Baron and Budd shareholder Bruce Steckler was part of the team that helped negotiate a landmark Chinese drywall settlement with KNAUF Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), one of the largest manufacturers in the Chinese drywall litigation. The settlement comes as a result of 18 months of careful negotiation between the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC), of which Steckler is a member, and KNAUF, and aims to help thousands of families suffering from defective Chinese drywall, which has been linked to corrosion of metal components and possible serious health issues. The total value of the settlement is estimated to be from $800 million to $1 billion.
Simpson Thacher to Open Office in Seoul, Korea
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that it plans to open an office in Seoul, Korea as soon as practicable in 2012. Partner Youngjin Sohn will relocate to Seoul, together with several associates from the Firm’s Hong Kong office, where the Firm’s Korea team is currently located.
Tags: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP 
Maddocks to Open New Office in Canberra
BLP Appoints Projects Specialist Andrei Baev Strengthening the Firm’s Finance Team and Its Russian Offer to Clients
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) today announced that it has hired Projects specialist Andrei Baev to further strengthen the firm’s project finance offer to clients, particularly those investing into and out of the Russian and CIS region.
Tags: Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP | Moscow 
Shearman & Sterling Advises Fujifilm on Acquisition of SonoSite
Shearman & Sterling is advising Fujifilm Holdings Corporation (Fujifilm) in its acquisition of SonoSite, Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $995 million.
Tags: Shearman & Sterling LLP | Tokyo Simpson Thacher Represents Underwriters Led by Goldman Sachs in First Niagara Financial Group’s $1.13 Billion Common Stock, Preferred Stock and Subordinated Notes Offerings
The Firm represented the underwriters in connection with three registered public offerings by First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”): (i) 56,911,764 shares of common stock, underwritten by Goldman, Sachs & Co., Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P., BofA Merrill Lynch, and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods; (ii) 14,000,000 shares of Fixed-to-Floating Rate Perpetual Non-cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B, at a liquidation preference of $25 per share, underwritten by Goldman, Sachs & Co., BofA Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Securities, Citigroup and Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P.; and (iii) $300 million aggregate principal amount of 7.25% Subordinated Notes due 2021, underwritten by Goldman, Sachs & Co., Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P. and BofA Merrill Lynch.
Tags: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | New York 
Freshfields Advises Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited on Its US$2bn IPO
International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited on its US$2 billion global offering of shares and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Tags: Freshfields LLP | Hong Kong Freshfields Advises New China Life Insurance Company Ltd. on Its US$1.9bn IPO and the Only A+H Share Listing in 2011
International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised New China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NCI) on its US$1.9 billion global offering of shares and simultaneous A + H listing on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. With today’s listing, NCI became the only company to have A + H shares listed simultaneously this year.
Tags: Freshfields LLP | Beijing 
SNR Denton Helps PETRONAS Secure Star Energy Deal
Covington Advises NFL On Major Network TV Deal
Covington advised the National Football League in negotiating nine-year extensions of its Sunday broadcast television packages with CBS, FOX and NBC networks.
Tags: Covington & Burling LLP 