UK firm Linklaters has advised on a $4.3 billion transaction to take diamond mining group De Beers private. The deal, which is the second largest transaction ever to take a publicly-quoted company private, was confirmed at the end of March and is expected to become effective under the South African Scheme of Arrangement this month. Linklaters advised DB Investments, a consortium company formed by Anglo American, Central Holdings and Debswana Diamond Company, on the financing of its take-private of De Beers group. The firm also acted alongside Maitland & Co as legal advisers to Central Holdings and acted for Anglo American. Clifford Chance advised mandated lead managers UBS Warburg and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, while Ashurst Morris Crisp advised Debswana.
April 30, 2001