Legg Mason Equity Units Offering
5/12/2008
Davis Polk & Wardwell advised Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. as joint book-running managers and Banc of America Securities LLC, BNY Capital Markets, LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., as bookrunners on a $1 billion registered public offering by Legg Mason, Inc. of equity units, each equity unit consisting of (i) a purchase contract to purchase shares of Legg Mason common stock and (ii) a 5% undivided beneficial ownership interest in $1,000 principal amount of Legg Mason’s 5.60% senior notes due June 30, 2021. The proceeds of this offering will be used by Legg Mason for general corporate purposes.
Legg Mason is a global asset management company that provides investment management and related services to institutional and individual clients, company-sponsored mutual funds and other investment vehicles. The company offers these products and services directly and through various financial intermediaries. Legg Mason’s business is divided into three divisions: Managed Investments; Institutional; and Wealth Management. Within each of these divisions, the company provides its services through a number of asset managers, each of which is an individual business that generally markets its products and services under its own brand name. The predecessor companies to Legg Mason Inc. trace back to Legg & Co., a Maryland-based broker-dealer formed in 1899.
The Davis Polk corporate team included partner Keith L. Kearney and associates Jane Lindabury and Kenneth Piercy. The Davis Polk equity derivatives team included partners Ray Ibrahim and Mark M. Mendez and associates Alina Fulop and Derek Dostal. Partner Lucy W. Farr and associate Matthew Kohley (not yet admitted) provided tax advice. Elizabeth Rollings was the legal assistant on the transaction. All members of the Davis Polk team work in the New York office.