Hogan Lovells has acted for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition (APPGER) in a successful appeal to secure the release of information requested by the APPGER from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) regarding the transfer, and potential extraordinary rendition, of detainees captured by UK Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fisher & Phillips LLP announces its expansion into the State of Ohio, as the attorneys and staff of Millisor + Nobil join the firm. Nineteen attorneys from the Ohio labor and employment firm join Fisher & Phillips effective April 16.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has advised global telecoms operator VimpelCom Ltd. on its combination with WIND TELECOM S.p.A. (Wind Telecom), creating the world’s sixth largest mobile telecommunications carrier by subscribers. The deal was approved by shareholders on March 17, 2011 and closed today April 15, 2011.

Bryan Cave is representing Silgan Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: SLGN) in its acquisition of Graham Packaging Company Inc. (NYSE: GRM) in a transaction valued at $4.1 billion, including assumed debt. Silgan is a Stamford, CT – based leading supplier of rigid consumer goods packaging products. Graham is a York, PA – based leading supplier of value-added rigid plastic containers for the food, specialty beverage and consumer products markets. The combined company will have over $6.2 billion in annual sales and over 17,000 employees. The company will operate 180 manufacturing facilities in 19 countries.

Davis Polk advised Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC as joint lead arrangers in connection with an amendment of Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc.’s existing revolving credit and term loan facility provided by a consortium of financial institutions and with SunTrust Bank as administrative agent. The amended credit facilities provide for an upsize of up to $200 million of the senior secured revolving facility.

Davis Polk advised Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated as the joint lead book-running managers in connection with concurrent SEC-registered offerings of 92,000,000 shares of common stock of PPL Corporation, including 12,000,000 shares from the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, and 19,550,000 equity units of PPL Corporation, including 2,550,000 equity units from the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. The gross proceeds from the common stock offering were approximately $2.33 billion and the gross proceeds from the equity units offering were approximately $978 million, resulting in total gross proceeds of approximately $3.31 billion.

Shearman & Sterling represented SSIF Nevada, Limited Partnership, as issuer, and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as guarantor, in connection with SSIF Nevada, Limited Partnership’s private placement of $1.9 billion aggregate principal amount of its Floating Rate Notes due 2014. The Notes are unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by The Bank of Nova Scotia.

Dewey & LeBoeuf’s Frankfurt capital markets team has advised Baader Bank on the placement of shares of Grammer AG. In total, about 1.1 million shares in the corporation were placed through an accelerated book building.

Global law firm White & Case LLP advised the lead lenders representing a syndicate of 27 global commercial banks in a five-year US$3 billion senior revolving export credit facility for Vale SA, the world’s second-largest mining company, and its Swiss and Canadian subsidiaries. The Firm acted for Natixis, as administrative agent, and Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, JPMorgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. and Natixis, as lead lenders.