Herbert Smith has advised longstanding client EDF Energy on its application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) for development consent for the construction and operation of a new 3.2GW nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Once fully operational, the power station will provide approximately 6% of the nation’s electricity.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised joint bookrunning managers BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole CIB, Natixis and Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking in connection with French issuer Faurecia’s debut high yield bond offering of €350 million 9.375% Senior Notes due 2016. HSBC and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities acted as co-managers on the transaction.

International law firm Eversheds has appointed ex-Norton Rose corporate partner Virginie Deslandres to head the China practice in the firm’s Paris office.

Leading global law firm Mayer Brown announced the hire of Bernd Bohr to the Corporate & Securities practice. Bernd joins today as a partner from the New York office of Allen & Overy. He is relocating to London to help support the expansion of Mayer Brown’s US M&A and Capital Markets practice in Europe.

Herbert Smith is advising the Haramain High-speed Rail (HHR) Consortium, chosen to construct the Mecca-Medina-Jeddah rail link, on all legal aspects of the project.

Pfizer Inc. and Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Pfizer will acquire Excaliard, a privately owned biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel drugs for the treatment of skin fibrosis, more commonly referred to as skin scarring. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year.