Clifford Chance has advised a shareholder consortium on the sale of Euro-Druckservice (EDS) group, a leading printing business in Central and Eastern Europe, to German investment company Deutsche Private Equity Management III GmbH. The shareholders were advised by investment company Kartesia. The transaction signed on 29 September 2017 and is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities. The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.

Simpson Thacher has represented Apax Partners LLP on Apax Funds’ agreement to sell 100% of its interests in General Healthcare Group, which owns BMI Healthcare (the U.K.’s largest private hospitals group), to its existing co-investor, Netcare (a South African healthcare company listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange). The consideration will take the form of warrants to subscribe for shares in Netcare over the course of the next five years. The sale is subject to certain conditions, including South African Reserve Bank approval.

Fieldfisher has advised shareholders on the sale of Fieldfisher's energy sector client, Oil Brokerage Limited (OBL), a London-based global physical and financial oil products firm to OTC Europe, a leading independent commodities interdealer broker.

Fieldfisher has advised shareholders on the sale of Fieldfisher's energy sector client,  Oil Brokerage Limited (OBL), a London-based global physical and financial oil products firm to OTC Europe, a leading independent commodities interdealer broker.

CMS has advised the selling shareholders on the sale of Nederland Isoleert to Essent.

Nederland Isoleert is a company that focuses on housing insulation for private individuals. With the acquisition by Essent, Nederland Isoleert hopes to boost the acceleration of sustainability of housing stock in the Netherlands and Belgium. Part of the transaction was also Vlaanderen Isoleert that is active in the same field in Belgium and Nederland Schildert.

Shearman & Sterling advised First Eagle Funds on the proposed sale of the Emin Leydier group, a French producer of corrugated paper and packaging, which operates eight industrial sites in France.

Certain of the First Eagle funds, which since 2009 have held approximately 53 percent of the capital of the Emin Leydier group, have entered into exclusive negotiations with the Spanish group SAICA regarding the sale of the Emin Leydier group.

The international corporate law firm BEITEN BURKHARDT has advised the family owners of SieMatic, one of the world's leading manufacturers of kitchen furniture in the premium and luxury sector, on the majority sale their shares to the Chinese Nison Group. The two family shareholders Ulrich W Siekmann and Kathrin André will stay as minority shareholders in the company. The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction volume. The takeover is still subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

Simmons & Simmons successfully advises on significant M&A transaction in the Middle East

VIVATIS Holding AG has acquired Frisch & Frost, which once again finds itself in Austrian ownership. The sellers, US and Holland-based foodstuff giant Lamb Weston / Meijer, which owned 75% of Frisch & Frost, and Raiffeisen Ware Austria, parent company of Raiffeisen-Lagerhäuser (25%), were both advised by Wolf Theiss.

Partner Christian Mikosch led the Wolf Theiss team, which further consisted of Associate Daniel Kocab and Associate Lukas Slameczka of the Corporate/M&A practice group. The team was responsible for providing advice in all legal matters.

DLA Piper has advised hotel owner and operator QHotels Group on its acquisition via joint purchase agreement by China's Cindat Capital Management and UK investment firm Aprirose.

The two purchasers will each acquire a 50 percent stake in the company. The final purchase price was £525 million, making it the largest deal in the UK hotel sector so far this year. QHotels was sold by Bain Capital Credit and Canyon Partners, who have owned the business since 2013.

TLT has acted for the shareholders of Portus Consulting, the independent UK-based employee benefits firm, on its acquisition by global professional services firm Aon.

The deal was first announced in July 2017 pending FCA approval and completed on Monday 2 October.