Freshfields to Represent Xtrata; Linklaters to Represent Banks

Freshfields will act as the main corporate adviser to Xtrata, a mining group who is set to launch a £4.1billion rights issue.

Julian Makin, a corporate partner at Freshfields has been working on that deal, and has also been briefed for the rights issue along with corporate partner Graham Watson.

Linklaters will be acting for the banks, which include JPMorgan Cazenove and Deutsche Bank. Corporate partners Charlie Jacobs and John Lane will act as the heads of the case.

Xstrata plans to use any processed of the share issue to pay off some of its debt as well as purchase coal assets in Columbia.

Freshfields and Linklaters both won roles in Xstrata’s last rights issue which took place in 2003. Linklaters’ head of banking John Tucker advised theunderwriting banks, JPMorgan and Deutsche alongside Charlie Jacobs.