Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP was counsel to Darling International Inc., a leading provider of rendering, recycling and recovery solutions to the nation’s food industry based in Irving, Texas, in its acquisition of Griffin Industries, one of the largest privately owned rendering, bakery by-product and used cooking oil recycling companies in North America. 

The transaction, completed on December 17, 2010, is valued at $840 million in cash and stock. In conjunction with the closing of the transaction, Darling entered into a $625 million senior secured credit facility, comprised of a revolving loan facility of $325 million and a term loan facility of $300 million, with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and also privately placed $250 million of its 8.5% Senior Notes due 2018. All three facets of the merger closed simultaneously. 

The Weil team, led by Corporate Partner Mary Korby, included Corporate Partners Corey Chivers, Annemargaret Connolly, Angela Fontana, and Michael Saslaw; Corporate Counsel Steven Margolis; Corporate Associates Katherine Borun, Thomas Caldwell, Kwang-chien Ger, Jill Meyer, Matt Newby, Kirsten Noethen, Aaron Rigby, Amy Roman, Leslie Smith, Lucas Spivey, Saundra Steinberg, Andrew Woodworth, and Kevin Yung; Litigation Partners Steven Bernstein and Alan Weinschel, Litigation Counsel John Sipple; Litigation Associates Thomas Goslin, Consuello Kendall, and Alan Kusinitz; Tax Partners Helyn Goldstein and Michael Kam; and Tax Associates Sarah Dale and Kristina Novak; and Corporate Paralegals Charlotte Bennett, Peggy Jones, Mel Maravilla, and Charlotte Mayes.