MOVERS&SHAKERS

Sidley Austin advised JP Morgan Securities and the London Branch of ING Bank, as initial purchasers in connection with the issuance by Indo Integrated Energy of its US$250 million 8.5% senior notes due in 2012. The notes are guaranteed by the issuer's parent, PT Indika Inti Energi, a leading Indonesian energy conglomerate with a 46% equity interest in the third-largest coal mine in Indonesia. Sidley structured the deal using high-yield covenants to capture the dividend stream from the minority-owned coal asset, which comprised an integral part of the credit. The Sidley team was led by Jason T Elder and Matthew Sheridan, partners in the corporate practice of Sidley's Hong Kong office.

In an industry first, international firm Bird & Bird has been granted a license enabling the firm to launch a trademark agency. The new agency will operate under the name Bird & Bird IP (Beijing), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bird & Bird, Hong Kong. The new agency is qualified to file trademark applications directly with the Chinese authorities and to deal directly with all government enforcement agencies. The firm's new subsidiary is also authorized to handle administrative enforcement actions on behalf of companies seeking to protect their intellectual property rights.