Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that Joshua Berick has joined the firm’s Corporate and Securities group as a partner in its New York office. Mr. Berick’s M & A practice has involved a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, including leveraged acquisitions, divestitures, stock and asset purchases, private equity and venture capital investments, strategic alliances, joint ventures, equity offerings and general corporate, securities and commercial law matters.

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Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Royal Bank of Canada and UBS Securities LLC, as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, in connection with the financing for the completion of First Reserve’s acquisition of Ameriforge Group Inc., a manufacturer of forged products. The financing consisted of over $600 million in senior secured first lien and second lien credit facilities.

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On February 4, Willkie client Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska entered into a reinsurance transaction with Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (a subsidiary of Cigna Corporation (Cigna)), pursuant to which Berkshire Hathaway reinsured $4 billion of guaranteed minimum death benefit (GMDB) and guaranteed minimum income benefit (GMIB) exposure of Cigna. The GMDB and GMIB exposures arise out of deferred annuities issued by other U.S. insurance companies and reinsured by Cigna.

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International law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP, led by Global Securities partners Rod Miller and Paul Denaro, acted as counsel to the initial purchasers, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Canada and Deutsche Bank, in the issuance of $450 million 7% Senior Notes due 2021. The proceeds of the notes, together with a new $835 million credit facility and an equity contribution, were used to finance Bain Capital’s $1.55 billion acquisition of Apex Tool Group.

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Alejandro García Villalpando has joined Akerman Senterfitt as a shareholder in the firm’s Taxation Practice Group in New York where he will focus on domestic and international tax and corporate matters. His work for U.S. and foreign clients will largely intersect with Akerman’s Latin American & Caribbean Practice, with an emphasis on the tax aspects of cross-border transactions.

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Paul Hastings, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented Equinox, an operator of full-service, upscale sports and fitness clubs, in an $800 million refinancing.

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Cole Schotz is proud to announce that David Hurst has joined the firm as a member in the Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring practice. David will be resident in both the firm’s New York City and Wilmington, Delaware offices. David has represented numerous public and private companies in out-of-court restructurings, “prepackaged” bankruptcies and traditional chapter 11 cases. He has also represented creditor committees, lenders, secured and unsecured creditors and asset purchasers in a wide variety of bankruptcy and restructuring matters.

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The Firm recently represented J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representative of the several initial purchasers, in a $225 million offering of 6.0% Senior Notes due 2020 by Antero Resources Finance Corporation. The offering of notes was made to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The notes were issued under the issuer’s existing indenture pursuant to which $300 million aggregate principal amount of 6.0% Senior Notes due 2020 were issued in November 2012.

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Simpson Thacher represented KKR in connection with the issuance of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.500% Senior Notes due 2043 by KKR Group Finance Co. II LLC, an indirect finance subsidiary of KKR & Co. L.P. KKR intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes.

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Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Arthur Long has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner. Previously a partner with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Long will continue his law practice focusing on the regulation of banks and other financial institutions.

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