Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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McCarter & English, Attorneys At Law

McCarter & English Government Contracts Group To Host Panel Duscussion On US Export Control Laws
McCarter & English LLP today announces the next seminar in its ongoing educational series. “U.S. Export Control Law and Your Business” will address the conflicts and challenges of international trade law and policy, providing attendees with a thorough understanding of their compliance obligations.

Scheduled for February 1, 2007 at Babson College, the Seminar will offer a primer on understanding the applicability of the laws and regulations – including EAR and ITAR – and licensing requirements, as well as supply a set of best practices for putting together an effective export control compliance program.

01-22-2007

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Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP

K&L Gates Los Angeles Welcomes Former Assistant U.S. Attorney to Firm’s Litigation Practice
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP (K&L Gates) welcomes Fred D. Heather as a partner in the firm’s litigation and white collar/criminal defense practice. Heather comes to K&L Gates from DLA Piper. Prior to his tenure there, Heather was an assistant U.S. Attorney with the Criminal Division of the Central District of Los Angeles.

Heather counsels clients in a variety of complex civil and white collar criminal cases ranging from government contracts and securities fraud to environmental regulation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, copyright, products liability, and antitrust and corporate matters.

Paul W. Sweeney Jr., Administrative Partner for K&L Gates Los Angeles, said: “White collar crime and criminal defense are high-priority areas for our clients in Los Angeles and across the firm. Fred’s experience as a litigator across multiple corporate and regulatory areas is an ideal fit as our practice continues to expand.

01-22-2007

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Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP

Attorney Dafna Hopenstand Joins JMBM
Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP (JMBM), one of California’s foremost full-service law firms, today announced that Dafna Hopenstand has joined the Firm as Associate, bringing with her a strong environmental and land-use background.

"Dafna adds depth to our government and land use practices," said Benjamin Reznik, chair of JMBM’s Land Use & Zoning Group. “Her expertise in environmental law and experience conducting land use due diligence and zoning compliance research helps expand the services we can provide to our clients."

Hopenstand recently advised on many facets of the proposed Paseo Plaza project in Hollywood, including the California Environmental Quality Act review, neighborhood outreach, entitlements, and negotiations with affected parties. A public hearing on the project is scheduled for next month.

"I was attracted to JMBM because of the opportunity to work with a large and experienced government and land use team," Hopenstand said. "I look forward to working with this dynamic team."

Hopenstand's practice will focus on environmental and land use issues. She received her Juris Doctorate in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she served as a contributing writer to the Wisconsin Environmental Law Journal. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley.

01-22-2007

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King & Spalding

King & Spalding Expands Middle East Platform with Addition of Three Lawyers in Dubai
King & Spalding, a leading international law firm, announced today that it has added three lawyers to its new Dubai office as part of its expansion in the Middle East, bringing the total number of King & Spalding lawyers in Dubai to seven.

The increase in staffing in the firm’s new office in Dubai is in response to growing client demand in the areas of Islamic finance, energy, real estate, private equity and international arbitration in the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. The King & Spalding office in Dubai opened this month after receipt of a license from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in November.

The firm also announced it intends to establish an affiliation with a Saudi Arabian lawyer based in Riyadh, which will enhance the firm’s ability to handle transactions in Saudi Arabia. Details of the Saudi Arabia affiliation are being finalized.

“Many of our lawyers have been handling client matters in the Arabian Gulf region for more than 20 years, and with the huge growth in investment within the region and the vibrant regional business hub that has developed there, we believe the timing is right for King & Spalding to have a significant presence in the region,” said Robert D. Hays, chairman of King & Spalding. “With the relocation of several partners to the Middle East, the addition of these three new lawyers who have been working in the region for a number of years and our planned affiliation with a lawyer in Riyadh, we now have a team in place to immediately begin serving our clients with needs in the region.”

King & Spalding has hired three senior associates from Baker Botts’ Dubai office as part of its next step in expanding in the Middle East:

* Nabil Issa, an Arabic speaker focusing on Islamic finance and investment who has worked in both Riyadh and Dubai;
* Patrick Campos, whose practice focuses on international project development and finance and who has worked in both Riyadh and Dubai; and
* Wael Wahbeh, a native Arabic speaker specializing in corporate and private equity work who has worked in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Issa and Campos were both acclaimed as up-and-coming leaders in corporate and commercial law among lawyers in the UAE in the 2007 edition of Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

“We believe King & Spalding’s commitment to relocating key partners to the region combined with the experience and deep local knowledge of Issa, Campos and Wahbeh will provide our clients with world-class support for their transactions and disputes in the region,” said Hays.

These three new associates join partner Philip Weems, the leader of King & Spalding’s international energy practice, who has relocated from Houston to serve as managing partner of the Dubai office. Weems has extensive experience working in the Middle East and lived in Asia for more than 10 years. Weems has for several years been ranked a leading energy lawyer by Chambers Global, Petroleum Economist and Euromoney, and he recently served as President of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators.

Jawad Ali, a partner in the firm’s Islamic finance and investment practice, will relocate to Dubai from London, and Benjamin Newland, a partner in the firm’s private equity practice, will relocate from Atlanta to Dubai. Ali has lived and practiced in the Gulf region and has an active practice currently focusing on Middle Eastern clients. Newland focuses on strategic corporate transactions, with an emphasis on Middle Eastern clients. Partner Isam Salah, leader of the firm’s Islamic finance and investment practice, will maintain offices in both Dubai and New York, where he is currently located.

The highest concentration of King & Spalding’s clients outside the United States is in the Arabian Gulf and the level of work for those clients has grown dramatically over the past decade. The firm was named the top Islamic finance legal advisor by Euromoney in 2004, largely based on the pioneering Islamic finance, private equity and real estate work the firm has done for those clients in the United States and Europe. Many of those same clients are now calling on the firm to provide its expertise on similar transactions within the Middle East. The firm’s energy practitioners also have extensive experience in the Middle East, having handled numerous projects in the region, and their ability to serve clients based or operating in the Middle East will be substantially enhanced by this expansion. The firm’s arbitration and capital markets practices also stand to benefit greatly from the firm’s presence in the region, due to the presence of a regional arbitration venue and the Dubai International Financial Exchange in the DIFC.

“King & Spalding has long been a leader in energy projects, international energy arbitration and oil and gas litigation, and establishing a physical presence in the Middle East is the next logical step in meeting the significant demand for our energy expertise,” said Weems. “Our unique experience in LNG, gas, power, petrochemical and renewable energy projects is particularly relevant to the region. The number of energy, infrastructure and industrial projects that are underway or planned in the Gulf region and nearby is unprecedented, and we look forward to helping serve clients who are involved in them.”

“We are very excited about the prospects for King & Spalding’s presence in the Middle East,” said Salah. “Our Dubai office will allow us to grow our representation of Middle East clients investing in the United States and Europe, assist Middle East clients with investments within the region and expand our work for U.S. corporations with interests in the Middle East. This is a burgeoning region with much promise for our firm.

01-22-2007

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King & Spalding

King & Spalding International Arbitration Lawyer Anthony Wilson, London Office's Islamic Finance Practice ranked in Chambers UK 2007 Guide
In the recently published 2007 Chambers UK guide, King & Spalding receives recognition for both its strong Islamic finance practice in London and the talent in its UK international arbitration group.

To compile the rankings, Chambers UK employed a team of 30 full-time researchers who conducted more than 6,500 interviews with law firm client and lawyers over a 12-month period. The qualities on which rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/ astuteness, diligence, commitment and other qualities valued by clients.

Chambers names the firm's Islamic finance practice in London among the best in the UK, and recognizes King & Spalding as a "pioneering firm in the sector" with a "strong profile on both sides of the Atlantic".

In addition, Anthony Wilson was cited as "an up-and comer who is strongly tipped for success" in the guide's International Arbitration section. Wilson's practice specializes in construction, power and oil & gas related disputes. He also handles a range of general commercial matters.

The online version of Chambers UK is available here: http://www.chambersandpartners.com/uk/rankings36.aspx?fid=3635&solbar=1

King & Spalding has received consistently high rankings in the Chambers guides. In the 2006 edition of Chambers USA, King & Spalding earned 88 individual attorney rankings and 28 practice area rankings. The firm was also recognized in the 2007 Chambers Global guide, in which twelve King & Spalding lawyers and five of the firm's practice areas were cited as leaders in their fields.

01-22-2007

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Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Katten Muchin Rosenman Awards 2006 Minority Scholarships to Chuoh Ngeh and Ferlillia Roberson
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is pleased to announce that Chuoh B. Ngeh and Ferlillia V. Roberson have been selected as the 2006 recipients of the Katten Muchin Rosenman Minority Scholarships. Ms. Ngeh, a second-year student at Harvard Law School, and Ms. Roberson, a second year student at the Northwestern University School of Law, will each receive a $15,000 scholarship and participate in the Firm’s 2007 Summer Associate Program. Katten Muchin Rosenman awards its Minority Scholarships each year to two students who will be participating in the Firm’s Summer Associate Program.

Minority Scholarship recipients are selected based on superior academic achievement, extracurricular, civic and charitable activities, writing skills and leadership potential, as well as other qualities that reflect the potential for outstanding future contributions to Katten Muchin Rosenman and the legal profession.

“Chuoh’s and Ferillia’s consistently outstanding academic performance, combined with their extracurricular activities and community involvement, make them extremely worthy recipients of this year’s Minority Scholarships,” said Leslie D. Minier a Katten partner and co-chair of the Firm’s Diversity Committee. “Our dedication to building a diverse firm comprised of the most talented and committed individuals that the legal profession has to offer is unwavering. The Minority Scholarship Program, along with various other diversity initiatives, is instrumental in helping us meet this goal.”

Ms. Ngeh is a May 2008 J.D. candidate and a member of Harvard’s Black Law Students Association, where she is a mentor to high school students in the Learning and Mentoring Program. She has also participated in the Recording Artists Project, the Transactional Practice Clinical Workshop, and is a member of the school’s Real Estate Breakfast Club. In addition, while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, Ms. Ngeh co-founded the MRock Music and comedy Division of Big Ticket Productions, a student-run organization engaged in planning and hosting on-campus entertainment events. Ms. Ngeh graduated from the University of Michigan in 2005 with B.A.s in Communications Studies and Sociology.

Ms. Roberson is a candidate to receive her J.D. in May 2008 and is an American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholar, as well as a Foundation Scholar of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). Ms. Roberson served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Virginia M. Kendall of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, in 2006. She is also co-chair of the Law Student Committee for the AIPLA, an active member of the Black Law Students Association, and a Teaching Assistant for Northwestern’s Civil Procedure I course. Upon entering the Illinois Institute of Technology, Ms. Roberson was one of only 100 students nationwide, selected from a pool of 250,000 applicants as a Coca-Cola Scholar. Ms. Roberson earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering with high honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2005.

Katten Muchin Rosenman is dedicated to the achievement and promotion of diversity within both the Firm and the broader legal community. The Firm's National Diversity Committee is designed to address the steps necessary to accelerate the process of building diversity at every level within the Firm. The Firm actively supports and promotes diversity within its workplace through various programs, including the Katten Muchin Rosenman Women's Leadership Forum, which fosters career development and advancement and provides support, mentoring and training programs for the Firm's female attorneys, and its Minority Associates Committee, which is dedicated to the recruitment, retention and promotion of minority associates at the Firm. The Firm was also a lead signatory to the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women “Call to Action” this past year and is actively involved in the Chicago Committee for Minorities in Large Law Firms. These initiatives, along with the Minority Scholarship Program, enable the Firm to better attract, retain, nurture and advance its attorneys at every level.

01-22-2007

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Hagens, Berman, Sobol & Shapiro, L.L.P.

Article in The Lancet Claims Lipitor ® Is Over-Prescribed to Millions of Americans
An article published today in one of the leading medical journals claims that anti-cholesterol drugs are over-prescribed and could spell big trouble for pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, maker of industry-leading medication Lipitor.

The article, co-authored by Harvard Medical School clinical instructor John Abramson, appeared in the January 20th edition of The Lancet medical journal, and shows that clinical trials for coronary heart disease prevention fail to prove that anti-cholesterol drugs, such as Lipitor, provide benefit for many in the U.S. who are taking them.

If the medical community accepts Abramson's conclusions, it could negatively impact sales for drugs such as Lipitor.

Dr. Abramson and co-author Dr. Jim Wright of the Therapeutics Initiative in British Columbia say that statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, should not be prescribed for the primary prevention of heart disease to women of all ages or to men older than 69 years of age.

According to Abramson, the article titled "Are Lipid-Lowering Guidelines Evidence-Based?" shows that no studies have shown statin drugs to be effective for women and men 69 years of age or older who do not already have heart disease or diabetes. It also suggests that U.S. cholesterol treatment guidelines should be revised, taking in to consideration the lack of evidence that such drugs are beneficial to many Americans.

"The displacement of effective approaches to preserving our overall health is an enormous national scandal," said Abramson. "Americans are being misled about what the scientific evidence really shows."

According to the article, the 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines significantly increased the number of Americans for whom statins were recommended. The number jumped from 13 million to more than 36 million Americans, with most of the additional 23 million for whom statins were recommended yet to develop coronary heart disease.

"Although physicans and the public trust that the NCEP guidelines accurately reflect the scientific evidence, the truth is the guidelines exaggerate the benefits of statins for many people who don't yet have heart disease. " said Abramson. "Millions of Americans are taking statin drugs like Lipitor without any clinical proof that they're beneficial to disease prevention, or any other benefit to their overall health."

In September 2005, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor, alleging that Pfizer engaged in a massive campaign to convince both doctors and patients that Lipitor is a beneficial treatment for nearly everyone with elevated cholesterol, even though no studies have shown it to be effective for women and those over 65 years of age who do not already have heart disease or diabetes. For more information on this ongoing case, visit www.hbsslaw.com. Doctor Abramson is an expert consultant in this case.

Lipitor is the best-selling drug in the world, with sales in 2004 of more than $10 billion.

01-22-2007

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