Simmons & Simmons’ Amsterdam office was officially opened on 12 May 2011 by Amsterdam mayor, Eberhard van der Laan. The mayor gave Simmons & Simmons a warm welcome to Amsterdam and underlined the importance of Simmons & Simmons’ increased presence at Amsterdam Zuidas in the heart of the Netherlands’ financial centre.

Davis Polk advised J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., RBS Securities Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, RBC Capital Markets, LLC and SG Americas Securities, LLC as joint bookrunners and representatives of the underwriters on an SEC-registered offering by Rio Tinto Finance (USA) Limited of $2 billion aggregate principal amount of notes guaranteed by Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited. The offering consisted of $700 million principal amount of 2.5% notes due 2016, $1 billion principal amount of 4.125% notes due 2021 and a reopening in an aggregate principal amount of $300 million of its 5.2% notes due 2040, issued on November 2, 2010.

The Firm is representing Barclays Capital in connection with $3 billion in bridge financing to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (“Thermo Fisher”) and as financial advisor to Thermo Fisher in its announced acquisition of Phadia for €2.47 billion (approximately US$3.5 billion) in cash. The proceeds of the credit facilities may be used to finance a portion of the acquisition and to refinance existing indebtedness.

SNR Denton announced that it advised Hartz Mountain Industries in its recent acquisition of One Superior Place, an 809-unit luxury rental apartment mixed-use building in Chicago. The acquisition had a combined sales price for the land and leasehold improvements of $320 million, making it the largest real estate transaction so far in 2011 in Chicago, and, according to The Wall Street Journal, the largest US apartment building transaction to date in 2011.

Chadbourne & Parke represented Fortune Brands, Inc. in the $1.225 billion sale of its Acushnet Company subsidiary, which manufactures and distributes Titleist golf balls and clubs and FootJoy golf shoes and gloves. The sale, announced on May 20, was to Fila Korea Ltd., the owner of the Fila sporting goods brand globally, and Mirae Asset Private Equity, the largest private equity firm in Korea.

It was announced today that Telcrest Investments Limited (Telcrest) will acquire 25.1% of CTC Media Inc.’s (CTC) (NASDAQ: CTCM) shares from Alfa CTC Holdings Limited (ACH) for approximately US$1.07 billion. CTC is Russia’s leading independent television broadcaster.

The Warsaw office of Chadbourne & Parke recently won a precedent-setting case before the Polish Supreme Court on behalf of Park Wiatrowy Tychowo Sp. z.o.o. against the distribution system operator ENEA Operator Sp. z .o.o.

Ashurst has advised Korea Gas Corporation (“KOGAS”) on its acquisition of a stake in the US$16 billion Gladstone Santos LNG project (“GLNG”), which completed on 16 February 2011. KOGAS and Total have acquired a combined interest of 15% in GLNG. Ashurst also advised KOGAS on the associated 20-year LNG off-take contract, which provides for the sale by GLNG of 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG to KOGAS.

International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is advising Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in a transaction whereby Charterhouse Capital Partners will acquire approximately 65 percent of the shares in ERM as part of a management buy-out. The deal values ERM at US$950 million. Under the terms of the transaction, the remainder of the shares will be held by ERM’s 440 partners, whose approval is required for completion of the transaction.

International law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP represented Fila Korea Ltd., the owner of the Fila® brand globally, and Mirae Asset Private Equity, the largest private equity firm in Korea, in connection with their agreement to purchase the Acushnet golf business from Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO).  The agreed purchase price is USD $1.225 billion in cash.  The closing is scheduled to occur after satisfaction of certain identified conditions.