Shearman & Sterling advised Symphony Technology Group, a technology and services-focused private equity firm, on its acquisition of MDdatacor from Noridian Mutual Insurance Company (NMIC). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MDdatacor, based in Alpharetta, GA, is a provider of next-generation healthcare data integration and analytic solutions that enable payers and providers to integrate and act upon integrated patient information.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Aviko, a company of the Dutch agro-industrial group Royal Cosun, on the acquisition of a majority stake in the Bavarian family-owned business Amberger. This investment further strengthens Aviko’s position in the German and Austrian food service market.

Aviko is one of the largest potato processing companies in the world and one of the global market leaders in chilled fries.

The Manchester office of Addleshaw Goddard has advised Investec Asset Finance plc on its acquisition of Mann Island Finance. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Mann Island Finance is based in Liverpool and employs more than 140 staff across its four offices in Liverpool, Stirling, Edinburgh and Stevenage. It was founded in 1991.

The Addleshaw Goddard team was led by corporate finance partner Roger Hart and included associates Helena Drury and Rabia Burton and tax partner Michael Hunter.

Paul, Weiss client KPS Capital Partners, LP announced that, through a newly formed affiliate, it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Anchor Glass Container Corporation, a leading North American manufacturer of premium glass packaging products for the beer, liquor, food, beverage and ready-to-drink end markets, from an affiliate of Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Travers Smith restructuring partner Andrew Eaton and private equity partner Paul Dolman have advised a Bidco funded by an international investor group led by Promethean Investments on the acquisition of Albemarle & Bond out of administration. As a result of the acquisition, the Bidco has acquired 128 of the 187 pawnbroker branches and 628 out of 809 jobs have been saved.

Albemarle & Bond entered administration on 25 March 2014 after lenders Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group said that they would not support the company's turnaround plan.

On April 10, 2014, IBM announced a definitive agreement to acquire Silverpop, a privately held software company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Silverpop empowers marketers with cloud-based capabilities that deliver personalized customer engagements in highly scalable environments. Cravath represented IBM in connection with this transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearance and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

International law firm Pinsent Masons has advised Electronics For Imaging (EFI), a Californian NASDAQ-listed global player in digital imaging solutions, on the acquisition of the Rhapso group, a French printing and packaging software developer.

The transaction will enable EFI to strengthen its position in Europe through Rhapso's Graphisoft and PC-Topp product lines.

DLA Piper has advised Finisar Corporation ('Finisar') on the acquisition of u²t Photonics AG ('u²t Photonics') as part of a complex cross-border transaction. Through the acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares in u²t Photonics, Finisar is now in a position to extend its portfolio with the addition of essential high-speed receivers and photodetectors as key future technologies. Finisar and u²t Photonics have previously collaborated on the Mach-Zehnder modulators for 100G coherent transponders.

White & Case LLP has advised global private equity firm Rhône Capital LLC on the acquisition by its affiliates of ASK Chemicals GmbH from Ashland Inc. and Clariant.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2014 subject to standard conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Jochen Schweizer GmbH has acquired the shares in the social networking platform Spontacts GmbH from Scout24 Services GmbH and now holds a clear majority stake in the company. Spontacts is an innovative adventure community, allowing its users (currently approx. 350,000 members) to search for interesting and new people to engage with in a variety of leisure activities via smartphone and on the internet. The share purchase is a strategic acquistion for Jochen Schweizer, with a view to developing its own adventure portal.