifford Chance advises Arçelik on its acquisition of Whirlpool’s remaining 25% stake in Beko Europe

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:42:00 GMT

Following completion of the transaction, Arçelik has become the sole shareholder of Beko Europe, obtaining full ownership and control of the business. The transaction represents another significant milestone in Arçelik’s international growth strategy.

The Clifford Chance team advising Arçelik was led by partners Alex Cook, Itır Çiftçi and Jeroen Thijssen, with support from counsel Serkan Özel, senior associates Antonio Folgore, Deniz Yetkin and Sabrina Spoor, and associate Jasper Leistra.

Specialist intellectual property and antitrust advice was provided by a team including Don McCombie, Anastasios Tomtsis and Lauren Royers.

Press Contact: Itir Ciftci