Holland & Knight today announced that Ken Lowenstein has joined the firm’s Real Estate Section as a partner in the New York office. His practice will focus on New York City zoning and tax incentives work. He has experience in all aspects of site development, including zoning changes, special permits, variances, landmark proceedings, air rights transfers, tax abatements and incentives.

Davis Polk advised Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC as joint book-running managers on an SEC-registered offering by Masco Corporation of $400 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.95% notes due 2022.

Perkins Coie announced today that Keith Miller has joined the firm as Partner in the Investigations & White Collar Defense practice in New York and will serve as Head of the Securities and Exchange Commission Enforcement practice. He joins the firm from Paul Hastings and is a former SEC enforcement attorney.

Sprouts Farmers Market (“Sprouts”) and Sunflower Farmers Market (“Sunflower”), two independent natural food store chains, announced today the execution of a definitive agreement to merge.  The combined company will operate 139 stores under the Sprouts Farmers Market name and will have approximately 10,000 employees. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012.

Davis Polk advised Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Barclays Capital Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as joint book-running managers on an SEC-registered offering by Range Resources Corporation of $600 million principal amount of its 5% senior subordinated notes due 2022. The notes were guaranteed on a senior subordinated basis by the subsidiaries of Range Resources.

Davis Polk is advising the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) in connection with its $6 billion offering of its American International Group (AIG) common stock. Davis Polk is also advising Treasury in connection with its agreements with AIG that provide for the repayment of the government’s remaining $8.5 billion preferred equity investment in the AIG-owned entity AIA Aurora LLC, a special-purpose vehicle that holds ordinary shares in AIA Group Limited.

The Firm represented Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as joint book-running managers in connection with a public offering by UnitedHealth Group Incorporated of $600 million aggregate principal amount of 2.875% Notes due 2022 and $400 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% Notes due 2042.  The offering closed on March 8, 2012.

Phillips Nizer is pleased to announce that Eric Fishman has joined the firm’s Corporate & Business Law Department and Technology Practice as a partner.  Mr. Fishman will continue his practice in general business and telecommunications law, encompassing licensing for domestic and international telecommunications companies, regulatory compliance, and transactional work for telephone, satellite, submarine, cable, wireless and internet companies.

Davis Polk advised J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters on an SEC-registered offering by Wyndham Worldwide Corporation of $300 million principal amount of its 2.95% senior unsecured notes due 2017 and $500 million principal amount of its 4.25% senior unsecured notes due 2022.

Davis Polk advised the underwriters in connection with an initial public offering of 8,222,500 shares of common stock of Yelp Inc. (including 1,072,500 shares in respect of the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares) at $15.00 per share for gross proceeds of $123.3 million. Of those shares, Yelp sold 8,172,500 shares and the selling stockholder sold 50,000 shares. Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as the lead book-running manager; Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Jefferies & Company, Inc. acted as joint book-running managers; and Allen & Company LLC and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. acted as co-managers for the offering. Yelp’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “YELP.”