Ashurst has advised the Italian company ERG Renew SpA on the drafting of arrangements and negotiation of terms of its joint venture with Lukoil, Russia’s largest oil company. The joint venture between ERG Renew and Lukoil will see the two parties pursuing the development of renewable energy projects in Eastern Europe and Russia.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Admin Re, one of Swiss Re’s three business units through which it acquires blocks of in-force life and health insurance business in relation to the acquisition of selected life insurance business from MetLife subsidiary, American Life Insurance Company.

Baker & McKenzie has advised AXA Private Equity on the USD1.7 billion purchase of leveraged buyout assets from Citigroup Inc.

The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled in favor of McKool Smith clients i4i Limited Partnership and i4i Inc. in a closely watched appeal of an earlier $290 million patent infringement judgment against software giant Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT).

Shearman & Sterling represented Barclays Capital, Citi, Credit Suisse, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Chartered Bank, Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley, the initial purchasers, in connection with Vedanta Resources’ offering of $1.65 billion in aggregate principal amount of 6.75% bonds due 2016 and 8.25% bonds due 2021.

Walkers, the leading International Financial Centre law firm, is pleased to announce it acted as Cayman Islands counsel to MGM China Holdings Limited on its HK$11.7 billion (US$1.5 billion) Hong Kong initial public offering.

A federal judge, following the recommendation of an advisory jury, ruled in favor of AmFin Financial Corporation (AFC) in a case of first impression nationally with significant implications for federal bank regulators that attempt to make holding companies responsible for maintaining the capital of a failed bank or savings and loan association. AFC, the savings and loan holding company formerly known as AmTrust Financial Corporation, is represented by Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.

Simpson Thacher represented the underwriters, led by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, in the issuance of $400 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021 by Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (“RGA”).

Herbert Smith assisted Rio Tinto in the negotiation of a settlement agreement regarding the multi-billion dollar Simandou iron ore project in Guinea.

Davis Polk advised Citibank, N.A. as lead arranger and administrative agent in connection with a refinancing and repricing amendment to Lyondell Chemical Company’s and certain of its subsidiaries’ secured asset-based credit facility. The refinancing and repricing amendment increased the total commitments under the facility to $2 billion and extended the maturity of the facility until June 2016.