Linklaters

Linklaters has followed its success in Bloomberg’s capital markets league tables by securing the most top rankings of any law firm in Thomson Reuters’ European Capital Markets Review, with roles on a range of rights issues contributing to the success.

Linklaters ranks first in the following categories by deal size:

• International Securitisations exc. CDOs - Manager Legal Advisor
• EMEA Equity, Equity-related - Issuer Legal Advisor
• EMEA Common Stock - Issuer Legal Advisor
• EMEA Convertible Offerings - Issuer Legal Advisor

and by number of issues:

• EMEA Equity, Equity-related - Issuer Legal Advisor
• EMEA Equity, Equity-related - Manager Legal Advisor
• EMEA Common Stock – Issuer Legal Advisor
• EMEA Common Stock - Manager Legal Advisor
• EMEA IPOs - Manager Legal Advisor
• EMEA Convertible Offerings - Issuer Legal Advisor

EMEA Convertible Offerings - Manager Legal Advisor

Jim Rice, global head capital markets at Linklaters, commented:

“We are delighted to have done so well in both the Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg tables. 2008 saw a shift in market circumstances, but we remained well placed to advise clients on a range of capital markets transactions throughout the year.”

Linklaters has adapted quickly to the different types of transaction that came to the fore in 2008 and have continued into 2009.

As well as working on a wide range of bank recapitalisations and government-backed schemes, including advising Lloyds and RBS, Linklaters has advised on a number of groundbreaking international rights issues. These have been tailored to the themes that have emerged in the market, such as targeting of strategic investors, the interaction of M&A and capital raising and government underwriting of issues.

Rights issues Linklaters has advised on in recent months include:

• £2.2bn rights issue by Centrica, acting for Centrica
• £12bn rights issue by RBS, acting for RBS
• £39.7m rights issue by AEA Technology plc, acting for the issuer
• £212.2m rights issue by Johnston Press Plc, acting for Deutsche Bank
• £38m open offer by SkyePharma plc, acting for the underwriter
• $366m issue by Aquarius Platinum Ltd, acting for RMB Morgan Stanley
• €7bn rights issue by Santander, acting for the underwriters
• €1.5bn rights issue by Fortis, acting for Fortis
• $9.8bn rights issue by Anheuser-Busch InBev, acting for the issuer
• €105m rights issue by Trigon Agri A/S, acting for the lead managers

Linklaters has also seen a strong start to 2009, advising the bookrunners on Xstrata plc’s £4.1bn rights issue and the issuers on Cookson Group plc’s £240m rights issue, as well as advising on Tullow SSE and Autonomy’s equity issues.

For further information, please contact:

Toby Craig on +44 20 7456 4550 or toby.craig@linklaters.com; or
Rupert Winlaw on +44 20 7456 3219 or rupert.winlaw@linklaters.com.