Richard G. Asthalter

Capital Markets/Securities Transactions

• Represented issuers and investment banks in connection with the offering of a wide variety of debt and equity securities in the international capital markets;
• Privatizations of Elf Aquitaine, Pechiney, Snecma and SANEF, among others;
• Represented the underwriters in international share offerings, including rights offerings, by numerous companies including Elf Aquitaine, JC Decaux, Veolia Environnement and Scor;
• Recently represented the banks in the financing of the acquisition of the French real estate company, Gecina, by Metrovacesa, including the refinancing of a portion of that debt by a rights offering in the international markets by Metrovacesa; and
• Is the principal U.S. securities counsel to Total and recently represented Total in its spin-off of its chemical subsidiary, Arkema.

Project Development and Finance

• Acted as partner-in-charge of the firm's representation of the LAMCO Joint Venture and BONG Mining Company in Liberia and represented the lending banks in connection with a paper mill project in Colombia;
• Acted for The Walt Disney Company in connection with the first phase of the project financing for Euro Disneyland;
• Headed an iron ore export terminal project in Sepetiba, Brazil, where the firm represented Ferteco Mineraçao S.A. and its German shareholders; and
• Represented banks and other financial institutions in a number of real estate projects in the Gulf and the sponsors in the early stages of a power project in the region.

International Mergers and Acquisitions

• Advised Société Générale in its proposed acquisition of Banque Paribas and its defense against the attempted takeover by Banque Nationale de Paris;
• Represented Coflexip in its acquisition of Stena Offshore and its takeover by Technip; and
• Advised Total in its acquisition of the Argentine assets of Gener.