Covington & Burling is advising Microsoft Corp. in its purchase of substantially all of Nokia’s devices & services business. Under the transaction, Microsoft will also license Nokia’s patents, and license and use Nokia’s mapping services. The total transaction price is EUR 5.44 billion in cash — or more than $7 billion.

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With a focus on the ever-changing needs of our clients’ workplaces, Nixon Peabody has further strengthened its labor and employment practice with the arrival of new partner Karen D. Ng, a nationally recognized leader in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Ms. Ng joins Nixon Peabody’s San Francisco office from Sedgwick LLP, where she led the employee benefits practice.

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Arent Fox LLP is pleased to announce the expansion of both its nationally recognized Real Estate practice and its new San Francisco office with the addition of real estate transactions partner M.J. Pritchett. Mr. Pritchett joins Arent Fox less than a month after the addition of three Intellectual Property and Health Care attorneys to its Northern California office. He will focus his practice on real estate transactions involving acquisition, disposition, development, and leasing; secured lending and troubled debt resolution; and public finance and securitization.

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The International law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, has added shareholder R. Bruce Steinert, Jr. in the Corporate & Securities practice group. He will reside in the firm’s San Francisco office.

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Highly-regarded securities litigation and enforcement lawyer, Michael Charlson, who handles the full spectrum of securities work for pharmaceutical, technology and financial services clients, has joined Vinson & Elkins LLP in San Francisco.

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We are pleased to announce that Laurie Gustafson has joined Sedgwick’s Real Estate and Finance practice as a partner in the San Francisco office. Gustafson’s practice focuses on commercial real estate, including real property acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, financing, construction, development and management.  She has experience leading complex multistate and international real estate and finance transactions, including office, retail, restaurant, shopping centers, industrial, rural, infrastructure and mixed-use projects. Most recently, she has established expertise in dissolving redevelopment agencies, and she represents the Oversight Board for the City of Oakland.

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Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that Andrew D. Thorpe has joined the firm as a partner in its Capital Markets Group, resident in San Francisco.  Mr. Thorpe served for almost six years at the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including serving as Special Counsel in the Office of Rulemaking within the Division of Corporation Finance, and was most recently a partner with Morrison & Foerster.

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Arent Fox LLP is pleased to announce the addition of intellectual property litigation partner Arthur S. Beeman, counsel Joel T. Muchmore, and health care administrative law counsel Steven V. Schnier to its new San Francisco office and its nationally recognized Intellectual Property, Complex Litigation, and Health Care practices.

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Arent Fox LLP is pleased to announce the addition of intellectual property litigation partner Arthur S. Beeman, counsel Joel T. Muchmore, and health care administrative law counsel Steven V. Schnier to its new San Francisco office and its nationally recognized Intellectual Property, Complex Litigation, and Health Care practices.

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Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that Peter Obstler has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a partner in the Litigation, Financial Services, and Securities and Enforcement practices. Also joining the firm with Mr. Obstler as counsel are Jee Young You and Marjory Gentry.

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