Davis Polk advised Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. in connection with its SEC-registered initial public offering of 84,506,788 Class A shares for an aggregate price to the public of approximately US$1.4 billion. Arcos Dorados sold 9,529,412 Class A shares and certain selling shareholders sold 74,977,376 Class A shares, including 11,022,624 Class A shares sold to the underwriters pursuant to an over-allotment option. BofA Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Itau BBA and Citi acted as joint bookrunners for the offering. Arcos Dorados’ Class A shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ARCO.” 

The Firm represented PPL Corporation (“PPL”) in its concurrent offerings of an aggregate of $3.3 billion consisting of 92 million shares of common stock and 19.55 million equity units, each including the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

Allens Arthur Robinson (Allens) has acted on the establishment of AusChina Energy Group, a renewable energy joint venture between two of China’s largest State-owned renewable energy businesses – China Datang Renewable Power Co and Tianwei Baobian Electric Co – and CBD Energy Limited.

Davis Polk advised FBR Capital Markets in connection with the acquisition by AloStar Bank of Commerce of substantially all of the assets, and the assumption of the liabilities of, Nexity Bank, Birmingham, Alabama from the FDIC. AloStar was capitalized with $160 million of new equity from four private equity funds and the new management team. Nexity was a bankers’ bank with approximately $800 million in assets. FBR Capital Markets acted as a financial adviser to AloStar.

A new and important growth for DLA Piper, this time in the Intellectual Property sector. On 1 June 2011 Dragotti Studio Legale Associato will join DLA Piper.

Orrick obtained a victory for former Microtune, Inc. general counsel and CFO Nancy Richardson. The Hon. Jane Boyle, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas, granted summary judgment to all but a small portion of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s action against Ms. Richardson on the grounds that the case was time-barred under 28 USC Section 2462.

Hogan Lovells has acted for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition (APPGER) in a successful appeal to secure the release of information requested by the APPGER from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) regarding the transfer, and potential extraordinary rendition, of detainees captured by UK Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fisher & Phillips LLP announces its expansion into the State of Ohio, as the attorneys and staff of Millisor + Nobil join the firm. Nineteen attorneys from the Ohio labor and employment firm join Fisher & Phillips effective April 16.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has advised global telecoms operator VimpelCom Ltd. on its combination with WIND TELECOM S.p.A. (Wind Telecom), creating the world’s sixth largest mobile telecommunications carrier by subscribers. The deal was approved by shareholders on March 17, 2011 and closed today April 15, 2011.

Bryan Cave is representing Silgan Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: SLGN) in its acquisition of Graham Packaging Company Inc. (NYSE: GRM) in a transaction valued at $4.1 billion, including assumed debt. Silgan is a Stamford, CT – based leading supplier of rigid consumer goods packaging products. Graham is a York, PA – based leading supplier of value-added rigid plastic containers for the food, specialty beverage and consumer products markets. The combined company will have over $6.2 billion in annual sales and over 17,000 employees. The company will operate 180 manufacturing facilities in 19 countries.