LeBoeuf instructed by Eon on purchase of Caledonia

LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae's London office has landed its first-ever deal for German power company Eon.

As first reported on www.thelawyer.com (27 September), the firm is advising Eon on its £470m acquisition of Caledonia Oil and Gas, the UK gas production company with interests in a total of 15 gas fields in the UK Southern North Sea.

US-based Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is advising long-standing client First Reserve, the private equity house that is one of the main investors in the target company.

Caledonia's 14 billion cubic metres of reserves and pipeline shares were acquired for cash and assumed debt by Eon, which has also expressed an interest in acquiring Scottish Power.

Gibson Dunn corporate and securities partner Judith Shepherd acted for First Reserve in this instance.

"The firm in the US has done a lot of work for them and we have to compete for work, but I would expect that we win a fair old chunk," Shepherd said. "We've done a few deals with them in Europe and they're interested in doing more. They have a London office now and are looking at a number of deals."

The LeBoeuf team is being led by London-based partner Christopher Prior, with assistance from partner Bruce Johnston.