On December 17, 2010, Goodwin Procter client, DST Global Limited, led a $950 million Series G financing from several venture capital firms and late-stage investors in Groupon, Inc.  Groupon will use the funds to fuel global expansion, invest in technology, and provide liquidity for employees and early investors.  DST had also led a prior funding round for the company.

Shearman & Sterling is representing Sterling Bancshares in its definitive agreement under which Comerica will acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Sterling Bancshares in a stock-for-stock transaction.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised Nordic Capital Fund VII (“Nordic Capital”) on its acquisition and related financing of the Handicare Group, one of Europe’s leading healthcare equipment companies.

Solaria Fund has acquired the anti-spyware and antivirus software business from Lavasoft.

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP has advised the Azerbaijan government on a deal to launch the country’s first ever communications satellite. The contract was awarded to Arianespace the world’s leading satellite launch service provider. Arianespace will supply the Ariane 5ECA launch vehicle for the satellite.

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP announced today that it has opened an office in Taipei, Taiwan to serve strategic client needs and increase access to the significant growing legal and commercial activity in the region. The office opened January 1, 2011.

Shearman & Sterling represented Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as joint bookrunning managers, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as joint lead, in connection with Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd’s public offering of $300 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.50% Senior Notes due 2020.

International legal practice Norton Rose Studio Legale has advised Xenon Private Equity on the acquisition, through Telerobot S.r.l, of two Italian companies, CST Machine Speciali S.r.l. and CST Meccanica S.r.l., both active in producing high technology precision mechanics and robotics for the manufacturing industry. This follows Xenon’s acquisition in May 2010 of Icam (Impianti e Collaudi per l’Automazione di Montaggio), another Italian company active in that sector.

The Firm represented Goldman, Sachs & Co. and JPMorgan Securities LLC as financial advisors to Motorola, Inc. in its $9.7 billion spin-off of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. Upon the spin-off, Motorola changed its name to Motorola Solutions, Inc. The spin-off distribution was completed on January 4, 2011.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Heineken International B.V. on the acquisition of two brewing companies from the Sona Group for an undisclosed price. The two acquired businesses have controlling interests in each of the Sona, IBBI, Benue, Life and Champion breweries in Nigeria.