O’Melveny & Myers LLP Represents Global Education in Acquisition by Pearson

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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.

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Tags:  O'Melveny & Myers, LLP | Beijing

Greenberg Traurig Represents Morgan Stanley as Financial Advisor to Pharmasset in Its $11 Billion Sale to Gilead

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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.

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Tags:  Greenberg Traurig, LLP | New York

King Spalding Advises AlAhli Takaful Company in SAR 80 Million Rights

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
King & Spalding and its affiliated office in Riyadh, the Law Office of Mohammad Al-Ammar, advised Jeddah-based AlAhli Takaful Company in its proposed 80 million Saudi Arabian Riyal (USD 21 million) capital increase through a rights issue. The company published a prospectus for the rights issue after receiving approval from the Saudi Arabian Capital Markets Authority.

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Kasowitz Opens Silicon Valley Office

Monday, November 21, 2011
Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP is pleased to announce that it has opened an office today in Silicon Valley at 333 Twin Dolphin Drive in Redwood Shores, California.  Douglas E. Lumish, chair of the firm’s intellectual property group, will serve as managing partner of the office.

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Tags:  Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP | Silicon Valley

Simpson Thacher Represents Goldman Sachs and Greenhill in Spin-Merger of MeadWestvaco’s Consumer & Office Products Business with ACCO Brands

Monday, November 21, 2011
The Firm represents Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Greenhill & Co., LLC in connection with MeadWestvaco Corporation’s spin-merger of its Consumer & Office Products (“C&OP”) business with ACCO Brands Corporation.  MeadWestvaco’s C&OP business will be spun off in a new entity which will be immediately merged into ACCO Brands in a transaction valued at approximately $860 million to MeadWestvaco and its shareholders on a pre-synergy basis. At closing, MeadWestvaco shareholders will receive 50.5% of the shares of ACCO Brands stock and MeadWestvaco will receive $460 million of cash. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2012.  Goldman Sachs advised MeadWestvaco on the transaction and Greenhill provided an independent fairness opinion to MeadWestvaco’s board of directors.

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Tags:  Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | New York