Further adding to its growing corporate transactional practice in New York, Venable LLP announced that it added two top M&A attorneys, Philip T. von Mehren and Michele Maney. They join as partners in the firm’s New York office where Mr. von Mehren will co-chair the New York Corporate Group.

Mr. von Mehren and Ms. Maney join from Baker & McKenzie, where they were also partners. Earlier this month, Venable added cross-border transactional attorney Peter R. Sternberg as a partner in its New York office. More >>

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. and Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Valeant to acquire Salix for $14.5 billion. Willkie represented Centerview Partners, which served as a financial advisor to Salix, a leader in the gastrointestinal market. More >>

Cadwalader is representing Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ: SLXP), a leading U.S. specialty pharmaceutical company, which today announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) (TSX: VRX) for $158.00 per share, or a total enterprise value of approximately $14.5 billion. The transaction was approved by the Salix and Valeant boards of directors and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. More >>

Cahill represented Deutsche Bank Securities, BofA Merrill Lynch, Credit Agricole CIB, Fifth Third Securities, Scotiabank, and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey as joint book-running managers and BOC International, BNP PARIBAS, Morgan Stanley, SMBC Nikko, and UBS Investment Bank as co-managers in connection with the Rule 144A offering of $1,800,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.50% Senior Notes due 2025 by Wynn Las Vegas, LLC and Wynn Las Vegas Capital Corp., a destination casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. More >>

Chadbourne & Parke LLP represented Rockwell Automation, Inc. in a US$600 million registered public debt offering, comprised of US$300 million aggregate principal amount of 2.050% notes due 2020 and US$300 million aggregate principal amount of 2.875% notes due 2025. The issuance and sale of the notes closed on February 17, 2015. Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated acted as joint book-running managers for the offering. More >>

Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce that trusts and estates lawyer Beth D. Tractenberg has joined the firm as a partner and Jasmine Campirides Hanif has joined as of counsel. Both will be based in the firm’s New York office. Their arrival continues the expansion of Steptoe’s Tax Group, which recently welcomed the return of co-chair Lisa Zarlenga from the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy. More >>

Simpson Thacher recently represented J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated as lead arrangers and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, in connection with the amendment and restatement of Ralph Lauren Corporation’s existing $500 million revolving credit facility. More >>

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy advised leading Chilean retailer Cencosud (NYSE:CNCO) in a two-tranche $1 billion global debt offering.

Proceeds from the Rule 144A and Regulation S offering include a $650 million 10-year bond and $350 million 30-year bond which will be used for general corporate purposes including financing short- and long-term debt. More >>