Slaughter and May, working as a team with Cleary, Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, advised Abbey National Treasury Services plc in relation to the issue of US$2.5 billion Notes under its SEC Registered US Shelf Facility.
 
The issue, announced on 10 March 2014, is made up of US$1.1 billion 1.375% Fixed Rate Senior Notes due 2017, US$400 million Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2017 and US$1 billion 4.000% Fixed Rate Senior Notes due 2024.

Simpson Thacher represented JPMorgan, as administrative agent, in connection with $800 million of credit facilities for borrowers Dealertrack Technologies, Inc. (“Dealertrack”) and Dealertrack Canada, Inc.  The credit facilities consisted of a $575 million term loan B facility and a $225 million revolving credit facility.  The proceeds of the term loan B facility were used in part to finance the cash consideration for the acquisition of Dealer Dot Com, Inc.

A Weil team, led by New York partners Morgan Bale and Matthew Bloch, advised Morgan Stanley in connection with providing $1.9 billion of committed bridge financing (and related matters) backing UIL Holdings Corporation’s acquisition of Philadelphia Gas Works, the nation’s largest municipally-owned natural gas utility, from the City of Philadelphia for $1.86 billion. The acquisition is subject to approval by the Philadelphia City Council and state regulators and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015.

Davis Polk advised Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co. as joint book-running managers on an SEC-registered offering of $750 million aggregate principal amount of 5.150% senior notes due 2034 and $750 million aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior notes due 2044 of CF Industries, Inc. The notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by CF Industries Holdings, Inc., the parent company of CF Industries, Inc.  

Davis Polk advised the underwriters on the registered offering of €600 million aggregate principal amount of 1.5% notes due 2020 by Praxair, Inc. Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch and HSBC Bank plc acted as joint book-running managers for the offering. 

Davis Polk advised Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Barclays Capital Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as joint book-running managers on a Rule 144A offering by Encore Capital Group, Inc. of $161 million aggregate principal amount of its 2.875% convertible senior notes due 2021, which included $21 million aggregate principal amount sold pursuant to the initial purchasers’ fully exercised option to purchase additional notes. 

Davis Polk advised underwriters represented by Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated in connection with the offering of $4.1 billion aggregate principal amount of notes issued by McKesson Corporation. The notes were offered in five tranches maturing in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2024 and 2044. 

Davis Polk advised J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as underwriter in connection with a $591.8 million SEC-registered secondary offering of 18,781,147 shares of Vantiv, Inc.'s Class A common stock by certain funds managed by Advent International Corporation. The Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "VNTV."

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Vantiv is a leading, integrated payment processor differentiated by a single, proprietary technology platform. 

Davis Polk advised J.P. Morgan Securities plc, BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch International and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc as joint bookrunners in connection with an SEC-registered offering of €300 million of 2.375% senior notes due 2022 by Discovery Communications, LLC. The senior notes are guaranteed by the issuer’s indirect parent company, Discovery Communications, Inc.

The Manchester office of Addleshaw Goddard advised Zeus Capital in its role as nominated adviser and broker to the IPO of boohoo.com plc on AIM, which became effective today.

The IPO gave Boohoo a market capitalisation of £560m before trading commenced and raised £240m for boohoo's shareholders and £46m for the company.

The Addleshaw Goddard team was led by corporate finance partner Roger Hart and included legal director Shelley McGivern.