Apollo Global Management, Inc. (together with certain of its affiliates, Apollo) and Athene Holding Ltd., a leading retirement services company, have entered into a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction, creating a combined company valued at US$29 billion. The transaction is expected to close in January of 2022. Latham & Watkins LLP represents the special committee of Athene’s board in the transaction with an M&A deal team led by New York partners Peter Harwich and Robert Katz, New York/Orange County partner Charles Ruck, and Chicago partner Max Schleusener, with Chicago associate Megan Staub, New York associates Karen Song and Sophia Choi, and Orange County associate Peter Bassine. Advice was provided by New York litigation partners James Brandt and Christopher Harris, with Orange County counsel Kristin Murphy and New York associate Sara Brown. Advice was also provided on tax matters by Washington, D.C. partner Andrea Ramezan-Jackson, with Washington, D.C. associate Pierce Pandolph; on benefits and compensation matters by New York partner Jennifer Pepin, with New York associate Brian DeShannon; on antitrust matters by Washington, D.C. partner Alan Devlin and Washington, D.C. counsel Peter Todaro; and on securities law matters by Washington, D.C. partners Joel Trotter and Alex Cohen.~~