Davis Polk is advising Shire plc in connection with its approximately $4.2 billion acquisition of ViroPharma Incorporated. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding ViroPharma shares and the receipt of regulatory clearances. Pending antitrust authority clearances, it is anticipated that the transaction will close in the last quarter of 2013, the first quarter of 2014 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Shire is a leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. ViroPharma is an Exton, Pennsylvania-based international biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing novel solutions for physician specialists to address unmet medical needs of patients living with diseases that have few if any clinical therapeutic options.

The Davis Polk corporate team includes partners George R. Bason Jr. and William J. Chudd and associates Brian Wolfe and Daniel R. Marx. Partner Kyoko Takahashi Lin and associate Andrew Blau are providing executive compensation advice. Associate Pritesh P. Shah is providing intellectual property advice. Partner Michael Mollerus is providing tax advice. Partner Joel M. Cohen and counsel Michael N. Sohn are providing antitrust and competition advice. Members of the Davis Polk team are based in the New York and Washington DC offices.