Kirkland represented Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. in connection with the offering of US$900 million of convertible senior notes. This was the largest-ever convertible bond issued by a US-listed Chinese technology company and the largest convertible bond in Asia in the last three years. The offering consisted of a private placement of US$450 million principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2020 and US$450 million principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2021, with a 30-day over-allotment option to buy an additional US$135 million of the notes.

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Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP represented Goldman Sachs International, as sole initial purchaser, in the $400 million offering of Senior Secured Notes due 2019 by ContourGlobal Power Holdings S.A., a finance subsidiary of the parent ContourGlobal L.P.

The notes were secured by share pledges of certain existing and future subsidiaries of ContourGlobal L.P.

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A Charlotte-based team of McGuireWoods attorneys represented the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Pike Corporation (NYSE: PIKE) in connection with the Special Committee’s negotiations and Pike’s entry into a merger agreement under which New York private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners and J. Eric Pike, Pike’s chairman and chief executive officer, will acquire Pike in a “going-private” transaction valued at approximately $595 million. At the effective time of the merger, each of Pike’s shareholders will receive $12 per share in cash, which represents a premium of approximately 50.8% over Pike’s closing price on Aug. 1, 2014, and a premium of approximately 39.6% over the 30-day volume-weighted average closing prices leading up to that date.

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Global legal practice Norton Rose Fulbright has advised a syndicate of lenders on four limited-recourse facilities totalling US$787 million to part finance the procurement of four 174,400m3 LNG vessels to be built by Hudong-Zhonghua in China.

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Simpson Thacher represented the underwriters, led by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, in an offering of $250 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.25% Senior Notes due 2024 by Symetra Financial Corporation (“Symetra”).

Proceeds from the offering are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, which may include but are not limited to working capital, capital expenditures, repayment of outstanding indebtedness, stock repurchases and dividends.

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Vinson & Elkins advised Warburg Pincus in connection with its affiliate’s agreement to lead a line-of-equity investment in Zenith Energy of up to $600 million.

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On August 6, Willkie client W. R. Berkley Corporation closed on its offering of $350 million of 4.75% Senior Notes due 2044. The company announced its pricing of the offering on July 30. An insurance holding company, W. R. Berkley is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States. It operates in three segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance-Domestic, Insurance-International and Reinsurance-Global.
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Davis Polk advised JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a shareholder of Tribune Media Company in connection with its spinoff of Tribune Publishing Company. Pursuant to the spinoff, 25,042,263 shares of Tribune Publishing Company common stock were distributed pro-rata to the holders of Tribune Media Company Class A common stock, Class B common stock and warrants. Tribune Media Company received $275 million in connection with the spinoff, consisting of a cash dividend paid by Tribune Publishing Company prior to the spinoff.

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Travers Smith LLP has advised Paragon Offshore plc and Noble Corporation plc on the creation of Paragon and its demerger from Noble Group, which became effective on 1 August 2014. Paragon is listed on NYSE. Trading in its shares commenced on 4 August 2014.

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