Southern Europe
SPAIN - Catalana d'Initiatives appoints director
Catalana d’Initiatives has appointed Alfredo Gatius as director of investments.
SPAIN - MCH sells Qualytel to Bertelsmann
According to reports, MCH Private Equity has sold call centre business Qualytel Teleservices to German media group Bertelsmann's Arvato unit for an undisclosed sum.
SPAIN - Hudson acquires Helium Energy
According to reports, US fund Hudson Clean Energy is on the verge of closing the acquisition of Helium Energy, the renewable energy division of industrial and services group Hemeretik.
SPAIN - Merrill and Mercapital make offer for Vital Dent
Merrill Lynch and Mercapital are reported to have made a EUR 500m joint-bid to acquire dental services provider Vital Dent. PAI Partners, Permira and 3i are also thought to be interested in making an offer for the business.
ITALY - Cape invests EUR 10m into Fratelli Zappalà
Cape has invested EUR 10m in dairy firm Fratelli Zappalà, taking a significant minority stake in the business. The transaction was carried out via three of Cape’s funds, including Cape Regione Siciliana.
GLOBAL - Lehman Brothers restructures management team
Lehman Brothers is restructuring its management team, appointing Eric Felder and Hyung Soon Lee as global co-heads of fixed income to replace Andrew Morton, who is leaving the firm after just seven months in the position.
SPAIN - Hutton Collins-backed Futura resumes operations
Report suggest that Spanish charter carrier Futura International Airways, which is backed by Hutton Collins, has resumed flights after seeking bankruptcy protection.
GLOBAL - Bear Stearns Private Equity re-brands
Bear Stearns Private Equity Ltd will change its name to JP Morgan Private Equity Ltd (JPEL).
UK/NETHERLANDS – Apollo joins bidding for Reed
Apollo, alongside former non-executive director Strauss Zelnick, have jointly made a bid for publisher Reed Elsevierтs business information division.
EUROPE - Fortis launches EUR 400m clean energy fund
Fortis Investment has launched a new EUR 400m fund dedicated to investments in clean energy companies in Europe.
ITALY - Change Capital to sell Jil Sander for EUR 167m
Change Capital Partners has agreed to sell fashion brand Jill Sander Group to Tokyo-listed apparel group Onward Holdings Co Ltd and its European subsidiary, GIBO Co SpA for EUR 167m.
SPAIN - Quercus to sell Imago
According to sources, Agrolimen Quercus Equity has mandated Lazard to run an auction for its electric billboard business Imago, with the ticket price understood to be around the EUR 100m mark.
SPAIN - Axón launches ITC fund
Axón Capital has launched its second fund, Fondo Axon II CM-TMT, with EUR 15m in capital committed.
GLOBAL - First Reserve to invest in nuclear venture
According to reports, US group First Reserve, which specialises in the energy sector, will reveal plans later this week for an investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars into Accord Nuclear Resources, a nuclear fuel venture headed by two uranium...
EUROPE - SL Capital reaches fourth closing on EUR 520m
SL Capital Partners has reached the fourth closing of its European Strategic Partners 2008 (ESP 2008) fund-of-funds on EUR 520m.
GLOBAL - Private equity drawn to distressed debt
Reports suggest that private equity firms with large pots of capital from recent fundraising efforts are taking advantage of the current market conditions by acquiring increasing amounts of distressed debt from banks.
SPAIN - Cortefiel circled by distressed funds
According to reports, distressed debt funds are seeking to purchase some of the debt held by retailer Cortefiel, owned by Permira, CVC and PAI Partners, which is now trading at 42% of face value.
GLOBAL - Carlyle's Louis Gerstner to retire
Carlyle Group chairman Louis Gerstner has announced his intention to step down from his post next month after five and a half years at the job.
SPAIN - 3i acquires Mémora in EUR 330m deal
3i has acquired a 75% stake in funerary business Mémora Inversiones Funerarias from Acciona for EUR 225m, in a deal which values the company at EUR 330m including debt. The transaction, which remains subject to approval by anti-trust authorities, will...
UK/NETHERLANDS - Private equity interest in Reed Elsevier's trade publishing unit
Several private equity firms are thought to be among the 12 bidders that have made it through to the second round of the auction for publisher Reed Elsevier's business magazines unit, which is expected to fetch between ТЃ1bn and ТЃ1.25bn.
US - Linklaters hires Jeffrey Schmidt for New York office
Linklaters has appointed Jeffrey Schmidt as partner in the New York office.
GLOBAL - Permira beefs up Asian presence
UK-based buyout house Permira has appointed longtime Goldman Sachs banker Henry Chen as its head for Greater China.