Simpson Thacher is representing The Charles Schwab Corporation in connection with its all-stock acquisition of optionsXpress Holdings, Inc., a Chicago-based online brokerage company, valued at approximately $1.0 billion.

The global law firm of Thompson & Knight has assisted the first real estate investment trust (“REIT”) to be listed on Mexico’s stock exchange. The trust, Fibra Uno, was launched on March 17, 2011, with an initial public offering that raised 3.62 billion pesos (US$300 million).

Willkie represented private equity firm PAI partners in the sale of its 50 percent stake in Yoplait, the second largest yogurt maker in the world, to U.S.-based food company General Mills, one of the world’s largest food companies.

The Firm represented Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, BMO Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley, CIBC, HSBC and RBC Capital Markets as initial purchasers in connection with the Rule 144A and Regulation S offering by MEG Energy Corp. (“MEG”) of $750 million aggregate principal amount of 6.50% Senior Notes due 2021.

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP successfully advised Karak International Oil, a subsidiary of U.K. company Jordan Energy & Mining Limited (JEML), on the signing of a US$1.8 billion oil shale retort concession agreement with the Jordanian Government to develop part of Jordan’s extensive oil shale reserves.

The London office of international law firm Hunton & Williams has advised Bellzone Mining plc, an iron ore and nickel/copper exploration and development company with assets in Guinea, West Africa, on a US$100M strategic investment by China International Fund Limited and an institutional placing of US$133M. Due to extremely strong institutional demand for the shares the institutional placing was increased from US$100M to US$133M.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Tokyo-based Arysta LifeScience, the world’s largest privately held crop protection and life science company, on the acquisition of a majority interest in Devidayal Sales Limited (DSL), a formulator and marketer of pesticides, agrochemicals and micronutrients for the Indian and international markets. DSL is one of the top ten privately-owned agrochemical companies in India.

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Hutchison Port Holdings and Hutchison Port Holdings Management, the trustee-manager of Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPH Trust), on the US$5.45 billion offering and listing of units of HPH Trust on the Main Board of Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). The transaction represents the largest ever initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore and South East Asia as well as the largest IPO globally year-to-date.

The Firm represented the underwriters, led by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley Co. Incorporated, in a public offering of 15,081,968 shares common stock by TCF Financial Corporation (“TCF”), including the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.  Net proceeds of the offering to TCF after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses were approximately $220 million. TCF expects to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay its senior unsecured notes, redeem trust preferred securities upon the occurrence of a future capital treatment event and for general corporate purposes.