Mayer Brown, a leading global law firm, served as lead deal counsel for Caterpillar Inc. on the acquisition of mining equipment firm Bucyrus International, Inc. for approximately $8.6 billion (including net debt).
The acquisition will expand Caterpillar’s leadership in the mining equipment industry and position the company to capitalize on the robust long-term outlook for commodities driven by the trend of rapid growth in emerging markets which are improving infrastructure, rapidly developing urban areas and industrializing their economies.
“Mayer Brown’s global reach and practice area depth, along with our established track record in advising Caterpillar on numerous other deals, enabled us to provide the wide range of capabilities required for such a large transaction,” said Chicago Corporate & Securities partner John Sagan, who led the Mayer Brown team. “Mayer Brown has represented Caterpillar on M&A matters since 2004.”
Caterpillar will fund the acquisition through a combination of cash from the balance sheet, debt and up to $2 billion in equity. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2011.
In addition to Mr. Sagan, the Mayer Brown team advising Caterpillar included: Corporate & Securities – Chicago partners William Kucera and Christian Fabian and associates Marina Aronchik, Diana Devot-Miltimore, Joseph Hable, Lindsey Magaro, Andrew Noreuil, Gordon Palmquist, Jennifer Rhein, Michael Serafini, Brian Slade, Rachel Spehler and Michael Torres, and Cologne partner Christof Gaudig and associate Kirsten Anna Scharenberg; Employment & Benefits – Chicago partner Debra Hoffman and associates Katherine Heyns Dean and Christine Matott, and Hong Kong partner Hong Tran; Environmental – Chicago partner Susan Brice and associates Gregory Berlowitz, Alexandra Shea and Matthew Sostrin; Finance – New York foreign associate Alejandro Vera Rojas; Intellectual Property – Chicago partner Richard Assmus and associates William Cassin and Nathaniel Hamstra; Litigation – Chicago partners Michael Feagley, Michael Gill and Marcia Goodman, counsel Maritoni Kane and associates Christopher Comstock, Emily Emerson and Sarah Reynolds; Real Estate – Charlotte partner Frank Arado and associates Lauren Rico and David Saye; and Tax Transactions– Chicago partner James Barry and associate Lee Morlock. Real Estate – Charlotte partner Frank Arado and associates Lauren Rico and David Saye; and Tax Transactions – Chicago partner James Barry and associate Lee Morlock.
