Pinsent Masons has advised a club of arranging banks, Lloyds TSB, HSBC and Icelandic bank Glitnir Banki HF, on the £45m refinancing of the fruit and snack specialists The Whitworths Group. The team at Pinsents was led by banking partners William Oliver and Martin Bishop. European Capital, which acquired the Whitworths Group in November last year, retains £14m of mezzanine debt. It was advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges banking associate Faisal Ramzan.
Baker & McKenzie has acted for the Bank of Georgia on its $200m (£102m) bond launch, listed on the London Stock Exchange. The team at Bakers was led by capital markets partner Carter Brod. Merrill Lynch, which acted as lead manager of the offering, was advised by capital markets partner Francis Fitzherbert-Brockholes from White & Case.
