On March 19, Zayo Group, LLC and AboveNet, Inc. announced that their boards of directors have approved a definitive agreement under which Zayo will acquire AboveNet for approximately $2.2 billion. Willkie advised AboveNet’s Board of Directors in the transaction, as widely reported in the press. Under the terms of the agreement, each share of AboveNet common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the transaction will be entitled to receive $84.00 per share in cash. The combination is expected to create a leading pure-play bandwidth infrastructure provider.

In a noteworthy addition to its competition and consumer protection practices, Venable LLP announced that Leonard L. Gordon, the Federal Trade Commission’s Northeast Regional Director, has joined the firm as a partner in both in its advertising and marketing and antitrust practices.

Simpson Thacher represented the underwriters, led by Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. in connection with the registered public offering by Regions Financial Corporation of approximately $900 million of common stock.