Cooley LLP announced today that it advised longtime client Norwest Venture Partners on the formation of its latest fund, Norwest Venture Partners XII, LP. The $1.2 billion fund targets early to late stage venture and growth equity investments across a wide range of sectors. The new fund brings NVP’s total capital and commitments to approximately $5 billion.

More >>

Davis Polk advised Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC as joint book-running managers on an SEC-registered offering by Celgene Corporation of $500 million aggregate principal amount of its 2.250% senior notes due 2019, $1 billion aggregate principal amount of its 3.625% senior notes due 2024 and $1 billion aggregate principal amount of its 4.625% senior notes due 2044.

More >>

Kirkland represented Golden Gate Capital in its agreement announced today to acquire the Red Lobster restaurant chain from Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) for $2.1 billion in cash.  The deal is expected to close in the first fiscal quarter of 2015.  In connection with the transaction, Golden Gate also entered into an approximately $1.5 billion sale-leaseback transaction with American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARCP) for more than 500 Red Lobster restaurant properties. The sale-leaseback transaction will be consummated in conjunction with Golden Gate’s acquisition of Red Lobster from Darden.  More >>

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that it is advised Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE: LXP), a leading equity REIT focused on single-tenant domestic real estate investments, on its issuance of $250 million 4.40% Senior Notes due 2024. More >>

More >>

Shearman & Sterling represented Caixa Econômica Federal, the largest fully government-owned bank in Latin America, in connection with the issuance of $1,300,000,000 4.250% Senior Notes Due 2019 under its $5,000,000,000 Medium-Term Note Program. The notes are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. BB Securities Ltd., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Banco Bradesco BBI S.A., Banco BTG Pactual S.A.-Cayman Branch, Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as joint lead managers.

More >>

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, a national law firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC, represented reality television producer Leftfield Entertainment (“Leftfield”) in a transaction to sell an 80 percent stake of the company to ITV plc for $360 million.

More >>

Vinson & Elkins advised Milestone Apartments REIT in connection with Walker & Dunlop, Inc.’s $278 million Fannie Mae Credit Facility. The Facility consisted of a mix of fixed and variable rate notes with staggered maturities collateralized by 20 multifamily properties located in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.

More >>

Seyfarth Shaw LLP advised D.R. Horton, the largest U.S. residential homebuilder, in connection with its $210 million real estate acquisition of Crown Communities, the largest residential builder in Atlanta and the 28th largest homebuilder in the country.  The deal involved a sales order backlog of approximately 420 homes sold, 640 homes in inventory and 2,350 lots. D.R. Horton also acquired control of approximately 3,400 lots through option contracts. More >>