Chadbourne & Parke commenced a case under Chapter 15 of the United States Bankruptcy Code for Chartis Excess Ltd., a subsidiary of AIG. Chartis Excess is requesting an order granting recognition to court proceedings before the High Court of Ireland and enforcing a scheme of arrangement sanctioned by the Irish High Court. The action is part of a larger reorganization of AIG and to prepare for upcoming changes to European insurance rules, which are designed to protect policyholders and prevent insurance companies from failing.

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Paul Hastings, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented Reich and Tang, a subsidiary of Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A, in the agreement to acquire five money market funds from HighMark Management Capital Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Union Bank, NA.

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Shearman & Sterling represented Goldman, Sachs & Co., Jefferies LLC and William Blair & Company, LLC as initial purchasers in connection with Titan International, Inc.’s offering of $325 million of its 7.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2017. The proceeds from the offering were used to repay existing indebtedness of a recently acquired business in Europe and for general corporate purposes.

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The Firm recently represented Pinnacle Foods Inc. (“Pinnacle Foods”), a portfolio company of The Blackstone Group, L.P., in connection with its initial public offering of common stock. The offering of 33,350,000 shares of common stock, which included the underwriters’ option to purchase 4,350,000 additional shares, raised approximately $667 million in gross proceeds. The shares of Pinnacle Foods are now listed on The New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “PF.”

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Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Reed Brodsky has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner. Brodsky joined the firm from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Criminal Division, where he was a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Unit for the last six years.

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Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to welcome William F. “Frank” Birchfield as a shareholder in its New York City office. Birchfield joins Ogletree Deakins after practicing as a partner in the employment group at the employment defense firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. With the addition of Birchfield, Ogletree Deakins continues the rapid growth across its network of offices. Since January, the firm has increased its shareholder ranks in its Austin, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, and Washington offices.

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Global law firm Proskauer represented The Light Group and its founders in The Light Group’s agreement to be acquired by The Yucaipa Companies, LLC, from the Morgans Hotel Group Company.

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On April 1, card maker American Greetings Corporation announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to go private in a deal valued at $878 million. Willkie represented Peter J. Solomon Company, financial advisor to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of American Greetings, in the transaction. The buyout will be made by a newly organized entity owned by the Weiss Family, which founded the company in 1905. The buyout group includes the company’s Chairman, Morry Weiss; Director and Chief Executive Officer, Zev Weiss; and Director, President and Chief Operating Officer, Jeffrey Weiss and related persons and entities. The deal also provides for a $240 million investment by a subsidiary of Koch Industries. Under the agreement, American Greetings Class A and Class B shareholders, excluding the Weiss Family and related entities, will receive $18.20 per share in cash.

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Simpson Thacher recently represented Walter Energy, Inc. in its offering of $450 million aggregate principal amount of 8.500% Senior Notes due 2021. Walter Energy used the net proceeds of the offering to repay $250 million of indebtedness outstanding under its credit facilities and the remainder for general corporate purposes. The offering was conducted in reliance on Rule 144A and Regulation S.

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Shearman & Sterling advised Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners in connection with a $2.5 billion aggregate financing, including a $1.5 billion 364-day credit facility and a $1 billion amended and restated five-year credit facility, for United Parcel Service, Inc.

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