Major Private Equity Hire for Ashurst

Ashurst today announces the appointment of Shaun Lascelles as a partner in its global private equity team.

Shaun joins from the London office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom where he co-headed the firm’s global private equity practice. He has extensive experience, particularly in cross-border M&A and private equity. Shaun advises a broad range of private equity firms, hedge funds, state-owned investment funds and other investment funds. He joined Skadden in 2002 and became a partner in 2007. More >>

Tags:  Ashurst | London

Simpson Thacher Represents Initial Purchasers in Sale of $1.125 Billion Senior Notes by Jaguar Holding Company II and PPD

Simpson Thacher represented the initial purchasers, led by joint bookrunning managers J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Goldman, Sachs & Co., UBS Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. in the sale of $1.125 billion aggregate principal amount of 6.375% Senior Notes due 2023 by Jaguar Holding Company II, an indirect parent of Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (“PPD”), and PPD (collectively, the “Issuers”). The Issuers used the proceeds from the offering, together with borrowings under the Issuers’ new senior secured credit facilities and cash on hand, to refinance existing debt and to pay a dividend to their stockholders. More >>

Tags:  Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | New York

Mayer Brown Continues Expansion of IP Practice with Addition of Team Led by Renowned Trademark Partner Brian Winterfeldt

Mayer Brown announced today that leading intellectual property lawyer Brian J. Winterfeldt has joined the firm in Washington DC as a partner in the Intellectual Property practice, where he will serve as co-leader of the firm’s Global Brand Management and Internet practice. Previously, he was a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where he led that firm’s Internet practice. Joining Mr. Winterfeldt in the move from Katten to Mayer Brown is a team of lawyers, including one counsel in New York and two associates in New York and Washington DC. More >>

Tags:  Mayer Brown LLP | Washington

King & Spalding Adds Veteran In-House Counsel Alana Griffin to Atlanta Corporate Practice

King & Spalding announced today that corporate and securities attorney Alana Griffin will join the firm’s corporate practice group as a partner in its Atlanta office. Griffin, who has 25 years of experience in the full range of public company corporate matters, joins the firm from Synovus Financial Corp., where she served as deputy general counsel and director of regulatory relations. More >>

Tags:  King & Spalding LLP | Atlanta

Cravath – AGL Resources’s $12 Billion Acquisition by Southern Company

On August 24, 2015, Southern Company and AGL Resources announced that the boards of directors of both companies have approved a definitive merger agreement to create America’s leading U.S. electric and gas utility company. Pursuant to the agreement, Southern Company will acquire AGL Resources for cash in a transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $12 billion, including a total equity value of approximately $8 billion. Cravath represented AGL Resources in connection with this transaction. More >>

Tags:  Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP | New York