Simpson Thacher is representing Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP) in connection with its proposed sale to Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at an equity value of $6.3 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Office Depot shareholders will receive, for each Office Depot share, $7.25 in cash and 0.2188 of a share in Staples’ stock, representing $11 per share and a premium of 44% to Office Depot’s stock price based on Staples’ closing share price on February 2, 2015, the last trading day prior to the initial media speculation around a possible transaction. The transaction, which is expected to close by the end of calendar year 2015, is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. More >>

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, represented the banks in financing the acquisition of PODS, a leader in the moving and storage category, by The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s Long-Term Equities Group from Bahrain private-equity firm Arcapita. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is the largest single-profession pension plan in Canada. The transaction value is in excess of $1 billion More >>

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced today that Brian S. Korn has joined the firm’s Corporate and Finance practice as a partner in its New York office. He joins the firm from Pepper Hamilton LLP, where he founded and co-led the firm’s Crowdfunding and Peer-to-Peer Lending practice More >>