Deal is one of the largest sponsor-led financial services acquisitions so far this year

Linklaters has advised a consortium of long-term investors on the €3.7bn acquisition of LeasePlan, the Dutch vehicle management company, from a joint venture involving Volkswagen and the Dutch company Fleet Investments.  The deal, which is one of the world’s largest sponsor-led financial services acquisitions seen this year, is expected to close in late 2015, subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals.

Advising Agrial in connection with the acquisition, through its vegetables subsidiary Priméale, of the Dutch Group Van Oers United, a fresh vegetables specialist in the Netherlands.

The acquisition of Van Oers United enables the Agrial Vegetable division to:

    * consolidate its international position in the markets of Northern Europe in accordance with its strategic plan: The Netherlands, Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany and the UK.

District dairy Bezirksmolkerei Ansbach (Bema) acquired a stake of just over eight percent in Omira Oberland-Milchverwertung GmbH. Dr. Rainer Herschlein, LL.M., partner at the commercial law firm of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek in Stuttgart, advised Bema comprehensively. Since June 2015, the district dairy has been a full member of Omira.

A cross-border team from Norton Rose Fulbright has advised DUET Group on the European and US aspects of its acquisition of Energy Developments Limited (EDL). The deal involved lawyers from our Australian, UK, US and Greek offices working together.

DUET told the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on July 20 that it had entered into a scheme of implementation deed with Energy Developments, through which it would acquire 100 per cent of EDL’s shares. Purchased through a scheme of arrangement, the acquisition was for $8.00 per share payable in cash.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised HORIBA, Ltd., a leading Japanese global analytical and life sciences instrumentation company, on its largest acquisition in the UK. HORIBA has acquired the entire business operations of MIRA Ltd., the United Kingdom registered vehicle engineering consultancy and testing services provider. HORIBA's acquisition of MIRA is to expand its vehicle development and testing business, and contribute to its development of next-generation vehicles.

Clifford Chance has advised the German Schwan-STABILO Group on its acquisition of Maier Sports Group. The advice related to the China aspects of the deal.

Maier Sports Group specialises in outdoor and skiwear. The Schwan-STABILO Group's outdoor division already includes the rucksack specialist Deuter and the mountaineering brand ORTOVOX. The "Maier Sports" brand will supplement outdoor and ski products and the "Gonso" brand will be added to the cycling range.

Simpson Thacher is representing Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. in connection with the acquisition of a majority stake in Deutsche Glasfaser (“DG”), which is currently fully owned by Reggeborgh, a leading Dutch investment firm. DG plans, constructs and operates fiber-optic networks in Germany and provides German households and companies with fast broadband connections.

Shearman & Sterling is advising Greece’s Eurobank Ergasias (“Eurobank”) on the acquisition of Alpha Bank’s Branch in Bulgaria (“Alpha Bank Bulgaria”) by Eurobank Bulgaria (“Postbank”), its subsidiary in Bulgaria. The parties have reached a preliminary agreement on the Transaction, which is expected to close by the end of 2015 and is subject to execution of final transaction documentation as well as customary conditions and the necessary approvals by authorities. This is the first consolidation of its kind in the Balkan market.

The corporate team of law firm Hill Dickinson has advised Idox plc on its acquisition of a specialist I.T company, based at the centre of Britain's code-breaking efforts during World War Two, in a £4.95m deal.

Cloud Amber, which is based in Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, has been bought by AIM-listed Idox plc, a leading independent supplier of software & services.

Cloud Amber specialises in strategic highway control, local transport network management, public transport information and fleet management systems.

Cloetta, a leading confectionery company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm, acquires Lonka of The Netherlands. Cloetta has signed an agreement to acquire Locawo B.V. (Lonka) – a Dutch company producing and selling fudge, nougat and chocolate. Cloetta has agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Locawo B.V. The purchase price amounts to SEK 295m in cash. Lonka’s sales amounted to about SEK 300m in 2014 with the Netherlands being the core market, accounting for about half of the sales. The acquisition will significantly strengthen Cloetta’s position in the Netherlands