Shearman & Sterling has represented Tiger Group Investments in its joint venture with The Carlyle Group to form a company that will work to acquire more than $5 billion in container, dry bulk, tanker vessels and other shipping assets to capitalize on increasing demand in the shipping sector. The new company is formed by Tiger Group Investments and The Carlyle Group in partnership with Seaspan Corporation, the Washington Family, Gerry Wang and Graham Porter.

Davis Polk advised International Meal Company Holdings S.A. and the selling shareholders in connection with an initial public offering of 30,545,167 common shares for an aggregate amount of approximately US$247.5 million. The common shares trade on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. Securities in the international offering were placed under Rule 144A and Regulation S.

Hogan Lovells advised Citi Infrastructure Investors, a leading global infrastructure fund under the Citigroup brand, on its US$1.5bn acquisition, together with one of its major investors, of a majority stake in DP World’s Australian shipping terminal operator businesses.  The deal, which was announced on 22 December, has now closed (11 March).

Simpson Thacher is representing JPMorgan, UBS and Macquarie as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners in connection with the approximately $3 billion financing of Citadel Broadcasting Corporation’s acquisition by Cumulus Media Inc.  The merger is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

The Firm represented Best Buy Co., Inc. in connection with a public offering of $1.0 billion of debt securities. Best Buy offered $350 million of 3.750% Notes due 2016 and $650 million of 5.500% Notes due 2021. The offering constituted Best Buy’s largest financing in its history.

Davis Polk is advising Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC as joint lead arrangers in connection with a $700 million back-stop acquisition facility, including a $500 million senior secured term loan facility and $200 million senior secured revolving facility, for Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Walgreens Health Initiatives, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreen Co.

Today the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has handed down judgment in the Office of Fair Trading’s biggest-ever case, which concerned ‘cover pricing’ in the construction industry.

International investors have served initial demands on the Spanish government seeking reparation under international law for Spain’s retroactive changes to the solar photovoltaic (PV) tariff regimes.

Dewey & LeBoeuf recently represented MetLife, Inc. in connection with a $2.97 billion public offering of common stock, and the concurrent offerings by AIG of $3.38 billion of MetLife’s common stock and $3.32 billion of the company’s common equity units.

The Firm represented BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, RBS, Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan and UBS Investment Bank, as initial purchasers, in connection with a 144A/Regulation S offering by Virgin Media Secured Finance PLC of $500 million of 5.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 and £650 million of 5.50% Senior Secured Notes due 2021. The notes rank pari passu with Virgin Media’s senior credit facility and its existing senior secured notes due 2018 and, subject to certain exceptions, share in the same guarantees and security which has been granted in favor of its senior credit facility and its existing senior secured notes due 2018.