Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm advised China Huarong Asset Management Co., Ltd. ( “China Huarong”) to issue new shares to a consortium of strategic investors including China Life Insurance (Group) Company, Warburg Pincus, CITIC Securities International Company Limited, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, China International Capital Corporation Limited, China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO), Fosun International Ltd. and Goldman Sachs. All parties have entered into investment agreements and strategic partnership agreements regarding the capital increase. The agreements were approved by the State Council and the State regulatory agencies and the transaction was successfully completed. 
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Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a national law firm with 460 lawyers in 22 offices around the country and Barger & Wolen LLP, a California-based law firm with 45 attorneys in six offices, announced today they will join forces. The merger creates one of the largest insurance law practices in the United States with 120 full-time attorneys dedicated to providing legal counsel to companies that shape the insurance and financial services industries.

The partner votes took place on August 28, 2014, and the merger will become effective on October 1, 2014. The combined firm will keep the name Hinshaw & Culbertson and have over 500 attorneys in 11 states as well as London.

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Mayer Brown represented private equity firm The Jordan Company on the sale by its affiliate, The Resolute Fund II, L.P., of Casco Automotive Group, a division of Cap-Con Automotive Technologies Ltd., to Amphenol Corporation for $450 million. Casco is a market leading supplier of highly engineered interior connectivity, power connectivity and sensor products to the worldwide automotive market.

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Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK), a global leader in consumer packaging, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EMPAQUE, a leading Mexican manufacturer of aluminum cans and ends, bottle caps and glass bottles for the beverage industry, from affiliates of Heineken N.V. Dechert LLP advised Crown Holdings on the cash transaction, which is valued at approx. US$1.2 billion.

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a leading global cruise operator, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Prestige Cruises International, Inc., the market leader in the upscale cruise segment and parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for total transaction consideration at closing of $3.025 billion, including the assumption of debt, payable in cash and shares of Norwegian. Up to an additional $50 million may be payable post‑closing based on achievement of certain performance metrics. Cravath represented the Transaction Committee of the Norwegian Board of Directors in connection with this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2014.

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Davis Polk advised Crestview Partners in connection with an investment in Key Safety Systems, Inc. (KSS) by FountainVest Partners. FountainVest joins existing shareholders Crestview and KSS management in the ownership of KSS.

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Appleby acted as Isle of Man legal adviser to Oldford Group, parent company of the PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker brands, during its sale to Amaya Gaming Group Inc. (TSX:AYA) for an aggregate purchase price of US$4.9 billion.

It is believed to be one the highest value local deals ever completed in the Isle of Man, and also one of the first transactional mergers under the Isle of Man Companies Act 2006.

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Kirkland & Ellis LLP advises 3i Group plc  in its acquisition of A&A Manufacturing, a portfolio company of Audax Group, for $202.5 million.

The Kirkland team was led by M&A partner Christopher Torrente, finance partner David Tarr, and corporate associates Alex Rose, Jacob Hansen and Kristen Derhaag. All are based in Kirkland’s New York office.
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International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Hong Kong listed company Yingde Gases Group Company Limited (Yingde Gases) on its US$250m senior notes issue, which closed on 28 August 2014.

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The Real Deal and GlobeSt.com reported that real estate investors David Werner and Mark Karasick have secured a $700 million loan from Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings to complete their acquisition of the leasehold position in the iconic Mobil Building at 150 East 42nd Street in one of the biggest financing deals of the year. The deal involved entering into a 99-year ground lease extension with the land owner, purchasing the existing leasehold from Hiro Real Estate, and creating a sub-leasehold condominium for Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Olshan attorneys from several practice groups represented the buyers in the transaction: Warren Gleicher and Shirlee Gordon in Tax and Joint Ventures; Thomas Kearns in Real Estate; Martin Cooper, Yehuda Markovits, and Jason Saltsberg in Corporate; and Mark Limardo and Eric Homsi in Tax. Steve Holm, Andrew Kellner and Dana Gallo at Levy Holm Pellegrino & Drath LLP, Lisa Rinaldi at Gerstein Strauss & Rinaldi LLP, and Joseph Hershkovitz at Frenkel, Hershkowitz & Shafran LLP served as co-counsel on the deal.

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