Weil Advises Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley on $2.9 Billion Bridge Financing for Verisk Analytics

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

A Weil team led by New York partners Morgan Bale and Jennifer Bensch advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley as providers of $2.9 billion committed bridge financing for Verisk Analytics, Inc., a U.S.-based provider of risk assessment and data analytics services, in connection with its £1.85 billion (approximately $2.8 billion) acquisition of Wood Mackenzie, a U.K.-based energy, metals and mining research and consultancy group. More >>

Tags:  Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP | London | Washington

Shearman & Sterling Advises Jaguar Land Rover on Its $500 Million Fixed Rate High Yield Bond Offering

Friday, March 6, 2015

Shearman & Sterling represented Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc (“Jaguar Land Rover”) on its offering of $500 million fixed rate high yield bonds due 2020. Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc, an indirectly-owned subsidiary of Indian-owned Tata Motors Limited (India), bought luxury carmakers Jaguar Land Rover Limited and Land Rover in 2008. More >>

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Kirkland & Ellis Represents Madison Dearborn, Ikaria in $2.3B Sale to Mallinckrodt

Friday, March 6, 2015

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represented Madison Dearborn Partners and Ikaria, Inc., a privately held critical care company, which today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with Mallinckrodt plc under which a subsidiary of Mallinckrodt will acquire Ikaria from a Madison Dearborn-led investor group in a transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion. Mallinckrodt (NYSE: MNK), is a leading global specialty biopharmaceutical company. Subject to customary closing conditions, the parties expect the transaction to be completed early in the second calendar quarter of 2015.  More >>

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Willkie Advises GFI Group in $778 million Sale to BGC Partners

Monday, March 2, 2015

GFI Group Inc. and BGC Partners, Inc. announced on February 27 the successful completion of BGC’s tender offer for GFI shares. Willkie advised GFI Group in an agreement announced earlier this month with BGC Partners under which GFI’s board of directors unanimously agreed to support BGC’s tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of GFI common stock at $6.10 per share in cash. The deal is estimated to be valued at approximately $778 million. The agreement brings to a close a long, protracted takeover battle that began last summer. More >>

Tags:  Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | London | New York | Washington

Paul Hastings Continues White Collar Expansion with Addition of High-Profile Washington, D.C. Partner Group

Monday, February 23, 2015

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that white collar defense lawyers Robert Luskin, Kwame Manley, and John S.(Jay) Darden, will be joining the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice within the Litigation practice as partners in the Washington, D.C. office. The team, known for its high-profile representations for global clients, was previously with Squire Patton Boggs.

Also joining with the team is highly regarded white collar defense lawyer Jamie Gardner, formerly Trial Chief for the Washington (DC) Public Defenders Service and a faculty member at Harvard Law School. More >>

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Nationally Recognized Political Lawyer Joins Akerman’s Washington DC Office

Monday, February 23, 2015

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced it has expanded its Washington, D.C., office with nationally recognized political lawyer, Brett Kappel. A leading authority on campaign finance, lobbying and government ethics laws, Kappel has deep, bipartisan experience with political law on the local, state and federal levels. Kappel joins Akerman as a partner in the Government Affairs & Public Policy Practice Group. More >>

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Sidley Continues to Grow Energy and M&A Practices, Adds Three New Partners in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Sidley Austin LLP announced a further expansion of its Energy and M&A practices with the addition of partners Karen A. Dewis, Kenneth W. Irvin and Daryl L. Rice in Washington, D.C. Mr. Irvin’s and Mr. Rice’s practices involve a broad cross-section of energy and commodities transactions, including energy trading and marketing, hedging and derivatives transactions, as well as the representation of clients in regulatory and investigation matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Ms. Dewis represents public and private clients in connection with complex M&A, joint venture, spin-off and other strategic transactions, with a particular focus on the energy/commodities, financial services and general industrial sectors. She also advises clients on capital raising transactions, corporate governance, conflict of interest, disclosure and related matters. More >>

Tags:  Sidley Austin LLP | Washington