Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Wolf Block Schorr & Solis

WolfBlock Adds Brian J. Preski, Chief of Staff to Former PA House Speaker Perzel
WolfBlock is pleased to announce that Brian J. Preski, who served as Chief of Staff to former Pennsylvania House Speaker John M. Perzel, has joined the firm as a partner in the Business Litigation Practice Group, resident in the Philadelphia office.

Preski has a long history of state government service. Prior to his tenure as Chief of Staff to Representative Perzel, he was the Chief Clerk to the House of Representatives, Chief of Staff to the Office of the Majority Leader and Chief Counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary. Preski began his legal career in Philadelphia, where he served in the District Attorney's Office in several roles.

"We are thrilled to add Brian to our team of experienced litigation and government relations lawyers," said Mark L. Alderman, chairman of WolfBlock. "With his first-hand experience of government and legislative process, combined with his legal savvy from his service in the District Attorney's Office, he will be a significant asset to our clients."

"Starting as an assistant district attorney and continuing as Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Brian has served the citizens of this Commonwealth well," said Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell. "Indeed, he continues to serve the Commonwealth as my appointment to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. I look forward to working with him in the future."

Preski is an active member of the Philadelphia business community, serving as chair of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, vice president of the board of directors of the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council and a former vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Criminal Rules Procedural Committee. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of St. Hubert's High School for Girls, Evangelical Services for the Aging, Nazareth Hospital/Mercy Health Systems, Drexel University Medical College and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.

"WolfBlock has a well-established and well-known government relations practice," said Preski. "This is a perfect environment for me to grow professionally at this juncture in my career, and I look forward to providing value-added service to an already great team of government relations lawyers and lobbyists."

Preski received his J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 1992 and his B.A. in 1987 from St. Joseph's University. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit.

02-01-2007

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Wolf Block Schorr & Solis

WolfBlock Expands Health Law Practice With Addition of Former Hospital GC
WolfBlock is pleased to announce that Kevin M. Lastorino has joined the firm as a partner in the Health Law Practice Group and will be resident in the firm's Roseland, NJ, office.

Lastorino focuses his practice on transactions, corporate organization and governance and regulatory compliance for health care clients operating in New Jersey, New York and across the United States. He provides clients with a unique perspective on the blend of business and legal issues in the health care industry gained through his experience as a lawyer, hospital executive and health care practitioner.

As a health care lawyer, Lastorino has represented individuals and entities in many types of business transactions, both simple and complex, and he has provided legal opinions, guidance and compliance strategies with respect to many areas of federal and state health care law. As the former vice president and general counsel of Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, he has first-hand experience in reconciling business needs and realities with regulatory requirements and assumptions. Lastorino began his career in health care as a dentist engaged in hospital-based and private practice as well as in classroom and clinical instruction.

"We are thrilled to add someone with Kevin's in-depth experience in hospital and health law," said John D. Fanburg, managing partner of WolfBlock's Roseland office and chair of the firm's Health Law Practice Group. "By applying his experience as a health care practitioner, lawyer and hospital executive, Kevin will be a tremendous asset to our health care clients in helping them resolve the disparity between their business needs and regulatory requirements."

Lastorino is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York, the District of Columbia and Massachusetts. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1991, his D.D.S., with high honors, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1987, and his B.S., summa cum laude, from Syracuse University in 1983.

02-01-2007

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Wolf Block Schorr & Solis

WolfBlock Partner To Serve as Co-Vice Chair of Employment Services Practice
WolfBlock is pleased to announce that John A. Nixon has been appointed as Co-Vice Chair of the firm's Employment Services Practice Group, effective February 1.

Nixon will join Jonathan A. Segal, who currently serves as Vice-Chair of WolfBlock's Employment Services Practice Group, and James R. Redeker, who is the Chair of the Group, in providing leadership to the more than 30 attorneys in the firm's employment services team.

Nixon focuses his practice on the design and implementation of executive compensation, pension and retirement programs. He advises employers, executives, plan sponsors and ERISA providers on a variety of issues and is a frequent lecturer, commentator and author on executive compensation and employee benefit issues. He is adding strength to an already strong group of eight benefits law professionals led by Warren Fusfeld.

"John has an established and exceptional public presence and reputation in the employment law and employee benefits communities – a presence and reputation that we anticipate will help him to expand his practice at WolfBlock and that will be of significant benefit to our firm and our employment law and employee benefits practices," said Redeker. "He is joining an already superlative group of employee benefits and employment/labor lawyers, and we are excited to have him assume this leadership position within our Group."

Nixon currently serves on the national Advisory Panel on Employee Benefits for the American Law Institute-American Bar Association Program Committee and is a former vice president of the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan Law School (J.D.) and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School (B.S.).

02-01-2007

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Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, L.L.P.

WilmerHale Secures Patent Infringement Victory for Broadcom
WilmerHale successfully defended Broadcom Corporation in a three-week patent infringement trial in San Diego, which had major implications for keeping the mobile multi-media and high-definition video markets open to continued innovation and competition.

Plaintiff Qualcomm Incorporated accused Broadcom of infringing two patents, both of which relate to video compression technology. All of Broadcom’s semi-conductor chips that implement the international “H.264” video compression standard were accused of infringement, including the Broadcom video chip in the Apple Video iPod. Broadcom asserted affirmative defenses of patent invalidity, inequitable conduct by Qualcomm before the US Patent and Trademark Office, and waiver as a result of Qualcomm’s conduct relating to the standard-setting organization that developed the H.264 standard.

After approximately six hours of deliberations, the jury returned a verdict of non-infringement on all asserted claims of the two Qualcomm patents, which the jury found were valid. The jury also delivered advisory verdicts finding that one patent was unenforceable as a result of inequitable conduct, and that Qualcomm had waived its rights to enforce both patents because of its conduct in connection with the development of the H.264 standard.

WilmerHale’s trial team was led by William Lee, Jack Regan, Donald Steinberg, and Vinita Ferrera, with the assistance of Juliana Mirabilio, Louis Tompros, Kate Saxton, Timothy Jezek, Carrie Seares, Jennifer Doig, Katharine Valente, Timothy Lyons, Caitlin Swanson, and Deborah Maw. Credit is also owed to the rest of the team that helped prepare the case for trial, including James Quarles, Mark Selwyn, Alicia Hunt, Will Crossley, and Teneshia Lewis.

02-01-2007

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Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, LLP

Paris Office Assists Provimi and Provimlux in $752.2 Million Sale of Majority Stake
Willkie client Provimi SA announced that its majority shareholder Provimlux Investments SA (also represented by Willkie) has entered into a sale purchase agreement with Nutrilux S.à.r.l., a company indirectly controlled by funds advised or managed by Permira Advisers LLP, to sell its nearly 75% stake for $752.2 million. The agreement calls for the sale of 19,323,016 shares of Provimi SA at €30 per share plus assumption of the vendor's costs. Provimlux Investments SA, a company incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg and controlled by funds advised or managed by PAI partners and CVC Capital Partners, owns 74.05 % of the share capital and 74.47 % of the voting rights of Provimi SA. With about 9,000 employees and 100 production centers in about 30 countries, Provimi Group is a leading manufacturer in the field of animal nutrition. The transaction was handled by partner Laurent Faugérolas, special European counsel David Tayar, and associate Jeremy Scemama.

02-01-2007

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Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, LLP

Mario Schmidt Joins the Firm in Frankfurt
Willkie is pleased to announce that on February 1, 2007 Mario Schmidt joined the firm as a partner in the Frankfurt office. Mr. Schmidt, formerly a partner at Clifford Chance, is recognized as a leading Private Equity expert in Europe. He joins Jochen Winter in Frankfurt, and will help form the core of a formidable transactional team.

02-01-2007

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Thompson Hine LLP

Corporate Counsel Rank Firm As Delivering Superior Value
A recent national survey of in-house counsel reveals that Thompson Hine is one of only eight law firms that deliver the best value for the dollar. The independent annual survey is conducted by The BTI Consulting Group (Boston, MA).

“Outside legal costs is one of the top issues facing corporate counsel ” explains Michael B. Rynowecer, President and founder of BTI. “Thompson Hine is one of a handful of firms that prove they deliver superior value. This is critical for General Counsel, who manage enormous legal budgets and need to demonstrate to their shareholders the added value being delivered by the law firms they use."

"We are proud to be recognized as excelling in this category," comments David J. Hooker, Managing Partner of Thompson Hine LLP. "We strive to meet and exceed our clients' expectations every day. Delivering exceptional service and value to our clients is a core value of the firm."

BTI conducted more than 250 independent, individual interviews with corporate counsel at Fortune 1000 companies and large organizations. These clients identified 17 key activities that drive client service and ranked their law firms in each of them – including the ability to deliver value for the dollar – in an unprompted manner. The complete list of these activities are available in BTI’s new study, The Survey of Client Service Performance for Law Firms: The BTI Client Service A-Team.

02-01-2007

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