The Firm recently represented funds affiliated with First Reserve in connection with the $310 million initial public offering of CHC Group Ltd.  CHC Group’s ordinary shares began trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HELI” on January 17, 2014. CHC is the world’s largest commercial operator of helicopters, with revenue of $1.7 billion in fiscal 2013.

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On January 22, VMware, Inc., the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, and AirWatch, the leading provider of enterprise mobile management and security solutions, announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which VMware will acquire AirWatch for approximately $1.175 billion in cash and approximately $365 million of installment payments and assumed unvested equity. Willkie represented AirWatch investors Insight Venture Partners and Accel Partners, who teamed up last year to invest in the company, in connection with the sale as well as the 2013 investment. The deal is expected to provide customers with the most complete solution to manage users, devices and applications across desktop and mobile environments.

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Veirano Advogados has acted as deal counsel in simultaneous notes issuances by Brazilian telecoms company Embratel and its subsidiary, satellite services company Star One, collectively worth some US$1.5 billion. The Rio de Janeiro-based telecoms company issued notes worth US$1.2 billion, while its subsidiary’s issuance was for US$297 million. More >>

Skadden is representing State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in the $1.5 billion sale of its Canadian insurance businesses and financial services companies to affiliates of Desjardins Group, announced on January 15. This is the first M&A transaction in State Farm’s 92-year history. More >>

On January 23, 2014, IBM and Lenovo announced a definitive agreement in which Lenovo plans to acquire IBM’s x86 server business for a purchase price of approximately US$2.3 billion, approximately two billion of which will be paid in cash and the balance in Lenovo stock. Cravath represented IBM in connection with this transaction. The x86 server business includes System x, BladeCenter and Flex System blade servers and switches, x86‑based Flex integrated systems, NeXtScale and iDataPlex servers and associated software, blade networking and maintenance operations. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of regulatory requirements, customary closing conditions and any other needed approvals.

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Skadden is representing Cementos Argos S.A. in its $720 million acquisition of Vulcan Materials Company’s cement and concrete businesses in Florida, announced on January 23. More >>

Litigators from Beveridge & Diamond’s Washington and Baltimore offices won approval of a major Clean Water Act consent decree over the objections of environmental groups.  On January 6, 2014 Judge George Marovich of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered a historic consent decree between the United States, Illinois, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC or the District) to govern the ongoing Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), a multi-billion dollar project to improve stormwater control and wastewater management throughout metropolitan Chicago.   The ruling comes after 7 years of consent decree negotiation with the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, and the State of Illinois, and 3 years of aggressive litigation brought by several environmental groups that sought more work than called for in the decree. Benjamin F. Wilson, Richard Davis and Sarah Albert lead the multi-office team from Beveridge & Diamond that represents MWRDGC regarding the consent decree and the litigation.

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Bracewell & Giuliani LLP is representing Integrys Energy Group, Inc.  (Integrys), the Chicago based utility holding company, in the sale of 100 percent of the stock of Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Partners LP (BBIP), a new U.K. infrastructure investment fund.  This transaction is valued at approximately $298 million.  The transaction represents the first major investment by BBIP in the U.S.

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Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has advised Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe, in connection with its $2.94 billion in acquisition financing to Yamal Development LLC, a joint venture between Russian oil and gas companies Novatek and Gazprom Neft.  The financing will enable enabled Yamal Development LLC to purchase Eni S.p.A.’s 60 percent stake in Artic Russia B.V., which, through SeverEnergia LLC, holds four licenses for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the Yamalo-Nenets Region of Russia.

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A team of Akin Gump attorneys has advised CITIC PE in relation to the management buyout of AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc. by a consortium that has taken the company private. The transaction closed on January 15.

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