Davis Polk is advising Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. (Wanda) on its approximately $2.6 billion acquisition of AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC). As part of the transaction, Wanda intends to invest up to an additional $500 million in AMC over time to fund AMC’s strategic and operating initiatives. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and U.S. and Chinese regulatory approvals.

More >>

Morrison & Foerster is pleased to announce that Domnick Bozzetti, a highly experienced executive compensation and employee benefits partner, has joined the Tax Department in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Bozzetti’s capabilities expand the firm’s ability to advise clients on the federal tax aspects of executive compensation and employee benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Bozzetti also has extensive experience counseling public companies on other executive compensation issues, including disclosure issues in annual proxy statements and other filings.

More >>

The Haynes and Boone, LLP New York office has expanded its intellectual property litigation capabilities with the addition of two experienced partners, John Hintz and Richard D. Rochford.

More >>

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented Cequel Data Centers, a data center operating company managed by an affiliate of Cequel III and owned by Cequel III and a consortium of private equity firms, in acquiring TierPoint, LLC, a leading provider of collocation, managed I.T. and cloud computing services in the Pacific Northwest.

More >>

Shearman & Sterling advised Jefferies Finance LLC as sole lead arranger, administrative agent and syndication agent in connection with a $300 million first lien senior secured term facility for Emerald Performance Materials, LLC. Additionally, a complex triple-layer intercreditor structure was negotiated among the first and second lien term loan secured parties as well as with the secured parties under a separate new asset-based revolving credit facility.

More >>

The Firm is representing an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII in connection with its proposed acquisition of Accor’s United States Economy Hotels Division for $1.9 billion. The division, which includes Motel 6 and Studio 6, an extended-stay economy chain, currently has more than 1,100 locations with more than 105,000 rooms in the United States and Canada and is the largest owned and operated hotel chain in North America. Accor is a leading hotel operator based in France with a presence in 92 countries. The transaction is expected to close in October 2012, subject to Accor’s unwinding of leases and customary closing conditions.

More >>

Duane Morris LLP announced today that it is adding 16 Dewey & LeBoeuf lawyers to the firm, with extensive experience in areas such as corporate, insurance regulatory, energy, trial, antitrust, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, tax and employee benefits law. The lawyers will join Duane Morris in the New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. offices. The combination builds on Duane Morris’ broad national insurance, energy and technology practices, offering clients an expanded array of services.

More >>

Proskauer announced today that Ralph C. Ferrara, one of the nation’s foremost securities and corporate governance lawyers, will join the firm together with his highly regarded colleagues, Partners Ann M. Ashton, Jonathan E. Richman and Tanya J. Dmitronow. All come from Dewey & LeBoeuf, where Mr. Ferrara was the firm’s Vice Chair, and Mr. Richman and Ms. Ashton served as co-heads of its Securities, M&A and Corporate Governance Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Ferrara and Ms. Ashton join the firm’s Washington, DC office, and Mr. Richman and Ms. Dmitronow join its New York office.

More >>

International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP represented AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC), a preeminent US movie exhibitor, in an agreement to be acquired by Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. (Wanda), a leading Chinese private conglomerate and China’s largest investor in cultural and entertainment activities, in a transaction valued at approximately $2.6 billion.

More >>

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is pleased to announce that Kelli L. Moll has joined the firm as a partner and will lead Akin Gump’s well-respected hedge fund practice in New York. Previously, she was a partner in the New York office of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP.

More >>