Shearman & Sterling is advising IntercontinentalExchange, a leading operator of global over-the-counter (OTC) markets, clearing houses and regulated futures exchanges, on its launch of a new clearing facility for OTC Non-Deliverable Forward Foreign Exchange (FX) contracts. The firm has previously advised ICE on the establishment of ICE Clear Europe and ICE Clear Credit, including the development of credit default swaps (CDS) clearing, as well as on several significant acquisitions and other transactions. ICE now lists over 300 unique CDS contracts for clearing and to date has cleared over $28 trillion in gross notional for U.S. and European index and single name CDS. ICE also provides clearing services for its futures and OTC markets, including the central clearing of more than 1.5 million futures and OTC Energy contracts per day.

On March 19, Zayo Group, LLC and AboveNet, Inc. announced that their boards of directors have approved a definitive agreement under which Zayo will acquire AboveNet for approximately $2.2 billion. Willkie advised AboveNet’s Board of Directors in the transaction, as widely reported in the press. Under the terms of the agreement, each share of AboveNet common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the transaction will be entitled to receive $84.00 per share in cash. The combination is expected to create a leading pure-play bandwidth infrastructure provider.

In a noteworthy addition to its competition and consumer protection practices, Venable LLP announced that Leonard L. Gordon, the Federal Trade Commission’s Northeast Regional Director, has joined the firm as a partner in both in its advertising and marketing and antitrust practices.

Simpson Thacher represented the underwriters, led by Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. in connection with the registered public offering by Regions Financial Corporation of approximately $900 million of common stock.

Davis Polk advised J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters on an SEC-registered add-on offering by Wyndham Worldwide Corporation of $150 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.25% senior unsecured notes due 2022. This was a reopening of an offering of $500 million of such notes issued on March 7, 2012. Davis Polk also advised the joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters on the initial offering of such notes.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher announced that a team of 12 insurance transactional and regulatory lawyers has joined the firm from Dewey & LeBoeuf.

The global law firm Jones Day has announced that Ilene Froom has joined the New York Office as a partner in the Banking & Finance Practice. She joins from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., where she was Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel.

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. announced today that it has formed a joint venture with Hillwood Development Corp. to acquire, develop and manage large warehouses and other industrial properties in the US. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP was counsel to Brookfield Asset Management on the deal.

Davis Polk advised Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Jefferies & Company, Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC as joint book-running managers in connection with a secondary offering of 24,150,000 ordinary shares of Alkermes plc, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of Ireland, held by a subsidiary of Elan Corporation plc for approximately $398.5 million. The ordinary shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “ALKS.”

International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP today announced that John H. Cobb has joined the firm as a partner in its Capital Markets group in its New York office.