Shearman & Sterling represented Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc., as co-issuers, both subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (“Ardagh Packaging Holdings”), in their offering of €1,155 million 4.250% First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2022, $1,110 million floating rate First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2019 and $440 million 6.000% Senior Notes due 2021 (together, the “Notes”). The Notes are guaranteed by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and will be guaranteed by certain of its wholly owned subsidiaries. The net proceeds from the issuance will be used to repay existing indebtedness. The offering, which was conducted pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S under the US Securities Act, closed on July 3, 2014.

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Simpson Thacher recently represented Blackstone Holdings Finance Co. L.L.C., an indirect finance subsidiary of The Blackstone Group L.P., in its issuance and sale of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.750% Senior Notes due 2023 and $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.250% Senior Notes due 2042.  The notes are guaranteed by The Blackstone Group L.P., Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings II L.P., Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P.  The company intends to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes.

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Davis Polk advised each of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, London Branch in connection with accelerated share repurchase transactions they entered into with Monsanto Company, pursuant to which Monsanto is repurchasing an aggregate of $6 billion of its common stock. Under the terms of the transactions, Monsanto will receive an initial aggregate delivery of approximately 38.6 million shares of its common stock. The final number of shares to be repurchased under each transaction will be based on a discount to the volume-weighted average stock price during the term of such transaction. The final settlement of the transactions is expected to occur in up to nine months.

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Cravath represented Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. in connection with its US$700 million 144A/Reg. S senior floating rate and senior fixed rate debt offering. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. is the nation’s second largest producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel for the construction industry. The transaction closed on July 2, 2014.

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International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised China City Construction (International) Co., Ltd (the Issuer) on its inaugural RMB2.5bn (US$400m) bond issue.

The Issuer is a wholly owned subsidiary of China City Construction Holdings Group Company Limited (CCCC) and effectively 98.53% owned by a ministry under the State Council.

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Hunton & Williams LLP advised Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc., as joint book-running managers on a Rule 144A for life/Regulation S offering by Kansas Gas and Electric Company (“KGE”) of $250 million aggregate principal amount of first mortgage bonds due 2044.

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Skadden represented NextEra Energy, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary, NextEra Energy Partners, LP, in the latter’s initial public offering, which began trading on June 27 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NEP and closed on July 1. The IPO raised approximately $467 million.
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Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a leading counselor to global financial institutions and corporations, represented Smurfit Kappa Group in its recent five-year trade receivables securitisation programme of up to €240 million maturing in June 2019. The programme utilises Smurfit Kappa’s receivables in France, the United Kingdom and Germany, and will be used to refinance a similar facility that matures in 2015.

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