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Gray-Robinson, P.A.

Jacobs Selected to Jacksonville Chamber's Board of Governors
GrayRobinson is pleased to announce that Kenneth B. Jacobs, Managing Partner for the Jacksonville office, has been selected to serve on the Board of Governors for the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Jacobs will serve a two-year term ending December 2008.

Jacobs is an "AV" rated attorney and has substantial litigation experience in the federal and state courts and administrative agencies within the State of Florida. He has arbitrated employment and commercial claims and has handled a wide range of employment issues, contract disputes, commercial lending matters and complex construction cases. He has also represented both debtors and creditors in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and negotiated debt workouts and commercial leases.

Jacobs is the Immediate Past President of the David A. Stein Jewish Community Alliance and was the recipient of The Jacksonville Business Journal's 2006 Up and Comers Award. He is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville's Class of 2005. Jacobs obtained his B.A. from Duke University and his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.

GrayRobinson (www.gray-robinson.com) is one of Florida's fastest growing law firms. The 37 year old, full service firm provides legal services for Fortune 500 companies, emerging businesses, lending institutions, local governments, developers, entrepreneurs and individuals across Florida, the nation and the world. The firm has offices in Clermont, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key West, Lakeland, Melbourne, Naples, Orlando, Tallahassee and Tampa.

02-28-2007

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Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP

EBG Holdings in Merger with Astoria Generating to Create Strategically-Positioned Competitive Generation Company in Northeast U.S. Power Markets
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is advising EBG Holdings LLC ("EBG Holdings") in its definitive merger agreement with Astoria Generating Company Holdings, LLC, under which the companies will be combined in a transaction valued in excess of $5 billion.

EBG Holdings, through its direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, owns approximately 3,000 megawatts of generation and includes approximately 2,400 megawatts of newly-built gas-fired combined cycle facilities. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a leading international law firm with offices in New York, Washington D.C., London, Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Debevoise team is led by partner John M. Allen, Jr. and includes partners Andrew N. Berg and Robert F. Quaintance, Jr., counsel Stuart Hammer and associates Suzie C. Alway, Brian K. Gregory, Neena A. Reddy and Molly F. Stockley.

02-28-2007

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Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Chadbourne Represented Kinross Gold in $3.1 Billion Acquisition of Bema Gold
Chadbourne & Parke LLP represented Kinross Gold Corp. in the US$3.1 billion acquisition of Bema Gold Corp. in a deal that creates a $7.9 billion gold producer.

The deal was signed in December and closed on February 27, 2007.

Ninety-one percent of Bema shareholders voted in favor of the acquisition at a January 30 shareholders' meeting. The deal increases Kinross' gold reserve and resource base to more than 50 million ounces and gives the company a well-balanced gold reserve profile with 39% in Chile, 37% in Brazil, 16% in North America and 8% in Russia.

Working for Chadbourne on the deal were Laura M. Brank, Moscow office Managing Partner and Head of the CIS Practice; Konstantin Konstantinov, partner, Moscow office; Svetlana Sineva, senior associate, Moscow office; Jennifer Handz, multinational partner, London; and Kyle Davis, associate, Moscow. Also working on the deal were Charez Golvala, MNP partner in London, and Christopher Man, associate in the Washington, DC, office.

Chadbourne assisted Kinross on Russian and certain U.S. and English law aspects of the deal, including due diligence and mining law issues and the restructuring and spin-off of certain Russian assets and agreements related to management and operation of the spun-off Russian assets.

The Firm also assisted in obtaining Russian antimonopoly approvals for the transaction itself, i.e., the amalgamation of Kinross and Bema, since it affected four Russian companies, including Bema's shares in Chukotka Mining and Geological Company (CMGC), a major gold producer in the Chukotka Peninsula in the far east of Russia. In addition, Chadbourne has been advising on a separate joint venture being set up by Kinross, a new company formed by Bema management and a Russian shareholder.

Chadbourne also advised on consent waivers and amendments to a CMGC project finance facility with a syndicate of lenders, subordinated lenders and hedging counterparties. The facility is around $400 million -- a CMGC senior loan of $400 million and a junior loan of $25 million.

The acquisition was completed by way of a shareholder-approved plan of arrangement whereby each Bema common share will be exchanged for 0.441 of a Kinross common share, representing a 34% premium to the 20-day volume weighted average price of Bema common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Upon completion of this transaction, 61% of Kinross will be held by existing Kinross shareholders and 39% by existing Bema shareholders.

Chadbourne has a longstanding relationship with Kinross. The Firm has regularly advised Kinross Gold and its Russian subsidiary Omolon Gold Mining Company since 1998, on its Russian operations.

In 2002, Chadbourne acted as U.S. counsel to Kinross in connection with U.S. SEC approval related to its combination with two other gold companies and its migration to the New York Stock Exchange.

02-28-2007

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Adams & Reese LLP

Edell Howard Appointed to Board of Directors of the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Linda Edell Howard, Partner in Charge of the Music Row office of Adams and Reese, has been appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (TNVLA). As a nonprofit organization, TNVLA provides free legal assistance and education to low-income artists of all disciplines and emerging nonprofit arts organizations located in the Greater Nashville area. TNVLA is committed to improving the ability of artists to create productive and effective relationships with other artists, lawyers and business entities on which they depend.

Edell Howard leads the firm’s Entertainment/New Media Team, and has more than 20 years experience in the areas of entertainment, new media and technology and domestic and international intellectual property law. Her transaction-based practice focuses on entertainment and new technology contracts, advocacy for creators and protection for copyright and other rights holders. She currently serves as outside counsel to Gaylord Entertainment in connection with entertainment law-related projects as well as matters pertaining to the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium. Representative clients include the Tennessee Ernie Ford Estate, Charlie Daniels, SHeDAISY, Aaron Tippin and numerous key industry executives, independent publishers, songwriters, producers, authors and related industry players such as merchandisers, infomercial marketers, Internet auctioneers, banks and unions. She has closed more than 50 asset-based copyright acquisitions/sales and multi-million dollar loans.

Edell Howard has received national attention for leading copyright owners to revolutionize business practices in the karaoke industry and curtailed the unlawful use of celebrity names on the Internet. She is a tireless and passionate advocate for the protection of intellectual property rights and the recapture of United States copyrights by creators and their heirs. Close to her heart is representing the surviving family members of deceased creators. She is a frequent speaker on various intellectual property and new technology topics and has often served as a guest commentator for Billboard, Music Row magazine, the New York and Tennessee Bar CLE programs and various trade association Town Hall meetings.

Aside from her service on the Board of TNVLA, Edell Howard serves on an AFTRA Advisory Committee (to create fairness in recording contracts), the Board of Advisors for Songs of Love (a children’s charity) and as consultant to several authors writing biographies of her clients. She is a Leadership Music alumna, and was formerly Board and Executive Committee Member and Development Committee Chair. She is a member of the Country Music Association, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations.

Nashville Business Journal has recognized Edell Howard among the “Best of the Bar” in Entertainment Law in 2004, 2005 and 2006. She is listed in Chambers USA Directory as a leader in the area of Media and Entertainment and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Entertainment Law.

02-28-2007

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Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, LLP

Firm Advises Special Committee in Smith & Wollensky Merger
Famed restaurant chain Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Patina Restaurant Group, LLC under which Patina will acquire Smith & Wollensky in an all-cash merger at a price of $9.25 per share. Willkie advised the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Smith & Wollensky on the transaction. As part of the transaction, Smith & Wollensky CEO Alan Stillman will acquire certain assets from the company, including the New York restaurants, and will assume certain specified liabilities. The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group develops and operates high-end, high-volume restaurants in major cities across the United States, including New York, Miami Beach, Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Columbus, Houston, and Boston. The Patina Restaurant Group is a multi-concept premium restaurant and food service operator with locations predominantly in New York and California. Partners Steven Gartner and Michael Schwartz and associates Erika Shalette and Peter Agnetti handled the matter.

02-28-2007

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White & Case, LLP

Increasing Numbers of Israeli Companies Seek Public Listings
White & Case advised JPMorgan Securities Ltd., Lehman Brothers International (Europe) and Merrill Lynch International on the Initial Public Offering ("IPO") of Oil Refineries Ltd. ("ORL"), an Israeli corporation wholly owned by the State of Israel, on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange ("TASE"). The flotation raised NIS6.43 billion ($1.54 billion), making it the largest-ever IPO on the TASE, as well as being the largest-ever privatisation in the history of the State of Israel.

Shares were sold to institutional, strategic and retail investors through an innovative two-tender structure. The first tender was a private placement of 44 percent of ORL, allocated only to institutional investors and priced at a clearing price of NIS2.702 per share. The remaining 56 percent stake was offered through a public tender and priced at NIS3.300 per share, reflecting a 22 percent increase compared to the private placement clearing price.

"Increasing numbers of companies are seeking domestic listings on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, which has seen impressive growth over the last few years," commented Josh Kiernan, lead White & Case partner advising on the deal. "This is part of a wider trend of increased listings by Israeli companies on the international exchanges, most commonly NASDAQ and the LSE, including AIM, in order to access the global capital markets."

The White & Case team advising on the deal was led by partner Josh Kiernan, working closely with partners Greg Stonefield and Raymond Simon and associates Kevin Connolly and Shlomi Azar in London, as well as partner Sang Ji and associates Louis Somma and Arona Osrin in New York.

White & Case's Israeli practice has advised on more Israeli equity capital markets transactions than any other international law firm in the last five years. Highlights of the practice's work include providing counsel to:

* Saifun Semiconductors in its $135 million IPO and $150 million secondary offering, both of which were on NASDAQ;
* Allot Communications Ltd. in its $78 million IPO on NASDAQ;
* Lehman Brothers in its role as underwriter to Ormat Technologies' $115 million IPO on the NYSE, as well as providing additional counsel for both Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs in their roles as underwriters to Ormat Technologies' $186 million follow-on offering, also on the NYSE;
* Credit Suisse and Merrill Lynch in their roles as underwriters to the $300 million IPO on AIM by MirLand Development Corporation plc.;
* R.G.I. International Ltd. in its $200 million IPO on AIM;
* Dor Energy in its $55 million IPO on both the LSE and TASE.

02-28-2007

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Stinson, Morrison & Hecker, L.L.P.

Survey Names Stinson's Bankruptcy Practice Sixth Largest Nationally
Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP’s Bankruptcy Practice ranked number six in Bankruptcy Law360’s survey of the 300 largest U.S. law firms. The survey measured the number of new Chapter 11 cases taken on by a firm between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006. The firm also ranked as the fourth fastest-growing bankruptcy practice group in the national survey, measured by the number of new cases in 2006 compared with the number of new cases in 2005.

“The ranking reaffirms our reputation as having one of the premier bankruptcy and creditor rights’ practices not only in the Midwest, but the nation,” said Mark S. Foster, Stinson Morrison Hecker managing partner. “The level of experience, as noted by the survey, enables our attorneys to better serve our clients and their expectations.

Stinson Morrison Hecker’s bankruptcy practice is based in its Kansas City, Phoenix and Washington D.C. offices, but handles cases throughout the nation. The firm has and is handling a variety of national bankruptcy matters currently, including:

* Served as national counsel for the official 1114 Committee of Retired Pilots of Delta Airlines in the Delta Airlines Chapter 11-bankruptcy cases – Southern District of New York

* Co-counsel representing Interstate Bakeries Corporation and seven affiliates in pending Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization cases – Western District of Missouri

* Representing a large telecommunications company in pre- and post-confirmation claims litigation – Southern District of New York

* Representing Remediation Financial, Inc. in its Chapter 11 proceedings – District of Arizona

* Representing Official Committee of Tort Claimants in post-confirmation proceedings in the Diocese of Tucson Chapter 11 reorganization – District of Arizona

* Representing TWA in preference litigation – District of Delaware

* Defending banks in lender liability adversary proceedings brought in bankruptcy court involving substantial amounts – numerous districts, including Nebraska and Missouri


In addition to Stinson Morrison Hecker, the following bankruptcy practice groups from law firms around the country made the survey’s top 10 list: (Note: The number after each firm is the number of new Chapter 11 cases taken on in 2006.)

1. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP: 36
2. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP: 28
3. Lowenstein Sandler PC: 27
4. DLA Piper: 24
5. Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP: 20
6. Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP: 19
7. Bryan Cave LLP: 17
8. Baker & Hostetler LLP: 17
9. King & Spalding LLP: 14
9. Kirkland & Ellis LLP: 14
10. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP: 13
10. Foley & Lardner LLP: 13

The BankruptcyLaw 360 rankings are based on a quantitative survey counting the number of times a law firm was hired to represent a litigant in a given practice area in 2006 and 2005, respectively. The source for the survey data is electronic court dockets supplied by a leading docket vendor. It does not account for the importance of a case, the amount of work involved, the proposed damages, or any eventual settlements or awards. No law firms or companies were contacted for research assistance for the survey.

02-28-2007

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