Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC

Three Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Shareholders Honored Among Florida\'s Legal Elite
Three Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney shareholders have been honored among Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite in the magazine's 2006 survey. The shareholders are Roy J. Barquet and Darin I. Zenov from the firm's Miami office, and James J. Kennedy of the firm's Tampa office.

The survey was sent to all in-state attorneys registered with the Florida Bar and to more than 16,000 law firms throughout the state.

According to the magazine, ""Attorneys were asked to name lawyers whom they hold in the highest regard — lawyers with whom they have personally worked or would recommend to others.

07-03-2006

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Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC

Baker Donelson Launches Women\'s Initiative
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC has launched a firm-wide program designed to enhance the role of women attorneys at the Firm.

Baker Donelson's Women's Initiative, which was officially launched in April 2006, will focus on advancing the economic value of the Firm by more fully capitalizing on the talents of its women attorneys, improving the recruitment and retention of women attorneys, increasing the representation of women in leadership positions at the Firm and improving career development for the Firm's women attorneys. ""Clients are demanding diversity when retaining outside counsel, including women in leadership positions,"" says Jill Steinberg, Chair of Baker Donelson's Women's Initiative Steering Committee and a shareholder in the Firm's Memphis office. ""The objective of this initiative is to address that demand while also concentrating on needs specific to Baker Donelson's women attorneys and advisors.""

To achieve the goals of the initiative, Baker Donelson will implement a number of activities including work-life balance seminars for the Firm's women attorneys, a mentoring program that will pair Baker Donelson female associates with a female shareholder to provide guidance in career path planning and leadership development, and a series of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs for women lawyers and in-house counsel at corporations.

The Women's Initiative Steering Committee, which was formed in May of 2005, designed the effort after conducting a survey of the Firm's women attorneys and advisors to identify the focus of the initiative. ""Enhancing economic success, balancing family and personal goals and developing leadership skills ranked as the most important goals for the Women's Initiative,"" says Desiree Franklin, a member of the Steering Committee and a shareholder in the Firm's Memphis office.

Baker Donelson is involved in a number of national women's organizations, including the National Association of Women Lawyers and the American Bar Association's Women in Products Liability. Of the Firm's more than 450 attorneys and public policy advisors, 135 are women, including 44 who are equity or income owners in the Firm and two who are on the Board of Directors.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC is one of the 100 largest law firms in the country. Through strategic acquisitions and mergers over the past century, the Firm has grown to include more than 450 attorneys, and public policy and international advisors. Baker Donelson represents clients across the U.S. and abroad from offices in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and a representative office in Beijing, China.

07-03-2006

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Baker & McKenzie, L.L.P.

Major Projects Partner Joins the Tokyo Office of Baker & McKenzie
Baker & McKenzie GJBJ Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Law office (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) announced today that David Z. Vance joined the Tokyo Major Projects & Project Finance Practice Group. He comes to the Firm from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Singapore.

David Vance has extensive experience in infrastructure project development, finance and M&A and restructuring in Asia for multinational developers and financial institutions and has played a key role in a number of high-profile projects in the region.

""We welcome David to the Firm. His experience in South and Southeast Asian projects in particular will enhance our capabilities to serve the growing needs of our clients in Asia and beyond,"" said Paul Davis, Baker & McKenzie Partner in the Major Projects & Project Finance Practice Group, and Member of the Management Committee of Baker & McKenzie Tokyo.

Mr. Vance earned his J.D., cum laude from the University of Texas School of Law. He earned his A.B. from Stanford University. He has published a number of articles and speaks often at conferences focusing on energy, restructuring and international boundary disputes.

Baker & McKenzie's Major Projects & Project Finance Practice Group has one of the world's strongest project finance capabilities and includes more than 220 international lawyers in the world's energy capitals focusing on oil & gas, power, petrochemicals, water/wastewater and natural resources projects. The Firm is consistently recognized by top industry publications including Dealogic and Petroleum Economist as a global leader in project finance advising on many award-winning deals.

In addition, Petroleum Economist ranks Baker & McKenzie among the most knowledgeable international law firms in energy and oil and gas.

""I am looking forward to bringing my practice to Baker & McKenzie and continuing to build the Firm's capabilities. Baker & McKenzie's global reach and broad range of services will help me better serve clients,"" said Mr. Vance.

07-03-2006

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Finkelstein & Newman, L.L.P.

Lucas A. Ferrara in New York Times Real Estate Section, STILL NINE-TENTHS OF THE LAW
A RULING handed down last month by the Court of Appeals, New York's highest court, reasserts a centuries-old legal doctrine that allows people who use someone else's land for a certain period of time and under certain conditions to acquire title to it without even paying for it.

The decision was issued by Judge George Bundy Smith in the case of Walling v. Przybylo, in which G. Scott Walling, a lawyer who owned property in Queensbury, in upstate Warren County, brought what is known as an ""action to quiet title by adverse possession."" The purpose of the suit was to acquire legal title to a portion of a neighbor's property that Mr. Walling had been using for more than 15 years.

""What this decision stands for more than anything else is that adverse possession is alive and well in New York,"" said James Grossman, a Rochester lawyer and a past chairman of the real property section of the State Bar Association. ""Property owners need to know that while adverse possession is not a favored method of securing title, it is a recognized one.""

Michael Liss, a real estate lawyer in White Plains, said in adverse-possession cases, which date back to English common law, certain criteria must be met. For example, the adverse possessor's use must be ""hostile and under claim of right,"" he said. In other words, if one neighbor is using another's property with permission, an adverse-possession claim cannot stand.

In addition, Mr. Liss said, the use must be ""actual, open and notorious, and exclusive."" In other words, the adverse possessor must physically use the land, must do so openly and without attempting to hide his usage, and must do so to the exclusion of the actual owner.

Finally, Mr. Liss said, in New York the use must be continuous for at least 10 years. ""And the Walling case is a textbook example of an adverse possession claim,"" he said.

In May 1986, Mr. Walling and his wife bought a building lot in Queensbury. In 1987, he started using a portion of the property next door by depositing fill and topsoil on it, installing 69 feet of drainage pipe underground and according to the decision, ""continuously mowed, graded, raked, planted and watered the grassy area in dispute.""

In 2004, Paul and Denise Przybylo, Mr. Walling's neighbors, had their land surveyed and discovered that they owned part of the land he was using. When Mr. Walling learned of this, he brought the action to quiet title by adverse possession.

Having found that Mr. Walling met all the requirements for adverse possession, the Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling awarding him title to the disputed parcel.

Lucas Ferrara, a Manhattan real estate lawyer, said the case was a warning for all property owners who think that neighbors have encroached on their land. What commonly happens, he said, is that one owner erects a fence, a wall or an outbuilding on a neighbor's property, often unwittingly.

""That's why buyers should have a survey done of any property they are buying,"" Mr. Ferrara said, ""and every owner should check their property lines against whatever survey they have.""

If a neighbor is using your property, he said, the issue should be resolved immediately and before the 10-year period runs out.

One solution would be to grant the other owner permission, in writing, to continue to use the property, thus preventing any adverse-possession claim. Another way would be to ask the neighbor to remove the encroachment.

""If he refuses,"" Mr. Ferrara said, ""the courts may be the last resort.

07-02-2006

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Wiley, Rein & Fielding, L.L.P.

WRF Partner Recognized for Philanthropic Efforts
Wiley Rein & Fielding partner John C. Yang was profiled in The Washington Post for his charitable efforts on behalf of two Washington, DC organizations providing legal services for Asian Americans. Mr. Yang, who serves as a board member for the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center and the Asian American Justice Center, recently contributed to both organizations, creating a “challenge match” the maximize the impact of his donations and initiate larger fundraising activities.

“I’m fortunate and privileged to be in the position that I am, and not to give back in some way would be, frankly, morally wrong,” said Yang, whose parents emigrated from Taiwan. “I’ve seen the struggle that immigrants have gone through here in figuring out how to get basic legal help.

07-02-2006

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Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

"Sullivan and Cromwell tops Global Rankings"
Summary: As part of its second quarter global M&A review, Thomson Financial released its results for the first half of 2006 for legal advisors. Sullivan & Cromwell claimed the #1 ranking in worldwide announced deals with a total deal value of US$ 432.2 billion across 91 deals.

In addition, S&C was the leader by dollar value in Thomson's major categories, including:
1 in announced deals with any U.S. involvement
1 (among U.S. firms) in completed deals with any European involvement
1 in announced deals with any Canadian involvement
in deals completed with any Spanish involvement

07-02-2006

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Rawle & Henderson, LLP.

Rawle & Henderson is pleased to announce the addition of Gary F. Seitz as a partner in the Firm's Philadelphia office
Rawle & Henderson LLP is pleased to announce that Gary F. Seitz has joined the Firm as a partner in the Firm’s Philadelphia office. Gary F. Seitz concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial bankruptcy, commercial litigation and admiralty and maritime law. Gary serves as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and acts as Trustee in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Delaware. He has extensive experience handling bankruptcy matters for creditors, asset purchasers and trustees. Gary also has expertise in admiralty and maritime litigation and transactions with particular emphasis on marine financing and vessel foreclosures.

Gary is admitted to practice in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third and Fifth Circuits and the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, the District of New Jersey and the District of Delaware.

Gary graduated magna cum laude from Buena Vista University in 1983 and from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1986. He obtained his Master's degree in Admiralty Law from Tulane University in 1988. In the course of obtaining his law degree, Gary studied at the Shanghai Law Research Institute in the Peoples Republic of China and at the Bentham House Faculty of Laws of the University of London.

He has obtained the designation of ""Proctor in Admiralty"" from the Maritime Law Association of the United States. He is a member of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference, and the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and American Bar Associations. He is a member of the Philadelphia Maritime Association and the Transportation Lawyers Association.

07-02-2006

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