International law firm McDermott Will & Emery today announced that Perry Sayles, a leading structured finance attorney, has joined the Firm’s New York office as a partner in its Financial Institutions Advisory Practice Group. Mr. Sayles was formerly a partner in the New York office of another international law firm and spent considerable time in that firm’s London and Hong Kong offices.

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Justin B. Kleinman has joined McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA) as a partner in the real estate and finance practice in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Kleinman’s practice is focused on acquisitions, dispositions, mortgage and mezzanine loan financing, joint venture and preferred equity investments, debt restructuring, workouts and distressed transactions.

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Davis Polk advised Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of American Integration Technologies LLC for approximately $74 million in cash (excluding working capital adjustments) and the issuance of 4.5 million shares of Ultra Clean’s common stock. Upon the closing of the acquisition on July 3, 2012, American Integration became a subsidiary of Ultra Clean.

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Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP (“AVH”), one of the country’s leading antitrust, IP and litigation law firms, today announced that Donald W. Hawthorne has joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation and Regulatory Group, and will chair the firm’s practice in the areas of Structured Finance, Derivatives and Mortgage Crisis Litigation.  He will be working from the firm’s New York office. Mr. Hawthorne joins AVH from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

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Shearman & Sterling represented Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner in connection with a $750 million senior secured financing for LSP Madison Funding, LLC collateralized by a portfolio of LS Power power plants located throughout the United States. The proceeds of the financing are used to pay a one-time dividend to LS Power Equity Partners II, L.P., with the remainder to be applied to refinance existing debt and for other general corporate purposes.

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On July 9, long-time client DiamondRock Hospitality Company announced that it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire a portfolio of four hotels from affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners for a contractual purchase price of approximately $495 million. The hotels under contract are the Hilton Boston, the Westin Washington D.C., the Westin San Diego and the Hilton Burlington. DiamondRock intends to fund the acquisition with a combination of borrowings under the company’s senior unsecured credit facility, cash on hand, net proceeds from a public offering and issuance of shares of the company’s common stock to Blackstone. DiamondRock expects to complete the acquisition of the portfolio later this month.

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The Firm recently represented Cengage Learning Acquisitions, Inc. (“Cengage Learning”) in connection with a privately-negotiated debt exchange with certain holders of its outstanding 10.50% Senior Notes due 2015 (the “Existing Notes”), in which Cengage Learning exchanged $710,002,000 aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes for $710,002,000 aggregate principal amount of its newly issued 12% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2019 (the “New Notes”). In connection with such exchange, Cengage Learning also purchased for cash from the same holders $28,719,000 aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes.

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The Firm is representing J.P. Morgan as a lead arranger, the administrative agent and as financial advisor to SBA Communications Corporation (“SBA”) in its acquisition of TowerCo II Holdings LLC. SBA intends to finance the transaction, valued at $1.45 billion, with $1.2 billion in cash and $250 million in SBA Class A common stock. The cash consideration will be paid with cash on hand, proceeds of loans under existing credit facilities and up to $900 million of proceeds under a new credit facility for which J.P. Morgan is acting as a lead arranger and the administrative agent.

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WilmerHale hired Drew G.L. Chapman for a New York legal job, according to a press release.

Hired as a partner, Chapman joins the securities department and the investment management group. He also will head the alternative investment practice.

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Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Alexander Moon is joining the Firm’s global finance practice as a partner in the New York office. Mr. Moon’s practice includes the representation of U.S. and international banks based in Europe and Asia in a range of secured and unsecured financings, with a particular focus on the financing of commodities in domestic and cross-border contexts.

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