Increased concern and scrutiny on mortgage foreclosure practices have created significant business and legal challenges that affect a broad range of institutions across the United States. As a result, international law firm Nixon Peabody LLP has expanded its Mortgage Finance and Foreclosure Team to offer additional resources to address clients’ growing needs during the mortgage foreclosure crisis. Nixon Peabody’s team includes attorneys from a variety of practices including banking and regulatory, securitization, finance, bankruptcy and restructuring, real estate, real estate litigation, class action litigation, and government investigations.

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Shearman & Sterling represented Banc of America Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc as the initial purchasers in connection with Reliance Holding USA, Inc.’s 144A/Reg S offering of $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.50% Guaranteed Senior Notes due 2020 and 6.25% Guaranteed Senior Notes due 2040. The Notes are guaranteed by Reliance Industries Limited, India’s largest private-sector company. This offering was the largest-ever corporate bond from India and the first private Indian corporate investment grade issuance since 1997.

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The firm recently represented Barclays Capital Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. in connection with a Rule 144A and Regulation S offering by DineEquity, Inc. (“DineEquity”) of $825 million aggregate principal amount of 9.5% Senior Notes due 2018 and a $950 million credit facility, consisting of a $900 million senior secured first lien term loan facility maturing October 2017 and a $50 million senior secured first lien revolving loan facility maturing October 2015.

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A federal court jury deliberated less than three hours in returning a unanimous $65.9 million breach of contract verdict Oct. 19 in favor of Haynes and Boone, LLP client ATA Airlines, Inc. against defendant Federal Express Corporation.

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Luce Forward today announced it has expedited the formation of a specialized team of attorneys to serve as the firm’s National Foreclosure Litigation & Investigation practice.

Luce Forward’s objective in assembling these leading practitioners and specialists is to provide ‘one-stop shopping’ to institutions facing potential civil or criminal liability arising out of the national foreclosure crisis. The new practice will serve lenders, servicers and institutional investors facing civil litigation, proposed class actions, and federal and state investigations.

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Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP today announced a major victory for its client, UK-based Smith & Nephew, a worldwide leader in wound care.  On October 18, 2010, a Texas Federal Court ruled that patents licensed to San Antonio-based Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI) on negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) are invalid.  NPWT is the treatment of difficult-to-heal open skin wounds with the application of negative pressure. More >>

The international law firm Crowell & Moring LLP today announced the launch of its new TLD (Top-Level Domain) and Domain Name practice. As the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) prepares for the 2011 introduction of what may be the most significant extension of the domain name system since the introduction of .com, the TLD and Domain Name practice will counsel brand owners as to the best strategy to protect and enhance their brands and prevent infringement in this new and uncertain online environment, including whether and how to seek registration of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The practice, which offers a comprehensive team of intellectual property, Internet law, and dispute resolution lawyers, is co-led by Brussels-based partner Flip Petillion and Washington, DC-based partner John I. Stewart, Jr.

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Wragge & Co’s Banking and Finance team has advised engineering group Dyson on raising £350 million to fund its expansion.

Partner Chris Brierley and associate Angela Boughton advised Dyson on a £270 million revolving credit facility from a syndicate of lenders comprising HSBC, Barclays, ANZ and Clydesdale. Simultaneously, director Edward Sunderland and associate Jonathan Segal advised the client on a £76 million secured private placement with US investors. Solicitor Paul Harrington advised on tax issues.

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