SKADDEN PULLS MOODY’S IN €3BN DEAL
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom led as Moody’s agreed a €3bn (£2.6bn) deal to buy Dutch data group Bureau van Dijk from Swedish private equity company EQT. Skadden advised Moody’s, alongside Dutch adviser Stibbe, while A&O acted for EQT. Latham & Watkins advised the banks, while Baker McKenzie acted for van Dijk’s managers. Simmons & Simmons is also playing a role, providing employment and pensions advice to Moody’s.
MACFARLANES’ IMPROBABLE DREAM
Macfarlanes advised UK-based virtual simulation start-up Improbable on its $502m financing raised from Japanese telecoms group SoftBank. The firm’s team included corporate and M&A partners Alex Edmondson and Richard Burrows. Cooley advised SoftBank on the funding round with a team led by partners Ryan Naftulin based in London and Matthew Bartus in Palo Alto.
CORPORATE TEAMS LINE UP ON OIL AND GAS BID
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Macfarlanes and France’s Bredin Prat have lead roles in Neptune Oil & Gas’ bid to acquire a majority stake in Engie’s oil and gas unit for $3.9bn, backed by funds provided by CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle Investment Management and the state-owned China Investment Corporation. Freshfields is advising Neptune on the deal, expected to close in early 2018, while Macfarlanes is acting for chair Sam Laidlaw and the senior management of Neptune. Bredin Prat is acting for Engie.