Salans Kyiv, 11 November 2008 – International law firm Salans acted as legal advisor in Ukraine to lead arrangers: BNP Paribas (Suisse) and Bayerische Hypo- and Vereinsbank AG in relation to a participated loan agreement with one of the leading Ukrainian producers of coal, coke and steel as the borrower for a total amount of US$ 300 million. This loan facility is intended to be used by the borrower for purchasing new equipment and modernizing existing manufacturing facilities.

The BNP Paribas Group is the largest bank in the Eurozone by total assets and second largest by market capitalization. It employs 162,700 people, of which 80,000 work in Europe, and maintains a presence in 87 countries. The bank is active in the finance, investment and asset management markets. It offers a wide range of products and services based on proven expertise and a top-flight international network covering more than 80 countries.

HypoVereinsbank is a member of the new UniCredit Group, which occupies leading position in the economic area covering Italy, Germany, Austria, and central and Eastern Europe, with about 180,000 employees, more than 10,000 branches and over 40 million customers.

Salans’ Banking and Finance Group of lawyers: Natalia Selyakova, Nikolay Zhovner (Kyiv), Mary Faith Higgins, Zoл Hallam and Paula Howard (London) acted as legal advisors to the lead arrangers on the participated loan agreement with the borrower.

Salans has over 35 lawyers in Kyiv, assisting domestic and cross-border clients with their corporate, M&A, banking, tax and competition needs across a range of sectors including real estate, financial services, energy and natural resources as well as capital markets. With 37% growth in revenues globally for the 2007 financial year, Salans now has 176 partners worldwide and over 750 lawyers in total operating from 20 offices globally. Salans has been active in Ukraine since 1988, and officially opened an office in Kyiv in 1992.

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Salans is an international commercial law firm built on a pioneering spirit with over 750 lawyers globally operating from 20 offices in ALMATY, BAKU, BARCELONA, BEIJING, BERLIN, BRATISLAVA, BUCHAREST, BUDAPEST, FRANKFURT1, ISTANBUL, KYIV, LONDON, MADRID, MOSCOW, NEW YORK, PARIS, PRAGUE, SHANGHAI, ST. PETERSBURG and WARSAW. We have operations in the Middle East, with cooperative associations in place as well as Salans personnel based in Doha, Qatar. Our global reach extends to Atyrau, Kazakhstan as well as New Caledonia and Tahiti. Our combination of international capability and domestic expertise enables us to provide comprehensive services matching the needs of global and local clients alike. More information about Salans can be found at www.salans.com

Salans is ranked among the top 50 law firms in the world by PLC Which Lawyer? In 2007 Salans was shortlisted to win “The International Law Firm of the Year” from The Lawyer. Salans is ranked as a top tier law firm in Ukraine and globally by the leading international legal directory Chambers Global.

Salans LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in London with Registration Number OC 316822. Registered Office Millennium Bridge House, 2 Lambeth Hill, London EC4V 4AJ, United Kingdom. Regulated by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority. A list of members of SALANS is available at the above Registered Office.