We advised O1 Properties Finance Plc, on Cyprus legal, tax and regulatory matters relating to its USD 350 million debut Eurobond issue, which was successfully concluded in September 2016. Following approval of the prospectus by the Central Bank of Ireland, the five-year 8.25% unsecured notes were placed with qualified investors and are listed for trading on the main market of the Irish Stock Exchange. The notes are guaranteed by O1 Properties Limited, the parent company of O1 Properties Finance Plc. The O1 Properties Limited group is one of the largest owners of high-quality office properties in Moscow, with a portfolio valued at USD 3.9 billion which includes 13 A-class business centers in Moscow with an aggregate lettable area of more than 501,000 square metres.
Both O1 Properties Limited and O1 Properties Finance Plc are incorporated and resident in Cyprus, and this is the first Eurobond issue by a Cyprus company active in the Russian real estate market. Despite the recent strains in the relations between Russia and western countries and despite the fact that this was the first issue of its kind by a Russian company, O1 succeeded in increasing the amount raised by the issue from USD 300 million to USD 350 million.
