Akin Gump Honored as Among Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe by Financial Times
Contact:
(London) – Financial Times, in its 2015 FT Europe Innovative Lawyers competition, selected Akin Gump for recognition in three categories.
In the Growth and Business Development category, Akin Gump was Commended for its work in bringing over a top-flight group of financial restructuring and other lawyers and associated staff in October 2014 from Bingham McCutchen in what was characterized by legal media as the largest-ever lateral hire deal in the U.K. In doing so, Akin Gump expanded substantially the size and breadth of its London office, doubled the size of its Hong Kong office and opened its office in Frankfurt.
In the Corporate and Commercial category, Akin Gump was Commended for its counsel to global telecoms operator VimpelCom Ltd in the sale by VimpelCom’s Egyptian-listed subsidiary Global Telecom Holding (GTH) of its 51 percent stake in Orascom Telecom Algérie to the Fonds National d’Investissement, the Algerian National Investment Fund, for a purchase consideration of $2.643 billion plus dividends and proceeds, due to be distributed immediately prior to closing, of $1.862 billion.
In the Finance category, Akin Gump was Commended for its work in Bangladesh’s first international bond offering, as it advised Banglalink Digital Communications Limited, a subsidiary of VimpelCom Ltd., on an innovative $300 million Rule 144A/Regulation S high-yield bond offering. Banglalink issued $300 million Senior Notes due 2019, listed on the Singapore Exchange.
Akin Gump was honored by Financial Times in its most recent North America Innovative Lawyers as well, ranking two finance deals as highly recommended (learn more here). The firm’s work with VimpelCom on the sale of GTH was one of two Akin Gump deals recognized in July in The American Lawyer’s Global Legal Awards (learn more here) and by TMT Finance in April as its TMT Deal of the Year (learn more here). Akin Gump’s work on Banglalink’s bond offering was shortlisted for Securities Deal of the Year: Debt in The Asian Lawyer’s Asia Legal Awards in February and won Frontier Markets Issue at the IFR Asia Awards in December (learn more here).
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
# # #