Bracewell & Giuliani LLP is representing Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) in its agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) for approximately $38 billion, including the assumption of debt outstanding at El Paso Corporation and including the debt outstanding at El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB).  The transaction will create the largest midstream and the fourth largest energy company in North America with an enterprise value of approximately $94 billion and 80,000 miles of pipelines.

Hanson Bridgett LLP is pleased to announce that Stephen K. Cassidy has joined the firm as a Partner in the Real Estate section. Steve’s practice will focus on land use and real estate law. He will be based in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. is pleased to announce that Galit Kierkut, formerly of Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, joined the Firm as a Member of the Employment and Labor Practice Group.

Wragge & Co has strengthened its Paris office with the appointment of two directors.

Latham & Watkins represented Qatar National Bank (QNB), 50% owned by the State of Qatar, in connection with the establishment of QNB Finance Ltd.’s US$7.5 billion Euro Medium Term Notes program guaranteed by QNB. This follows the November 2010 debut bond offering by QNB Finance Ltd., guaranteed by QNB, of US$1.5 billion 3.125% Senior Notes due 2015. Notes issued under the program will be admitted to the official list of the London Stock Exchange.

SNR Denton announced today it advised Bakken Oil Express LLC (BOE), a subsidiary of Lario Logisitics LLC, owner of The Bakken Oil Express Rail Hub, the first multiple shipper operation in North Dakota for loading crude oil onto unit trains, on the successful completion of a long-term anchor shipper agreement with Eighty-Eight Oil LLC.