Kramer Levin is representing Huntingdon Real Estate Investment Trust in its proposed merger with Fisher Communications, Inc., with Huntingdon proposing to acquire all outstanding shares of Fisher Communications’ common stock. Huntingdon is a real estate investment trust listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and owns 75 income producing office, industrial, retail and standalone parking lot properties. Fisher Communications is a Seattle-based media company with television, internet, radio, internet and mobile operations throughout the western United States.

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Simpson Thacher represented J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC as lead arrangers, in connection with new senior secured credit facilities in an aggregate amount of approximately $1.4 billion (U.S. dollar equivalent) for ConvaTec Healthcare (“ConvaTec”) consisting of (i) a $500 million term loan facility, (ii) a €550 million term loan facility and (iii) a $250 million revolving credit facility.  Proceeds from the credit facilities, along with proceeds from the issuance of new senior notes were used to refinance the company’s existing credit facilities and repay other indebtedness.

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Skadden represented Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, former chief executive of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, in the dismissal of billions of dollars of claims brought against Porsche and two of its former officers and directors by several dozen hedge funds alleging misrepresentations and market manipulation in connection with Porsche’s attempted takeover of Volkswagen AG.

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Preato Capital has sold Sefina Finance to Dollar Financial Group U.K. Ltd. The consideration for the shares is approximately SEK 300 million, of which approximately SEK 200 million was paid in cash at closing, and the remaining SEK 100 million to be paid in cash installments during 2011. In addition, the seller is entitled to additional cash payments over the next two years based on the financial performance of the divested business.

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SNR Denton announced its client, MatlinPatterson sold 100% of its share in Toga Investments SARL (the holding company of the Cerruti group) to a subsidiary of Trinity Ltd for approximately €53 million. The deal was announced in Hong Kong on December 22, 2010.

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Marking another pro bono victory, on December 22, 2010, international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP successfully secured asylum for a 27-year old Kenyan man who sought refuge in the United States based on persecution he suffered in Kenya upon coming out publicly as a homosexual. The Kenyan penal code criminalizes homosexual acts with a prison sentence of up to fourteen years, and known or suspected homosexuals in Kenya are routinely subjected to violence, threats, harassment, and blackmail. The client, a committed activist for the rights of homosexual and transgender individuals in East Africa, was himself cut off from his family, brutalized by classmates, evicted from his apartment, threatened with death, and blackmailed by police after providing a rare interview on national television in which he admitted to being homosexual and talked about the plight of gay and transgender individuals.

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McDermott represented Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R) in connection with the signing of a definitive agreement by its affiliate to acquire the full service lease, contract maintenance, commercial rental and dedicated contract carriage businesses of The Scully Companies, Inc., a leading provider of full service truck leasing, short-term rental of commercial vehicles and maintenance services throughout the western United States.  Ryder System, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 500 provider of leading-edge transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions.

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