Morrison & Foerster is pleased to announce that Van W. Ellis, a leading life sciences lawyer who specializes in technology-based collaborations, joint ventures and licensing arrangements, has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner. Mr. Ellis is a former Associate General Counsel of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, one of the nation’s largest non-profit biomedical research organizations.

Leading international law firm, Clifford Chance opens its office in Casablanca today, giving the firm’s strong Africa practice its first permanent on the ground presence in the continent.

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney today announced that Thomas M. Cryan, Jr., has joined the firm’s Employee Benefits and Tax Practice as a shareholder. He joins the firm from Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C.

International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has advised Long Haul Holdings Limited and PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk (Bakrie Group) on the US$1bn sale of part of the Bakrie Group interest in London-listed Bumi plc to Borneo Lumbung Energy and Metal (Borneo), another Indonesian company.

Simpson Thacher recently represented the initial purchasers, led by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclay’s Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co. in connection with a Rule 144A/Regulation S private offering of $593 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due 2020 and $325 million aggregate principal amount of 9.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2020 by Realogy Corporation (“Realogy”). The Senior Secured First Lien Notes are secured on a pari passu basis with Realogy’s first lien borrowings under its credit facility and the Senior Secured Notes are secured on a first and a half lien basis pari passu with Realogy’s existing senior secured notes due 2019. The Notes are guaranteed on a senior secured basis by Domus Intermediate Holdings Corp., Realogy’s parent, and each domestic subsidiary of Realogy that is a guarantor under its senior secured credit facility and certain of its outstanding debt securities. The Notes are also guaranteed by Domus Holdings Corp., Realogy’s indirect parent, on an unsecured senior subordinated basis. Realogy used the proceeds from the offering to prepay certain of its term loan borrowings and repay certain of its outstanding revolver borrowings both under its senior secured credit facility.