Charles Russell, a leading legal services provider, said it had advised Centamin Egypt, a fast-growing mineral exploration, development and mining company, on a placing of new shares to raise funds worth $135 million.

Centamin is dual listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The company's Sukari Gold Mine is the first modern mine in Egypt located in the country's eastern desert near the Red Sea coast.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch acted as co-lead manager and sole bookrunner to the placing, while Stifel Nicolaus & Company acted as a co-lead manager, said a comoany statement.

A team comprising partners Clive Hopewell and Adam Carling, and assistant Joshua Hunt advised Centamin on the UK aspects of the deal. Blake, Cassels and Graydon were the company's Canadian legal advisers. Freshfields advised the Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Stifel Nicolaus.

The deal is one of many mining and natural resources deals that Charles Russell has advised on last year, said Clive Hopewell, the head of the group.
 
"This was an excellent deal to round off a very busy year for Charles Russell's Energy & Natural Resources group. This was an accelerated book build completed in record time and involving teams in both our Bahrain and London offices working together seamlessly," he added.

Charles Russell is a top 50 full service City legal practice with offices in the UK Geneva and Bahrain. It is a member of The Association of European Lawyers.-TradeArabia News Service