Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, LLP

European Antitrust Team Assists Gaz de France on Landmark $54 Billion Energy Merger
On November 14, it was announced that Willkie client Gaz de France SA and Suez SA won European Union approval for their $54 billion (€42.1 billion) merger, creating Europe's second-largest utility and maintaining national control of the French power market. The firm’s Paris and Brussels offices advised Gaz de France on the antitrust aspects of the transaction, including its filing with the EU Commission. Approval was obtained after both parties agreed to give up control of Belgian natural gas companies and a heating network in France. Currently owning 70% of Gaz de France, the French government’s stake in the combined company will be cut to just over one third. This merger comes as the European Commission is undertaking a concerted effort to create an EU-wide power and gas market and to get national governments to give up control of energy regulation. The deal was handled by partner Jacques-Philippe Gunther.

11-20-2006

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Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.

V&E Expands International Trade Practice, Adds 14 Lawyers
International law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP is significantly expanding its international trade law practice by adding of a team of 14 lawyers who are considered among the nation's top lawyers in their practice area.

V&E is pleased to announce that a team of five partners, one counsel, eight associates and five analysts who specialize in all aspects of international trade law are joining the firm’s Washington, D.C. office effective immediately. The legal team, led by partners William H. Barringer, Christopher A. Dunn, James P. Durling, Kenneth J. Pierce, and Daniel L. Porter, who have practiced together for many years at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, has extensive experience in defending foreign corporations in antidumping, countervailing duty and other trade remedy investigations, as well as advising governments and businesses on international trade negotiations and trade policy disputes.

The addition of the new international trade law practice group comes as Vinson & Elkins, repeatedly ranked as the world’s leading energy law firm, continues to strengthen its international presence. V&E opened a new office in Hong Kong earlier this year, as well as offices in Shanghai and Tokyo during the past three years. V&E also has international offices in Beijing, Dubai, London, and Moscow, and domestic offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Washington, D.C.

“This group of lawyers is consistently ranked as being among the best international trade attorneys in the country,” said V&E Managing Partner Joe Dilg. “Vinson & Elkins is proud that they have joined us. Our clients are the true beneficiaries.”

Bill Barringer, the senior lawyer leading the international trade law group, said the changing dynamics of the global economy led his team to join Vinson & Elkins. "Our move reflects the increased participation of emerging economies in global trade, including Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia," said Mr. Barringer. "V&E's expanding global presence offers an ideal platform for a thriving international trade practice. The firm's strong presence in Asia, and China in particular, provide us the ability to provide better and more effective representation to our international trade clients. Willkie is a great law firm and although our paths have separated we fully expect to maintain our happy relations with our many friends there.

11-20-2006

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Thompson Hine LLP

O’Shaughnessy Joins Thompson Hine as Of Counsel
Christopher T. O’Shaughnessy has joined Thompson Hine LLP as of counsel in the firm’s Construction practice group.

Mr. O’Shaughnessy focuses his practice on public and private construction law, commercial and construction litigation, and intellectual property law. He represents architects, engineers, surveyors, owners, contractors, subcontractors and material suppliers in bidding and construction disputes.

Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Mr. O’Shaughnessy was a partner at another Columbus law firm, where he practiced construction, commercial and intellectual property law.

“We are very excited about bringing Chris on board,” said Tony White, partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Columbus office. “His exceptional experience and reputation perfectly complement our growing construction practice.

11-20-2006

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Thompson Hine LLP

Web Site Helps In Voting Booth
Thompson Hine litigator James Robenalt wants people to exercise their right to vote. But not if they aren’t properly educating themselves on the issues and candidates. In Robenalt’s view, the results of the judicial races in Cuyahoga County this year reflect an important milestone in voter behavior, showing that, given the opportunity, voters will use nonpartisan information to make decisions. But where to find such information? Voters need look no further than a website Robenalt helped to create in 2001, Judge4yourself.com.

“Judicial elections are important to every citizen – the quality of justice is at stake. Unfortunately, voters have found the selection of judges mystifying, knowing precious little of a candidate other than party affiliation, name and gender. The result in our county has been that certain names have become powerful and sometimes candidates with those names win despite poor qualifications,” says Robenalt, chair of Thompson Hine’s Business Litigation practice. “We wanted to do something about the guessing game, so people could judge for themselves. When voters are able to research judicial candidates just as they would major issues on the ballot, everyone benefits.”

The Judicial Candidates Rating Coalition is a nonpartisan, diverse group of five bar associations. The group interviews judicial candidates and posts ratings on Judge4yourself.com based on those interviews, along with endorsements from local newspapers. “Voters are shown a diversity of opinion on each candidate and they then make the choice,” says Robenalt. “The reason this website works is that people are not force-fed any one opinion – each member of the coalition remains independent in its rating.”

The site received much media attention this election season, from coverage in the Sun Newspapers to a November 10 editorial in The Plain Dealer, and it’s clear the voters love it.

Adam Liptak from the New York Times had this to say about the site during a recent radio interview on the topic of judicial elections and appointments: “I think that [this] group…performs an incredible public service by trying to get out carefully prepared, reasoned ratings of the judges… if [the website] were distributed more widely and people were making their decisions on judicial candidates based on real information rather than feel-good ads or, even worse, attack ads, we might have a better system.”

Testimonials sent to the website include:

“This website is pure gold! Information is clear, concise and unbiased. A great resource.”

“…I pass out these ratings to everyone I know. Without this, I shudder to think how our judges would be elected.”

“When I went to vote…I noticed that everyone in line had a judge4yourself.com printout…Your hard work made the judicial races easy – it was confusion-free.”

“Congratulations on making such a big improvement in the process and in improving the quality of our bench.

11-20-2006

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Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Seth Jacobson Participates in Private Equity Conference
Chicago banking and institutional investing partner Seth Jacobsen was among the faculty members for the "Private Equity Acquisition Financing Summit 2006," held November 20 in New York City. The program examined key concepts and strategies in serving the financing needs of portfolio companies of private equity firms through their entire life cycle. Mr. Jacobson spoke on "New Financing Techniques.

11-20-2006

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Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

Stradley Ronon Adds Director of Information Technology
Jamie Gianna has joined Stradley Ronon as director of information technology.

With more than 20 years of management experience in the information technology (IT) field, Gianna directs the firm’s 15-member IT department. He is responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of planning, delivering and supporting technology systems, applications and tools for more than 150 attorneys in the firm’s six offices.

Prior to joining Stradley Ronon, Gianna was the director of information technology at the New York City-based firm Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP.

11-20-2006

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Rider & Bennett, L.L.P.

DEB YERIGAN NAMED 2007 TOP 40 FAMILY LAW SUPER LAWYER
Debra E. Yerigan, Chair of Rider Bennett's Family Law Practice Group, has been named a 2007 "Top 40 Family Law Super Lawyer" by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine.

Debra, a partner with Rider Bennett, practices exclusively in family law. She has extensive experience representing clients in marriage dissolution, child custody, child support, parenting time, spousal maintenance, property division, post-dissolution, paternity, domestic abuse and antenuptial matters. Debra believes that focusing on one area of law gives her the opportunity to provide the best service to her clients.

Active in many professional organizations, Debra is a member of the American, Minnesota State and Hennepin County Bar Associations, as well as the Family Law Section of each. She served on the Fourth District Ethics Panel from 1997 through 2004. Debra has consistently been named a “Super Lawyer” and has been recognized as a "Top 40 Minnesota Family Law Attorney" by Minnesota Law & Politics. She has been admitted to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has also been selected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in Minnesota and the 2007-08 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Debra has taken on leadership roles in many community organizations. She has served on the Brooklyn Park Master Planning Task Force, as commissioner and chair of the Brooklyn Park Planning Commission, and as co-chair of the Brooklyn Park 610 Corridor Committee. She has participated in the Hennepin County Women’s Political Caucus Steering Committee, Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus Steering Committee, and served as treasurer of the Minnesota Women’s Education Council.

11-20-2006

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