Morrison & Foerster LLP announced today that Sharon Parella has joined the firm’s Financial Services group as a partner in its New York office.
Tags: Morrison & Foerster LLP | New York 
White & Case Advises Nordic Capital and Point International on US $1.05 Billion Deal with VeriFone
Global law firm White & Case LLP advised Jersey-based Nordic Capital Fund V and Point International in a US $1.05 billion deal under which VeriFone Systems Inc. will acquire Point.
Tags: White & Case LLP 
Simmons & Simmons Advises Strauss Water on Joint Venture with Virgin Group
Simmons & Simmons has advised Strauss Water on a joint venture with Virgin Group. The Joint Venture will offer purified water based on Strauss’s proprietary technology, initially in the UK and Ireland with additional countries targeted for expansion at a later stage. Virgin Strauss Water will utilise the Virgin and Strauss Water brands.
Tags: Simmons & Simmons 
Simpson Thacher Represents Bank of America Merrill Lynch as Financial Advisor to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited in a Going Private Transaction
Simpson Thacher is representing Bank of America Merrill Lynch as the financial advisor to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited (“Shanda”), in connection with a going private transaction involving Shanda proposed by Mr. Tianqiao Chen, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of Shanda, his wife Ms. Qian Qian Chrissy Luo, who is a non-executive director of Shanda and his brother Mr. Danian Chen, who is the Chief Operating Officer and a director of Shanda (collectively the “Buyer Group”). Shanda has entered into a definitive agreement with Premium Lead Company Limited (“Parent”), which is a newly-formed entity owned by the Buyer Group, and New Era Investment Holding Ltd. (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which Parent will acquire Shanda for $20.675 per ordinary share or $41.35 per American Depositary Share, each representing two ordinary shares. The transaction values Shanda’s equity at approximately $2.3 billion on a fully diluted basis.
Tags: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | Hong Kong Simpson Thacher Represents KKR Consortium in Acquisition of Samson Investment Company
The firm is representing an investor group consisting of affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., Natural Gas Partners, Crestview Partners and Itochu Corporation, in their acquisition of Samson Investment Company, one of the largest private exploration and production companies in the United States, for $7.2 billion.
Tags: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | New York 
McDermott Bolsters Energy Practice with Hiring of Leading Natural Gas Regulatory Partner
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery today announced that it has named Karol Lyn Newman as a partner in its Energy Advisory Practice Group, based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. She joins McDermott from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, where she was previously a partner.
Tags: McDermott Will & Emery LLP 
O’Melveny & Myers LLP Represents Global Education in Acquisition by Pearson
O’Melveny & Myers LLP represents Global Education & Technology Group Limited (Nasdaq: GEDU), a leading provider of language training, educational courses and test preparation services in China, in its proposed sale to Pearson plc (Pearson), a global media and education company headquartered in London. The parties have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger pursuant to which Pearson (through a merger sub) would acquire all outstanding Global Education shares for a total value of approximately US$294 million. The transaction remains subject to approval by Global Education’s shareholders and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Tags: O'Melveny & Myers, LLP | Beijing 
Clayton Utz Advises on iNova Pharmaceuticals Sale
Clayton Utz has advised Ironbridge Capital and Archer Capital on the sale of iNova Pharmaceuticals to NYSE-listed Valeant, announced to the US market on 21 November. The deal values iNova at approximately A$700 million.
Tags: Clayton Utz 
DLA Piper Advises France’s Arc International on Its Acquisition of a Majority Stake in Russian Opitny Stekolny Zavod (OSZ)
Greenberg Traurig Represents Morgan Stanley as Financial Advisor to Pharmasset in Its $11 Billion Sale to Gilead
Pharmasset, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRUS) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) announced today that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Gilead will acquire Pharmasset for $137 per share in cash. Pharmasset is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical whose primary focus is the development of oral therapeutics for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The transaction, which values Pharmasset at approximately $11 billion, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012.
Tags: Greenberg Traurig, LLP | New York 