Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that Grace L. Pan has joined the firm as a partner resident in its New York office. Her practice focuses on patent, trademark and copyright litigation with particular strength in the semiconductor, chemistry, biotechnology, electronic and mechanical fields. Ms. Pan formerly was a partner with Kaye Scholer.

“Grace is a rare find. The combination of her extensive IP law experience, her technical expertise, and her fluency in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and English make her uniquely valuable to Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese clients on a broad range of IP matters,” said Steve Routh, co-head of Orrick’s IP Group.

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Simpson Thacher represented the underwriters, led by Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., in connection with a registered offering by Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (“ETE”) of $450 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.875% Senior Notes due 2024. The Firm also represented Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, other lead arrangers, Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, and other lenders in connection with a new $1 billion senior secured term loan facility and a new $600 million revolving credit facility.

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Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm advised Jynwel Capital, a Hong Kong-based investment firm, in its formation of a  joint venture with a consortium led by The Witkoff Group (other members in the Witkoff-led consortium include New Valley LLC, Highgate Holdings, and Macklowe Properties). The joint venture acquired the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for $660 million. The acquisition was financed by Wells Fargo and Criterion Real Estate Capital. Paul Hastings represented the Jynwel/Witkoff venture in the financing transaction.

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The Firm is representing Hellman & Friedman LLC in connection with the announced acquisition of Applied Systems, Inc. by investment funds advised by Hellman & Friedman for $1.8 billion. Applied Systems is being acquired from Bain Capital, a global private investment firm. The transaction is subject to customary conditions to closing and is expected to be completed in early 2014.

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Davis Polk advised Citibank, N. A. as forward counterparty under a forward sale agreement with NextEra Energy, Inc. relating to 6,600,000 shares of its common stock in connection with an SEC-registered offering by NextEra Energy of a total of 11,100,000 shares of its common stock, in which NextEra Energy also issued and sold 4,500,000 shares of its common stock to the underwriters in the offering. In connection with the forward sale agreement, an affiliate of Citibank N. A. borrowed from third parties an aggregate of 6,600,000 shares of NextEra Energy’s common stock and sold these shares to the underwriters. The net proceeds to NextEra Energy of the offering (assuming physical settlement of the forward sale agreement at the initial forward sale price) are expected to be approximately $977 million, $581 million of which are expected to be received at settlement the forward sale agreement.

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Simpson Thacher represented The Carlyle Group (“Carlyle”) in the establishment of its sixth fund dedicated to buyouts and other private equity investments in the United States, Carlyle Partners VI, L.P. (“CP VI”). Carlyle has announced that CP VI raised $13 billion of total commitments from 269 investors from 43 countries.

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Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the continued expansion of its internationally recognized Subrogation & Recovery Department with the recent addition of five attorneys.

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Patton Boggs LLP has further strengthened its private funds and finance practices with the addition of Pamela Robertson as a partner in the firm’s New York office. Ms. Robertson joins Patton Boggs from the New York office of Edwards Wildman Palmer, where she was a partner.

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Akerman LLP, a leading law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced that Richard Brosnick has joined as a partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group in New York.

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Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider is pleased to announce that Delphine Knight Brown has joined its Intellectual Property Group as a partner. She will be based in the firm’s New York office.

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