King & Wood Mallesons continues global expansion with Singapore office

Thursday, February 5, 2015

King & Wood Mallesons will further strengthen its global capability, and its Asian connections and capability, with its granting of a foreign law practice licence by the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The Singapore practice will have an initial focus on International Funds, Energy and Resources and China inbound and outbound work, providing clients with a different choice of top-tier international legal expertise for cross-border and domestic work in South East Asia, and supporting Singapore-based clients with their outbound investments. More >>

Tags:  King & Wood Mallesons | Singapore

Stuart Pape Joins Polsinelli to Lead National FDA Practice

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Polsinelli welcomes well known FDA attorney Stuart M. Pape to its Washington, D.C. office as a shareholder. With extensive knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and food and drug safety regulatory bodies worldwide, Pape will lead and strategically grow Polsinelli’s FDA Practice. Joining Pape and the FDA group are two highly experienced colleagues: Shareholder Carey B. Nuttall, and Of Counsel Anne D. Spiggle, who together will assist Polsinelli in serving clients with FDA matters. More >>

Tags:  Polsinelli PC | Washington

Guggenheim Securities Acts as Initial Purchaser in $2.6 Billion Dunkin’ Brands Securitization

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Paul, Weiss represented Guggenheim Securities as initial purchaser in connection with Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.’s $2.6 billion whole business securitization of its Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins restaurant chains, which closed January 26. DB Master Finance LLC issued securitization notes, rated BBB by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, which, among other things, enabled the company to refinance its existing debt. More >>

Tags:  New York

Morgan Lewis Advises CRH plc on €6.5bn Asset Acquisition from Lafarge and Holcim

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Global law firm, Morgan Lewis is advising the international building materials group CRH plc (“CRH”) on the global merger control and antitrust issues of its recently announced binding commitment to acquire certain assets from Lafarge S.A. (“Lafarge”) and Holcim Ltd (“Holcim”) for an enterprise value of €6.5bn. The acquisition takes place in the context of the planned merger of Holcim and Lafarge and completion is expected for mid-2015. More >>

Tags:  Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | London

Herbert Smith Freehills advises on US$7 billion first oil and gas project in Ghana

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Herbert Smith Freehills is advising Vitol, a leading energy and commodities company with a turnover of US$307 billion, on its US$7 billion oil and gas project in Ghana with ENI. The development of the pure gas fields contained in the project has been described by the World Bank as a ‘top priority’ for Ghana, as it will underpin the growth of a domestic thermal power sector and accelerate Ghana’s industrial development. More >>

Tags:  Herbert Smith Freehills LLP

Gordon & Rees Continues National Expansion With Birmingham Office

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP has opened a Birmingham, Ala. office, its 33rd U.S. location since the firm was founded 40 years ago. The Birmingham office strengthens the firm’s presence in the Southeastern United States, following Gordon & Rees’s expansion into Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Charleston, and Raleigh. Gordon & Rees’s Birmingham office serves clients in commercial litigation, toxic and mass tort, transportation and trucking, premises, employment, and other legal sectors. More >>

Tags:  Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP | Birmingham

Simpson Thacher Represents Office Depot in Staples Aquisition

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Simpson Thacher is representing Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP) in connection with its proposed sale to Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at an equity value of $6.3 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Office Depot shareholders will receive, for each Office Depot share, $7.25 in cash and 0.2188 of a share in Staples’ stock, representing $11 per share and a premium of 44% to Office Depot’s stock price based on Staples’ closing share price on February 2, 2015, the last trading day prior to the initial media speculation around a possible transaction. The transaction, which is expected to close by the end of calendar year 2015, is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. More >>

Tags:  Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | New York

Staples, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Office Depot, Inc.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Staples, Inc. and Office Depot, Inc. announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Staples will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Office Depot.

Under the terms of the agreement, Office Depot shareholders will receive, for each Office Depot share, $7.25 in cash and 0.2188 of a share in Staples stock at closing. Based on Staples closing share price on February 2, 2015, the last trading day prior to initial media speculation around a possible transaction, the transaction values Office Depot at $11.00 per share. This represents a premium of 44 percent over the closing price of Office Depot shares as of February 2, 2015, and a premium of 65 percent over the 90-day average closing price of Office Depot shares as of February 2, 2015. The transaction values Office Depot at an equity value of $6.3 billion. More >>

Tags:  Boston

Morgan Lewis Advises FMC Corporation in $1.64 Billion Alkali Division Sale to Tronox Ltd.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Morgan Lewis advised leading diversified chemicals manufacturer FMC Corporation in the $1.64 billion sale of its alkali chemicals division to Tronox Ltd. FMC’s alkali chemicals division is the largest global producer of natural soda ash and related products, which are used in glass manufacturing, water treatment, pulp and paper, textiles, food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. More >>

Tags:  Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | Philadelphia