December 3rd, 2010… Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that 22 attorneys have been elected to the partnership, and 20 associates have been elected to the role of counsel, effective January 1, 2011.

“These talented new partners and counsel have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to client service and have made significant contributions to the management and growth of our firm’s business across a range of transactional, litigation and regulatory practice areas,” said Robert M. Dell, Chairman and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins. “We congratulate the attorneys on their accomplishments and know they will continue to uphold the high standards of quality and collaboration that are hallmarks of Latham & Watkins.”

The attorneys elected to the partnership are:

CHICAGO

Timothy FitzSimons is a corporate attorney whose practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions with an emphasis on friendly and unsolicited tender offers and advising independent directors in conflict of interest transactions, financial sponsor and portfolio company representation in venture capital and private equity transactions and public company representation. He received a JD from the Northwestern University School of Law in 2002.

Scott Hairston is a corporate attorney with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and general company representation, with particular expertise with companies and transactions in the hospitality industry. He received a JD from the University of Michigan in 2001.

Zachary Judd is a corporate attorney whose practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions both in the US and across the world, and general company representation. He has broad transactional experience representing both buyers and sellers in connection with stock and asset sales, managing auction sale processes, working with financially troubled companies and their lenders in connection with out-of-court restructurings and in-court bankruptcies, and has particular expertise in the areas of life sciences and distressed M&A. He received a JD from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2002.

Caroline Reckler is an insolvency attorney and has experience in a wide range of restructuring matters, both in and outside of bankruptcy, including representations of private and public companies in all aspects of chapter 11 proceedings, including prepackaged, prearranged, and involuntary bankruptcies. Her practice also regularly involves representing purchasers of distressed companies in bankruptcy, advising boards of directors and management of financially distressed companies and representing financial institutions in connection with debtor-in-possession financings. She received a JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001.

Noah Weiss is a finance attorney with a focus on senior secured lending and leveraged finance. He represents financial institutions, borrowers and private equity sponsors in US and cross-border asset-based and cash-flow loan transactions, typically in the context of acquisition financings, workouts and restructurings. He also has US and international experience in public and private mergers, acquisitions and securities offerings, and corporate governance matters. He received a JD from Columbia Law School in 2000.

DUBAI

Kai Schneider is a corporate attorney focused on investment funds, joint ventures and private equity. He has extensive experience advising clients in the MENA region and globally on the formation of, and investment in, a wide variety of Shari'ah-compliant and conventional private investment funds, including private equity, infrastructure, real estate, mezzanine, distressed debt, funds-of-funds, secondary, venture capital, hedge and other regionally focused and sector-specific funds. He received an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004 and a JD from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2001.

FRANKFURT

Marcus Funke is a corporate securities attorney who advises issuers and underwriters in complex capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, rights offerings and bond issuances, as well as in general corporate matters. His practice focuses on equity and debt capital markets transactions, and he has particular expertise in equity capital markets and high yield work. He advises financial industry participants as principals in securities transactions as well as in regulatory and deposit protection matters. He received an LL.M. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1999, and completed the Second German State Exam in Berlin’s Higher Regional Court in 1998 and the First German State Exam at the University of Heidelberg in 1996.

Markus Krüger is a corporate attorney who specializes in complex mergers & acquisitions, with a particular focus on private equity transactions and transactions in the financial industry. He also frequently advises clients in corporate restructurings and general corporate law matters and has significant expertise with bank regulatory and restructuring matters. Krüger received a Dr. jur. from the University of Constance in 2005, an LLM from New York University School of Law in 2000, and he completed the Second German State Exam at Munich’s Higher Regional Court in 1999 and the First German State Exam at the University of Passau in 1997.

Georg Weidenbach’s practice focuses on German and European antitrust law, including multi-jurisdictional merger control proceedings, cartel proceedings, abuse-of-dominance proceedings, contractual advice, and litigation. In addition, he has significant experience regarding compliance programs and antitrust audits. He has handled significant matters in various industries, including the petro-chemical, chemical, automotive, packaging, IT, freight and banking sector. He completed the Second German State Exam at Frankfurt’s Higher Regional Court in 2002, received a Dr. jur. from the University of Konstanz, Germany in 2001, received an M.Jur from the University of Oxford (Christ Church) in 2000, and completed the First German State Exam at the University of Konstanz, Germany in 1998.

HONG KONG

Timothy Gardner is a corporate attorney focused on mergers and acquisitions, including those involving public companies and private equity investors. He handles a wide range of public and private deals in the Asian markets, has counseled non-US incorporated public companies on the adoption of shareholder rights plans and other takeover defenses, and has handled complex special purpose acquisition company acquisitions of Chinese businesses. He received an LLM from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1994 and an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in 1992.

LONDON

Matthew Brown is a finance attorney who focuses on all aspects of project development and project finance. He represents borrowers, sponsors, financial institutions and export credit agencies. Brown has extensive experience leading and coordinating transactions involving multiple sources and tiers of financing. He has deep industry experience, in particular in the oil and gas, power and water sectors, both in established and developing markets. He received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide in 2000.

Scott Colwell is a corporate attorney focused on international capital markets, in particular complex debt capital markets financings and bridge lending. He has significant experience representing issuers and major investment banks across Europe in connection with cross-border public and private debt and equity offerings. He received a JD from Northwestern University School of Law in 2001.

Catherine Drinnan is an employment and benefits attorney focused on employment law, pensions law and the HR and pensions aspects of complex cross-border transactions. She has deep experience working with the corporate, finance and outsourcing practices advising on M&A transactions, lender risk management matters, and issues regarding transferring employees and pension liabilities respectively. Drinnan also advises investment banks, private equity firms and corporates on a wide range of benefits and compensation matters, including: recruitment and severance; downsizing; transfers of undertakings; UK Pensions Regulator issues; and day-to-day pensions and employment law issues. Her practice spans a wide range of industry sectors, but she focuses particularly on financial institutions, aerospace and defense, and internet and digital media. She received an LPC from the London College of Law in 2000.

NEW YORK

Dara Denberg is a finance attorney focused on all aspects of commercial real estate law, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions of real estate based companies, joint ventures, equity investments, and development. She has represented both institutional investors and operators in joint venture transactions for the ownership and operation of hotels, casinos and medical office buildings and has represented both purchasers and sellers in acquisitions and dispositions of various types of commercial real estate. Denberg also has substantial experience with commercial mortgage loan transactions, restructurings and workouts. She received a JD from the New York University School of Law in 2001.

Eli Hunt is a corporate attorney who represents public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, leveraged buy-outs, reorganizations and other general corporate matters. He has represented strategic investors and private equity firms in transactions involving US and non-US companies across a wide range of industries, including energy, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, media, entertainment and manufacturing. He received a JD from the New York University School of Law in 2002.

PARIS

Denis Criton is a corporate attorney who specializes in mergers and acquisitions including distressed M&A and restructuring with particular emphasis on leveraged acquisitions and private equity transactions, as well as general commercial work. He received a Law Degree and Postgraduate Law Degree from the University of Toulouse in 1998.

SAN DIEGO

Stephanie Kuhlen is a finance attorney specializing in structured finance, real estate (including acquisition, disposition and development) and joint venture transactions. Kuhlen practices primarily in the hospitality area, including hotels, resorts, golf courses and casino properties and also in the alternative energy realm. She received a JD from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law in 2000.

Alexander Long is a litigator focused on patent litigation and other complex disputes relating to patent rights, trade secrets and other intellectual property. He has significant experience in matters spanning the biotechnology, medical devices, telecommunications, semiconductor, software/hardware, consumer products and pharmaceuticals industries, and has litigated disputes concerning a broad range of technological arts in both the trial courts and in arbitration. He received a JD from the Northwestern University School of Law in 2001.

SAN FRANCISCO

Sadik Huseny is a litigator with extensive experience in civil antitrust disputes and government investigations, business torts, and other competition-related complex commercial litigation. His practice encompasses a wide range of industries including software, electronic equipment, semiconductor fabrication, hospitals, energy, and media, with a special focus on technology markets. He received a JD from the New York University School of Law in 2002.

Margaret Tough is a trial lawyer in our white collar defense and government investigations group. She has tried intellectual property, securities fraud, and criminal tax evasion cases, and conducted numerous internal investigations, domestically and abroad. She received her JD from the University of Washington School of Law in 2001.

SILICON VALLEY

Jamie Leigh is a corporate attorney focused on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments and restructurings. Her corporate experience also includes public and private securities offerings, financings and advising boards of directors regarding corporate governance, liability and fiduciary duty matters; she has worked extensively with clients in the internet and digital media, semiconductor and life sciences industries. Ms. Leigh received a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2002.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Jennifer Giordano is a litigator handling antitrust and competition matters, including complex multidistrict class action litigations involving claims of monopolization and price fixing. Ms. Giordano also assists clients in obtaining clearance of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures from the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice in connection with pre-merger notification proceedings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. She has represented companies in a broad variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive components, smokeless tobacco, processed food products, insulation, power/energy, cable television services and wireless communication devices. She received a JD from the George Washington University Law School in 2001.

The associates promoted to counsel are:

CHICAGO

Mark Ramsey is a finance attorney focused primarily on the representation of lenders and borrowers in connection with the structuring, negotiation, documentation and work-out of secured and unsecured syndicated credit facilities ranging from middle-market to large cap transactions in a variety of industries, including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and technology. His experience also includes the structuring, negotiation, documentation and work-out of energy and other infrastructure project financing transactions and the representation of financial institutions in connection with securitization transactions. He received a JD from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1998

Andrew Roberson is a tax attorney who specializes in tax controversy and litigation matters. He represents clients in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and has litigated several cases at all levels of the Federal court system, including the US Tax Court and various US Courts of Appeal. He received an LLM from the New York University School of Law in 2000 and a JD from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1999.

LONDON

Simon Graham is a finance attorney focused on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including sales and purchases of property portfolios, high value investment and commercial premises, office, retail and mixed use developments, leasing, corporate acquisitions and disposals involving a significant real estate element, refinancing transactions and other real estate investment vehicles. He received an LLB from the University of Manchester in 1997.

LOS ANGELES

Yury Kapgan is a litigator specializing in intellectual property and technology matters. He has a wide range of experience in technology disputes, licensing and acquisitions. He received a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 2001.

Dayan Rosen is a finance attorney specializing in banking and leveraged finance, advising investment banks, commercial banks, equity sponsors as well as public and private companies in a variety of bank and acquisition finance matters. He received a JD from the New York University School of Law in 1997.

David Zaheer is a corporate attorney with broad experience in mergers and acquisition transactions, capital markets transactions, joint ventures and public company representation. He focuses on advising public companies in a wide-array of corporate matters, including strategic acquisitions and dispositions, public and private securities offerings, SEC compliance and corporate governance matters. He received a JD from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law in 2001.

NEW YORK

Kimberly Desmarais is a finance attorney whose practice focuses primarily on the representation of investment and commercial banks, as well as borrowers and private equity funds, in a broad range of leveraged finance transactions, including acquisition financings, exit financings, other senior secured lending transactions and debt-restructurings. She received a JD from the Brooklyn Law School in 2001.

Abhay Lele is a finance attorney focused primarily on the representation of financial institutions, as well as borrowers and issuers, in leveraged finance transactions, with an emphasis on acquisition financings, leveraged recapitalizations, asset-based financings and working capital financings. He received a JD from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2001.

Michael Riela is a finance attorney specializing in corporate restructuring. He has significant experience in complex chapter 11 cases and out-of-court workout transactions. Riela represents secured and unsecured creditors, administrative agents, indenture trustees, debtors, purchasers, litigants in adversary proceedings, and other parties in restructuring matters. He received a JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001.

PARIS

Michel Houdayer is a finance attorney focused on leveraged finance, private equity and asset and project finance. He regularly advises leading French and foreign financial institutions, as well as investments funds and borrowers. He received an LLM from University College London in 2000, a Postgraduate Law Degree from the University of Paris XI in 1998, and a Law Degree from the University of Paris XI in 1997.

SAN DIEGO

Holly Bauer is a tax attorney focused on employee benefits and executive compensation, particularly the design, implementation and administration of tax-qualified plans, non-qualified plans, deferred compensation plans, stock options, other equity or cash based incentive plans and health and welfare plans. She has expertise in advising on tax, securities, and corporate law issues that arise in connection with the design and implementation of employee benefit plans. She received a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.

Darryl Steensma has been promoted to senior patent counsel and is a litigator who concentrates on complex disputes involving patent rights and related intellectual property matters across various industries including pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices. He received a JD from the Fordham University School of Law in 2002.

Michael Sullivan is a corporate attorney focused on transactions including public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities, tender offers, venture financings, joint ventures, mergers, stock purchases and asset purchases for life science, technology and REIT clients. He has represented investment banks in public financing transactions and private equity funds in various mergers and acquisitions, and advised on a wide range of general corporate matters, including: recapitalizations, fund formation, securities law and stock market listing obligation compliance issues and entity formations. He received a JD from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1999.

Valerie Torres is an environment, land & resources attorney focused on complex litigation and class actions, including government civil and criminal enforcement actions, environmental remediation, products liability, mass tort and consumer class actions. She has significant experience representing companies in large-scale environmental and toxic tort litigations, with special expertise in litigating the health, science and technology issues that arise in these contexts. She received a JD from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2002.

SAN FRANCISCO

Scott Russell is a litigator specializing in all facets of antitrust and competition law, including merger review, compliance counseling, private litigation, and government investigations. He has defended a wide-variety of clients from the technology, networking, and pharmaceutical sectors in complex civil actions around the country and in administrative enforcement matters of the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and international competition authorities. He received a JD from the George Mason University in 1998.

Scott Thompson is a tax attorney who specializes in employee benefits and executive compensation, particularly with respect to issues arising in corporate mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, initial public offerings and other corporate transactions. He also regularly represents employers and executives in connection with the negotiation of executive employment agreements and the design and implementation of equity compensation, deferred compensation and various other types of incentive compensation plans and arrangements and the tax, securities and corporate law issues that arise in connection with the establishment and administration of such plans. He received a JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001.

SILICON VALLEY

Michelle Bushore is a corporate attorney focused on merger and acquisition transactions, securities offerings and corporate governance, particularly in the technology industry. Her transactional experience consists of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions and registered and exempt securities offerings. Her M&A transactions include mergers, stock and assets purchases, joint ventures, private equity transactions, tender and exchange offers and corporate restructurings. She received a JD from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1998.

Karen Eberle is a corporate attorney focused on corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on public company representation. Her experience includes advising with respect to disclosure and reporting under federal securities laws, corporate governance matters, mergers and acquisitions and securities transactions. She represents technology companies and other public and private companies, as well as venture capital firms and investment banks. She received a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1995.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Kyle Jefcoat is a litigator who practices in the area of government contracts with a focus on contract and regulatory compliance, False Claims Act litigation, and bid protests before individual agencies, the Government Accountability Office, the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit. His expertise lies within the defense, information technology, and health care industries in providing advice related to internal investigations, mandatory disclosure, government ethics, small business size-status and affiliation, Freedom of Information Act requests, mergers and acquisitions (including novations), and prime-sub relationships. He received a JD from Duke University School of Law in 1999.

Luis Torres is a project finance attorney who specializes in representing companies in the development and financing of power, oil and gas, petrochemicals, mining, transport and other infrastructure projects in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. He also frequently represents commercial and multilateral lenders in project and corporate financings in emerging markets. Torres’s experience includes loan financings, equity and semi-equity investments, asset acquisitions, debt restructurings, structured finance products and local currency financings. He received a JD from the George Washington University Law School in 1998.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys in 30 offices, including Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the website at www.lw.com.

Notes to Editor

1 Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in the United Kingdom, France and Italy and affiliated partnerships conducting the practice in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. Latham & Watkins practices in Saudi Arabia in association with the Law Office of Mohammed Al-Sheikh.

Contacts

Robert M. Dell, Chairman and Managing Partner, +1.415.395.8050
Michael Bond, Chair of the Associates Committee, +44.20.7710.1067