Our international team of securities lawyers advises on all aspects of debt and equity issuance and other capital markets transactions in all areas of the world. We act for FIG clients as issuers, as well as in their capacity as underwriters, lead managers or selling shareholders. We therefore have the experience of advising on transactions from all sides. As a result, we have built up a valued reputation for our quality and the creative approach we take.

Within our FIG team, we have capital markets lawyers who specialise on regulatory and tiered capital issues, with a particular reputation in relation to structured notes and certificates (including retail products), hybrid bonds, regulatory capital of banks and insurance companies and high yield bonds. We believe that the strength of this practice is our ability to bring together a unique combination of regulatory, capital markets and tax expertise.

Our recent experience includes advising:

  • Bank of China on its US$11.2bn Hong Kong IPO and global offer;
  • the underwriters on US$9.2bn IPO and global offering of China Construction Bank;
  • the underwriters on the private placement and listing on Euronext Amsterdam of AP Alternative Assets LP, a private equity fund of Apollo;
  • the underwriters on the global offering and listing of GDRs of Halyk Bank on the LSE, raising US$748m;
  • Raiffeisen Zentralbank sterreich (RZB) on the issue of €500m non-cumulative subordinated perpetual callable step-up fixed-floating rate capital notes (Tier 1);
  • on Commerzbank's successful debut in the hybrid capital market, issuing €2.2bn through special purpose entities, which marks the largest hybrid capital financing of its kind by a German bank to date;
  • Dresdner Bank on its €1.75bn issue of hybrid capital, including an issue of €750 million Tier 1 Credit Linked Notes; and
  • Swiss Re on the EU securities financing issues relating to its CHF1.3bn rights issue and a hybrid issue of €1bn Perpetual Step-Up Notes and US$750m Perpetual Subordinated Step-Up Preferred Securities, used to part finance its acquisition of GE Insurance Solutions.

For more information please contact Jeremy Barton, business development manager.

News

Freshfields advises the Bank of England on £50bn special liquidity scheme and helps complete three significant secondary issues View

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