The firm is representing New Mountain Capital in connection with its affiliate’s  definitive agreement to partner with the management of AmWINS Group, Inc. in a recapitalization valued at approximately $1.3 billion.  The transaction was announced on April 16, 2012.  Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., AmWINS is a leading specialty insurance broker placing over $7 billion of premiums through its relationships with more than 16,000 retail brokerage firms and more than 1,000 insurance carriers.~~~~The Simpson Thacher team working on this deal includes:  Peter Gordon, Jeremy Saks, Jim Cross, Yue Zhang, Darwon Choe and Eric Risi (M&A); Tom Bell and Catherine Kidd (Funds); Alden Millard and Andrew Veit (Credit); Gregory Grogan and Jennifer Pepin (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); John Creed, Noah Beck and Devin Heckman (Tax);  Steven DeLott (Insurance); and Michael Naughton and Kenneth Ehrhard (Antitrust).