Pillsbury today announced that Henry Liu, a long-time U.S. and Chinese-qualified corporate and finance lawyer, has joined the firm’s Finance practice. Liu, who was formerly a partner in DLA Piper’s Corporate & Finance practice, will primarily work in Pillsbury’s New York office and will spend a significant portion of his time in the firm’s Shanghai office. Starting today, he will also serve as leader of Pillsbury’s Financial Institutions & Infrastructure Teams for Greater China and Asia.

Shearman & Sterling represented the syndicate of banks underwriting the 3.66 billion reais (US$1.95 billion) initial public offering of equity securities by Banco BTG Pactual, the Brazilian investment bank. The offering was the biggest initial public offering for an investment bank in two years and one of the largest IPO’s globally in 2012, as well as the largest Brazilian financial institution IPO since the 2009 IPO of Banco Santander (Brasil), to which Shearman & Sterling also served as underwriters’ counsel.

As part of Kaye Scholer’s strategy to develop a comprehensive, multidisciplinary Energy & Infrastructure industry group, the firm has just brought on Energy & Infrastructure Partner Joel Moser.

Davis Polk is advising Goldman Sachs Bank USA as lead arranger, bookrunner and syndication agent for $3.8 billion of financing in connection with Hologic’s acquisition of Gen-Probe Incorporated. The financing consists of $3 billion senior secured term loan facilities, a $300 million revolving facility and a $500 million senior unsecured bridge facility.

Two attorneys have come aboard the private equity practice of Goodwin Proctor’s New York office.

In further support of its client-driven business focus, national law firm LeClairRyan has expanded its corporate, litigation and commercial real estate practices with the addition of eight attorneys and two staff members to its New York City office.

Goodwin Procter, a national Am Law 50 firm, today announced that Ilan S. Nissan and Christian C. Nugent have joined the firm’s Private Equity Practice as partners in its New York office.  They will focus on advising private equity funds, hedge funds, alternative asset managers and their portfolio companies on a wide variety of transactions, including leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, growth equity financings, strategic investments, restructurings and dispositions.

Covington & Burling LLP is pleased to announce that capital markets lawyers Don Murray and Eric Blanchard will join the firm’s corporate practice as partners effective May 1st. They will be resident in the firm’s New York office.

Leading global law firm Linklaters announced that Gordon Warnke and Joseph Pari have joined the firm’s U.S. tax practice as partners effective today. Gordon will be head of the New York tax practice. Additionally, Francisco Duque, a U.S. tax associate at Linklaters, has been appointed to counsel.

Sullivan & Worcester LLP is pleased to announce that Gerry Silver has joined the Litigation Group as a partner in the New York office. Mr. Silver’s deep experience in software, privacy, cloud computing, internet and IT outsourcing disputes will augment the firm’s significant financial services-related litigation capabilities.