International

Representing Arbaro on its acquisition of a controlling equity stake in, and the provision of a debt facility to, Maderas Prosperidad SRL, a forestry and timber processing business in Peru. Arbaro is a private equity fund investing in sustainable forestry projects in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its key investors include the European Investment Bank, Finnfund, and the Green Climate Fund (established within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) to counter climate change.

Advising Africa Food Security Fund (AFSF), managed by Zebu Investment Partners, in relation to the acquisition of a substantial minority investment in Africa Global Trade Finance (AGTF), and the subsequent buyout from the management of the remaining equity. AFSF is a private equity fund that invests in food production and processing throughout the African continent. AGTF is a specialist trade finance institution, providing bespoke, secured, and structured trade finance solutions for Africa-focused trade.

Representing Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) in relation to an innovative cost sharing guarantee provided by SEDF and MedAccess in favour of Gavi the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), a public–private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunization in poor countries. The guarantee is intended to enable Gavi to provide COVID-19 vaccine doses to public healthcare providers in low and middle income countries.

Advising on the corporate re-organisation, placing and cross admission to trading on AIM and the Australian ASX of Greatland Gold plc (now Greatland Resources Limited). Michelmores acted for SPARK Advisory Partners as nominated adviser

Advising Novo Holdings, a Danish life sciences investor, and DSM Venturing, the corporate venturing arm of Royal DSM, a Dutch multinational, on their Series A investments into Deep Branch Biotechnology, a UK-based carbon recycling biotechnology company.

Representing a large group of Spanish creditors in relation to the UK administration of a time-share company, successfully seeking the removal and replacement of the administrators in the UK and dealing with issues in Spain in relation to the locally appointed insolvency office-holder.

Acting for the Cayman liquidators to a Hedge Fund, which was a feeder fund to a well-known New York based “Ponzi scheme”.

Advising the UK subsidiary of a Japanese semi-conductor chip manufacturer and supplier on a range of commercial legal and contractual matters including an intra-group international data sharing agreement with its Japanese parent and its US, Israeli and European affiliates.

Advising the UK subsidiary of a leading French identity technology provider on the terms of an agreement to provide services as part of a consortium bid in connection with a major public sector contract.

Advising a UK company on the launch and multi-jurisdictional roll-out of its leading enterprise AI and crowd-sourced, customer service SaaS platform.

Advising an Israeli based construction company on the transfer of a Business Development Consultant (with family ties to the Company Director) from Israel to a UK based group company.

Advising an international manufacturing company on the transfer of a Director from their Latvian parent company to their UK branch.

Advising a national fishing company on the immigration status of migrant fisherman and restrictions upon their transit through and stay in the UK.

Providing strategic legal advice to the Astana International Finance Centre (AIFC) since its inception in 2017. The AIFC is based in Kazakhstan and is the fourth International Financial Centre (IFC) with its own jurisdiction based on English common law situated within the territory of a sovereign state. The AIFC is the first IFC based outside the Middle East. Michelmores led the team that drafted many of the bespoke financial regulations and guidance for the AIFC which included the overarching Financial Services Framework Regulations and the regulations governing capital markets.

Acting for one of the world’s largest satellite service providers based in Luxembourg and Washington DC, in international multi-million dollar contractual disputes, licence fee claims, negotiation of settlement terms, and the enforcement of English High Court Judgments overseas using local enforcement measures, in countries including India, Nigeria, Greece, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Cameroon, Nepal, Luxembourg, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, Italy, Pakistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Bangladesh, Benin, Togo, Bolivia, Canada, Brazil, USA (Delaware and Iowa), Uganda, Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dubai, Egypt, Japan, Russia, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, and France.

Acting for a leading innovator and manufacturer of casing solutions for the global Oil & Gas industry in high value proceedings in England and Malaysia in connection with a third party’s acquisition and misuse of our client’s confidential information. The proceedings involved obtaining injunctions requiring the delivery up of devices and accounts for the identification and removal of confidential information, search and seizure orders, and committal proceedings for contempt of court.

Representing an international provider of payment and transaction security solutions in asserting patent infringement claims against a leading competitor.  The claims are brought both in the High Court in London and (alongside US counsel) in the Northern District of Virginia.  The technology focuses upon DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) masking technology, which provides a secure method for processing cardholder payments by telephone in compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards.

Acting for a Hong Kong based distributor of electronic devices, in two high value concurrent tri-partite London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) proceedings relating to the payment of fees and accounting for sales and tax following the distribution of technology products in Asia.

Successfully securing an extension, by way of an entry clearance application, of a Tier 1 (investor) visa for a client stuck in Brazil due to travel restrictions under the Coronavirus pandemic.

Successfully advising the French finance director of an international Learning & Development group on one of the first applications for a Frontier Worker permit.

Obtaining pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme for a Scandinavian businessman despite his significant absences outside the UK due to travel restrictions under the Coronavirus pandemic.

Acting for a Danish wife in respect of her judicial separation and subsequent divorce from her American husband and related financial remedy proceedings, involving substantial assets spanning Switzerland, US, Denmark and the Cayman Islands.

Representing a client based in the Middle East in financial remedy proceedings where a significant Gibraltar QROP was the main financial resource of the parties;

Advising in relation to an international premarital agreement with extensive business and property assets and inherited wealth across the UK and Ireland;

Advising a client opposing relocation of his child to New Zealand and associated applications for financial provision;

Advising a Liechtenstein foundation in respect of UK inheritance tax liabilities. Advising on the UK tax consequences of “de-enveloping” UK properties held by an underlying offshore company and co-ordinating the process.

Advising the corporate trustee of an offshore trust on a significant restructuring exercise. This included coordinating the creation of new offshore trusts and the transfer of assets to those trusts (working with local advisers as necessary) and providing UK tax advice.

Providing trust advice to the trust arm of a global private bank for its worldwide client base.

Acting for a UK resident client who was formerly a US citizen. Providing all UK tax advice including in relation to an extensive existing offshore trust structure with underlying offshore companies, advising in connection with succession planning for US and Swiss family and family friends, planning for the tax efficient purchase of a London property and overseeing all foreign law advice in connection with a new US trust, a new Cayman trust, and ensuring proper governance of the overall structure.

Acting for a UK domiciled client and trust beneficiary, defending a multi-million dollar tracing claim brought by a third party based in Kazakhstan. The case spanned multiple offshore jurisdictions.

Acting for a variety of international developers on a range of commercial and residential matters across the UK and in London.

Advising a European development finance institution on the whole lifecycle of its largest limited recourse project finance investment as a sole lender: from the initial loan, to restructuring and finally prepayment (the latter transaction as part of a new corporate refinancing of the borrower’s group debt). As part of our role, we were required to develop LMA based loan documentation, a novel security structure involving English law and local law security arrangements and highly complex account arrangements.