Covance Inc.’s $6.1 Billion Acquisition by LabCorp

On November 3, 2014, Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) and Covance Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which LabCorp will acquire Covance for cash and LabCorp shares currently valued at $105.12 per Covance share, or an equity value of approximately $6.1 billion. Cravath represented Covance in this transaction. The combination will create the world’s leading healthcare diagnostics company. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015 and is subject to Covance shareholder approval, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. More >>

Tags:  Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP | New York

Clifford Chance advises COFCO on successful closing of US$2.8 billion acquisitions of 51% of Noble Agri and 51% of Nidera

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised COFCO Corporation on the closing of two concurrent global acquisitions, being 51% of Noble Agri Limited for an initial purchase price of US$1.5 billion and 51% of Nidera Capital B.V. for approximately US$1.3 billion. Both Noble Agri and Nidera acquisitions became wholly unconditional on 30 September and were completed and settled on 14 October.

Noble Agri, which was the global agricultural platform of the Singapore listed Noble Group, mainly engages in the origination, storage, processing, transportation, distribution and trading of grain and oilseeds, soft commodities and sugar by originating from low-cost producing regions such as Brazil, Argentina and the Black Sea region, and supplying to markets with high demand such as China, India and Middle East. More >>

Tags:  Clifford Chance LLP | Singapore

Allen & Overy advises on one of the biggest Philippines outbound acquisitions

Allen & Overy has advised Emperador Inc, a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group Inc., one of the largest Philippines conglomerates, on its acquisition of Whyte & Mackay Group from United Spirits Limited, a company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, for an enterprise value of approximately GBP430 million.

Emperador’s purchase of Whyte & Mackay ranks as one of the biggest overseas acquisitions by a Philippine company in recent years. The transaction was the result of a competitive auction process arising from a UK competition enquiry and subsequent ruling following Diageo PLC’s acquisition of a significant stake in United Spirits in 2013. More >>

Tags:  Allen & Overy LLP | Singapore

Goodwin Procter Represents F-star Alpha in up to $475 Million Exclusive Purchase Option with Bristol-Myers Squibb

Goodwin attorneys recently advised F-star Alpha Ltd in connection with its exclusive option agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb. Bristol-Myers Squibb has purchased an exclusive option to acquire F-Star Alpha and thereby gain worldwide rights to FS102, a Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER-2)-targeted therapy. Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will make payments aggregating to $50 million that consist of an option fee for the right to acquire F-star Alpha, payment for certain rights and licenses from F-star Alpha and a clinical milestone payment upon initiation of the Phase 1 trial. Total aggregate consideration may reach $475 million. Additional details regarding the transaction are available in BMS’s press release. More >>

Tags:  Goodwin Procter LLP | Boston

White & Case Represents Freeport LNG in $3.85 Billion Debt Financing

Global law firm White & Case LLP represented Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P. (Freeport LNG) and its subsidiary FLNG Liquefaction, LLC (FLIQ1) in its recently signed $3.85 billion debt financing for the development of the first liquefaction train (Train 1) of Freeport LNG’s multi-train liquefaction and export facility at Quintana Island near Freeport, Texas. More >>

Tags:  White & Case LLP | New York | Washington

Stibbe advises Tornier

Stibbe advises Tornier N.V. on its merger with Wright Medical Group, Inc. in an all stock transaction with a combined equity value of approximately $3.3 billion. More >>

Tags:  Stibbe | Amsterdam

Shearman & Sterling Represents Jaguar Land Rover Automotive on $500 Million Fixed Rate High Yield Bonds Offering

Shearman & Sterling represented Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc (“Jaguar Land Rover”) on its offering of $500 million fixed rate high yield bonds due 2019. Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc, an indirectly-owned subsidiary of Indian-owned Tata Motors Limited (India), bought luxury carmakers Jaguar Land Rover Limited and Land Rover in 2008. More >>

Tags:  Shearman & Sterling LLP | London | Washington