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Mobile Systems International Holdings, a UK software services company is to merge with Metapath Software International of the US in a deal worth $400 million. Mobile Systems is advised by law firm Linklaters in London. The tax partner involved was Conor Hurley. Tax work also came from the London office of Arthur Andersen.

Netherlands retailer Royal Ahold has made a global offering of shares and notes with a combined value of $2.3 billion. The offering was made to finance part of the cost of the acquisition of US retailer Giant Food. It involved listing on the Dutch AEX stock exchange, the Swiss stock exchange and the New York stock exchange.

Allegiance Corporation, a US distributor of health care products and provider of cost management services, is to merge with Cardinal Health, a pharmaceutical services company. The merger will create a health care products and services company worth around $21 billion. Allegiance shareholders will receive 0.415 Cardinal Health common shares for each share of Allegiance common stock owned. Cardinal Health will issue approximately 49 million fully diluted shares. The combination has been structured as a tax-free transaction, and will be accounted for as a pooling of interests. Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York advised Allegiance Corporation. The tax team included partner Dana Trier and associate Jonathan Bennett.

Bain Capital, the US investment company, has bought Domino Pizza from the company's founder Thomas Monaghan. The deal is worth approximately $1 billion. Bain will acquire a 90% stake in Domino. Monaghan will retain an equity interest in Domino and will serve as its non-executive chairman. Domino is the world's largest pizza company with annual sales of $3.1 billion. Advice to Bain Capital came from Ropes & Gray in Boston. The tax partners involved were Eric Elfman and Carolyn Osteer. The tax associate was Susan Morse.

A consortium including Prudential Insurance Company of America and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has bought British Aerospace's property development business, Arlington Securities. The sale is valued at £285 million ($450 million). Cameron McKenna in London advised Prudential Insurance Company of America. The tax team included partner Stephan Charge and assistant Charles Elphicke.

German property group Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilienfonds (DEGI) has sold eight properties in central London to UK group Heron International. The deal is valued at £205 million ($350 million) Advice to DEGI came from London law firm Nabarro Nathanson. Senior associate Lydia Simpson handled the tax matters.

A bill has been submitted to the Netherlands parliament on the issue of the tax consequences of the introduction of the euro.

In a decision dated April 30 1997, but published considerably later, the Tax Court of Rheinland-Pfalz has held that the income of a foreign satellite operator from a "transponder usage agreement" with a German provider of television programming was not subject to taxation in Germany.

On May 31 1996 a new double taxation convention between Austria and the US was signed. Following exchange of instruments of ratification on December 19 1997, the convention entered into force on February 1 1998. Under article 28, its provisions allocating taxation rights will have effect in respect of taxes withheld at source, for amounts paid or credited on or after April 1 1998.

Kingfisher, the UK retail group, is to merge its UK business B&Q with Castorama of France. The deal will create Europe's largest home improvement chain with annual sales of around $6.79 billion. Kingfisher will exchange 100% of B&Q shares for a 54.6% stake in the fully-diluted equity of an enlarged Castorama. Advice to Kingfisher came from law firm Freshfields in London and Paris. The tax team included partner Roger Berner and manager Kate Habershon in London, and partner James Naudoyer in Paris. Castorama was advised by Gouldens. The tax partner involved was Blaise Marin.