International law firm Dechert LLP announced today that Andrew Hulsh has joined the firm as a corporate partner in New York. Hulsh was most recently a partner at Mayer Brown LLP, where he was co-leader of the firm’s North American private equity practice.

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Darren Traub has joined Akerman Senterfitt as a shareholder within its Litigation Practice Group and will be based in the firm’s New York office.

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The Firm represented affiliates of The Carlyle Group in connection with a series of transactions relating to the retail portion of 666 Fifth Avenue in New York City. On December 6, 2012, a Carlyle led investor group closed on a $707 million sale of the remaining retail condominium unit owned by Carlyle to affiliates of Vornado Realty Trust. The retail condominium unit that was sold is currently occupied by Hollister (an Abercrombie & Fitch brand), Uniqlo and Swatch.

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The Firm recently represented Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as initial purchasers, in connection with a US$300 million international offering of 5.125% Senior Notes due 2022 by CFR Pharmaceuticals S.A. and certain of its subsidiaries. The offering was made to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. The net proceeds from the offering is expected to finance part of the purchase price for CFR’s acquisition of Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S.

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Shearman & Sterling is advising long-time client Bunge Limited in connection with the sale of its Brazilian fertilizer business, including blending facilities, brands and warehouses, for $750 million in cash to Yara International ASA.

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Adding another large capital markets transaction for leading Chilean retailer Cencosud S.A., Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has advised the company in its sale of $1 billion in 10-year bonds – the offering was increased by $200 million due to strong investor demand.

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The firm is representing TD Bank Group in connection with its announced acquisition of Epoch Holding Corporation for $28.00 per share in cash. The transaction is valued at approximately $668 million. Epoch Holding’s subsidiary, Epoch Investment Partners, Inc., provides investment management and investment advisory services to institutional, sub-advisory and high net worth clients. With the acquisition of Epoch, TD expects to add approximately $24 billion in assets under management to the $207 billion already under management by TD Asset Management. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2013, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Simpson Thacher represented JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as administrative agent in connection with a $1.75 billion multi-currency revolving credit facility for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The facility includes sub-tranches in Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling, Australian Dollars, Yen and Mexican Pesos which are available to be drawn by certain subsidiaries of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

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A Weil team led by New York M&A partner Michael Aiello advised the special committee of McMoRan Exploration Co.’s board of directors in the company’s $3.4 billion sale to Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX), a leading international mining company. McMoRan is an independent public company engaged in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Upon closing, McMoRan shareholders will receive a distribution of units of a royalty trust that holds a five percent overriding royalty interest on future production in McMoRan’s existing ultra-deep properties.

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Kramer Levin represented certain noteholders in connection with a private exchange of approximately $1.6 billion in various classes of outstanding Energy Future Holdings unsecured notes for approximately $1.15 billion of new unsecured notes issued by EFH’s subsidiary, Energy Future Intermediate Holdings, in a transaction which closed Wednesday, December 5.

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