Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Schiff Hardin LLP

Schiff Hardin LLP: Founding Member of the Project for Attorney Retention
Schiff Hardin LLP has become one of 23 Founding Members of the Project for Attorney Retention ("PAR").

This organization works to stem unwanted attrition among lawyers — a benefit for both legal employers and the lawyers themselves — by promoting work/life balance and the advancement of women in the legal profession. For more information, visit PAR's Web site at http://www.pardc.org/.

Schiff Hardin's membership in PAR is part of the firm's comprehensive and ongoing efforts to maximize attorney and staff retention. Chicago magazine named Schiff Hardin #7 among the 25 best companies to work for in the Chicago metropolitan area in its October 2004 issue.

09-11-2007

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Ross, Dixon & Bell, LLP

Gary Dixon and John Gerstein Named Best Lawyers in America for 2008
Ross, Dixon & Bell, LLP is pleased to announce that Gary Dixon and John Gerstein have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2008 in the fields of Insurance Law and Commercial Litigation, respectively.

Both Mr. Dixon and Mr. Gerstein have been with the firm since its founding in 1983. Mr. Dixon is a recognized expert in matters pertaining to directors and officers liability insurance and other forms of professional liability coverage. Over the course of his career, he has represented insurers in hundreds of matters pertaining to professional liability insurance, including many of their highest profile and most significant matters. He counsels insurance clients regularly with respect to claims and underwriting matters. Mr. Dixon’s expertise spans numerous areas of exposure faced by insureds under professional liability policies, including securities class action litigation, corporate governance, employment practices liability, and other commercial disputes. Mr. Dixon has litigated cases on behalf of insurers and their insureds in trial and appellate courts throughout the country. He has lectured and written articles about D&O liability insurance issues and exposures faced by directors and officers.

Mr. Gerstein has a diverse litigation practice in the areas of professional liability, insurance, toxic torts, antitrust, telecommunications, product liability, intellectual property, securities, commercial fraud, and breach of contract, among others. His clients in these areas range from major U.S. corporations to individuals in litigation throughout the United States. Mr. Gerstein also regularly represents law firms and accounting firms throughout the country in major litigation. Many of his cases involve large dollar figures in controversy and are on the forefront of emerging legal issues. Most recently, Mr. Gerstein successfully led the representation of more than a dozen insurance companies in Congoleum Corporation v. ACE American Insurance Co., et al., leading to an outcome that absolved the insurance companies from a purported $500 million in liability asserted against them under Congoleum’s prepackaged asbestos bankruptcy. Mr. Gerstein is known for his creative and aggressive litigation style and has enjoyed an extraordinary record of success in litigated matters. To date, Mr. Gerstein has been fortunate not to lose any case that he has tried, nor any appeal that he has argued.

09-11-2007

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McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

Top Advisor to former Governor Mitt Romney Joins National Government Affairs Team
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP announced today that Cynthia D. Gillespie, former senior aide to Governor Mitt Romney, has joined the firm as a Managing Director in the Washington, DC office. Gillespie served as Counselor to the Governor as well as Chief of Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations where she directed federal affairs, public policy, cabinet affairs, legislative affairs and state and national initiatives. Her expertise in the areas of homeland security and health care will complement and further deepen the already well-established practice.

“We are very excited to have Cindy join our growing team of public policy experts in Washington,” said Eric Tanenblatt, Senior Managing Director of McKenna Long & Aldridge. “She has the proven skill set to produce results in even the toughest of climates, which will complement and enhance our already thriving government affairs practice.” Gillespie will represent clients on federal, national and state public policy issues.

“I’m very pleased to be joining one of Washington’s premiere Government Affairs practices,” said Cindy Gillespie. “I believe my clients will be better served by the enormous resources available to them at the federal, state and national levels.”

During her time working with former Massachusetts Governor Romney, she played a leading role in developing and winning support for the Governor’s health insurance reform initiative. She also served as Vice President of Federal Relations for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002. She designed and implemented a federal relations program that resulted in over $900 million in direct federal support for the Games. In addition, Cindy acted as Director of Federal Relations for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, where she developed a federal relations program that produced $250 million in direct federal support.

She began her career working closely with Congressman Richard Ray, joining his staff as campaign manager and later transitioning to his congressional office as Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant.

Gillespie joins recent additions to the firm’s Government Affairs practice that includes Mac Campbell, former senior tax counselor to Senator Blanche Lincoln; Ted Van Der Meid, former Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the House Ethics Committee and former Counsel and Minority Staff Director for the Committee on Armed Services, Jim Schweiter. MLA’s Government Affairs team also includes former U.S. Senator Zell Miller; former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin; Keith Mason and Marcia Hale, who both served in the Clinton White House; Eric Tanenblatt, who served as Chief of Staff to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and senior advisor to the late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell; former Ways and Means Committee Chief Counsel Joe Dowley; former Congressman Buddy Darden and former Chief of Staff to Zell Miller, Alex Albert.

09-11-2007

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McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation

Karen Hill Named Litigation Paralegal
Karen Hill, a veteran paralegal with more than 25 years of legal experience, has joined the law firm of McAfee & Taft, where she provides trial support in all facets of business-related litigation, including products liability, mass torts, labor and employment, real estate, oil and gas, and other commercial controversies. Her primary responsibilities, which focus on trial preparation from inception to conclusion, include conducting research, reviewing plaintiff discovery, coordinating and responding to discovery requests, compiling and reviewing additional material information, preparing and organizing documents and exhibits for trial, drafting and filing pleadings, and assisting attorneys at trial.

The Oklahoma native began her career in 1980 as a legal secretary for a law firm in Antlers while concurrently attending Southeastern State University during the week and the University of Oklahoma’s Paralegal Studies program on weekends. Upon relocating to Oklahoma City in 1986, she worked as a civil litigation paralegal for six years. She most recently served as a paralegal for Allstate Insurance Company’s staff counsel office for 15 years before joining McAfee & Taft in 2007.

Hill is a member of the Central Oklahoma Association of Legal Assistants and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together.

09-11-2007

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Mayer Brown LLP

Mayer Brown appoints Senior Corporate Partner William Charnley
International law firm Mayer Brown[1] is pleased to announce that William Charnley will join the firm's Corporate Group from McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP on 1 October 2007.

William has more than 18 years' experience practising high-end corporate law. He has extensive knowledge of the Private Equity and Hedge Fund sectors, specialising in corporate finance including: LBOs, MBOs, public and private mergers, acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, flotations and various secondary issues. He also advises on compliance and risk issues.

William has acted for many major investment banks, hedge funds and asset management firms as well as leading UK and foreign corporations. His varied industry knowledge includes experience in the following fields: banking and insurance, telecommunications, technology, financial services, entertainment and media, hospitality, infrastructure and oil and gas.

His recent experience includes advising: the Paternoster Group on its formation and equity fundraising of £500 million from a consortium of investors including Deutsche Bank and Eton Park; and Aldersgate Investments as part of a consortium on the agreed cash offer for Duelguide plc for £2.1 billion.

He will join the London Corporate Practice and take a leading role in developing our practice in Private Equity, Hedge Funds and the Investment Banking arena.

William Charnley commented: "I am delighted to be joiningthe highly regarded corporate team at Mayer Brown. The firm provides an excellent platform from which to practice with a range of opportunities both domestically and internationally."

Peter Dickinson, Head of the Corporate Group in London, commented: "The addition of William to our team will significantly strengthen our Corporate Finance Practice, in particular, our hedge fund and private equity capability. Not only will he further enable us to take on more diverse work as we continue to grow, his excellent contacts will add to our rapidly growing client base and help us to expand over the coming years."

Sean Connolly, London Senior Partner, commented: "Through William's appointment we add another excellent lawyer with a wealth of experience to our capabilities in London. We are in the midst of a period of exciting expansion in London and William represents one of the important strategic additions to our Corporate Practice, he brings a tremendous range of skills and experience to the business."

Paul Maher, Global Vice Chairman, commented: "Our London office is at the heart of our global growth plans and William will add significant depth and breadth to our practice. I have no doubt that he will make a significant contribution at both a domestic and international level. I am delighted that he has chosen to join us at this time of tremendous growth and expansion in our business."

09-11-2007

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Lane Powell PC

Gingold, Devlin and Baker Score Victory for Business Health Plans
If not for the efforts of Lane Powell attorneys Jeff Gingold, a healthcare and insurance regulatory attorney, commercial litigator John Devlin, and attorney Katherine Baker, affordable business association health plans like the Association of Washington Business ("AWB") “HealthChoice” program would have been headed to life support in the State of Washington.

The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner ("OIC") issued a Technical Assistance Advisory in December of 2006 that would have significantly changed the way association health plans can be rated, seriously jeopardizing their future affordability. After OIC’s refusal to reconsider its position, AWB joined forces with Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest ("AI") and engaged Lane Powell to file suit in Spokane County.

On August 27, 2007, Spokane County Superior Court Judge Kathleen O’Connor ruled in favor of AWB and AI, granting Lane Powell’s motion for summary judgment and invalidating the TAA. In a story entitled, “Victory for small business health insurance plans,” The Spokane Spokesman-Review summarized the decision as follows: “The court held that “[w]hile OIC can issue technical advisories, they are not rules and are not enforceable. TA 06-07 amounts to a major policy shift from the plaintiff’s perspective. Policy is made by the legislature.”

AWB explained the importance of what was at stake: “Today, by our estimates, over a half million people in Washington are covered by association health plans and in the case of AWB, it is over 17,000 people. There are 2,300 AWB members in HealthChoice and the average number of people employed by an AWB HealthChoice subscriber is 4. So we are fulfilling the promise we made to then Gov. Mike Lowry and the legislature in 1995 that if authorized, we would provide affordable heath insurance for small businesses.”

On August 29, 2007, OIC published a notice “that as a result of a court ruling issued by the Spokane Superior Court on August 27, 2007, the OIC is permanently withdrawing T06-07, Nondiscrimination Requirements for Health Benefit Plans.”

Reaction from the business community to court decision was swift and positive.

09-11-2007

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King & Spalding

Professor Joost Pauwelyn, Noted Scholar on World Trade Organization, Joins King & Spalding’s International Trade Practice
King & Spalding, a leading international law firm, announced today that Professor Joost Pauwelyn has joined its international trade practice as senior advisor. Pauwelyn is a world-renowned expert on international economic law, particularly the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international investment law.

“Professor Pauwelyn is recognized around the world as a leading academic and practitioner in the WTO area,” said Stephen Orava, a partner in King & Spalding’s Washington, D.C., and London offices and co-leader of the firm’s WTO practice. “The depth and breadth of his knowledge and experience enable him to develop real-world solutions to complex trade matters as well as creative and effective approaches to bringing and defending WTO disputes.”

Pauwelyn was formerly an official with the WTO’s Legal Affairs Division and with the WTO Appellate Body Secretariat. Upon joining academia, he continued to advise governments and private entities as a consultant on WTO dispute settlement proceedings, trade negotiations and other trade and investment matters. His academic research and consultancy experience have focused on diverse areas, including market access for goods and services, subsidies, environment, health and safety, trade in energy and human rights.

“Professor Pauwelyn is a valuable addition to our WTO practice group and expands the scope of our WTO expertise across areas of increasing importance to our clients, such as subsidies, climate change and trade restrictions linked to health and safety measures,” said Jorge Miranda, senior international trade advisor with King & Spalding and former WTO official.

Pauwelyn continues his current position as a professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He recently joined the Graduate Institute after serving five years at Duke University School of Law as a tenured professor of law and director of the JD/LLM Program and the Duke/Geneva Institute in Transnational Law. Pauwelyn has also been a visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center and formerly practiced law in the litigation department of De Bandt, Van Hecke & Lagae in Brussels.

“King & Spalding has strong and successful WTO and international arbitration practices and has a commitment to build upon this success. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to join this talented team,” Pauwelyn said.

Pauwelyn received a Ph.D. in law from the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, a Magister Juris from Oxford University, a master’s degree in law from Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), and a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Namur (Belgium). He was also an Erasmus Scholar at the University of London’s Queen Mary and Westfield College.

King & Spalding’s international trade group is composed of more than 35 lawyers and consultants and advises clients around the world on a wide range of international trade matters, including trade remedies, export controls, sanctions, customs and trade policy and negotiations. The group represents governments and private sector interests in WTO dispute settlement proceedings and in the use of WTO rules and negotiations to address restrictions on market access for goods, services and investments. Its lawyers have participated in more than 15 WTO disputes and appeared directly before WTO dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body. The group is also well-known for its expertise in representing domestic industries that are being injured by dumped and subsidized imports and recently brought the first U.S. countervailing duty (anti-subsidy) case against China in 15 years. In addition, the group has significant experience defending clients in trade remedy cases around the world, particularly in China, India and Mexico.

09-11-2007

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