Sidley Austin LLP Expands Private Equity Practice with Addition of Six New Lawyers

Business Wire, March 20, 2008

CHICAGO -- Sidley Austin LLP announced today that six lawyers will join the firm in Chicago in the private equity practice. These lawyers, S. Michael (Sy) Peck, Jeffrey Smith, Roger Wilen, Dirk Andringa, Alexis Cooper and Nancy Kasko, will integrate their significant experience representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies with Sidley's well established M&A and securities practices and expanding private equity practice.

"These are six exceptionally talented and successful lawyers in the private equity arena and they will make valuable contributions to our private equity team," said Fred Lowinger, co-head of the firm's M&A and Private Equity practice. "Our new colleagues will be an integral part of our efforts to expand the scope and depth of our services to the private equity community."

"Sidley offers us the ideal platform to grow our practice in all areas of private equity," said Peck. "Sidley is already recognized as a global leader in so many areas, including M&A, capital markets, financing, corporate governance and hedge funds. Their global private equity practice is extremely active and we are thrilled to not only be a part of this, but to add a new dimension of experience to an already substantial practice."

These six new private equity lawyers have extensive experience in a wide range of complex corporate transactions, including LBOs, equity investments, add-on acquisitions, divestitures, public offerings, recapitalizations and restructurings.

Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world's largest full-service law firms, with more than 1800 lawyers practicing in 16 U.S. and international cities including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Every year since 2003, Sidley has been named to Legal Business' Global Elite, their designation for "the 15 finest law firms in the world." BTI, a Boston-based consulting and research firm, has named Sidley to their Client Service Hall of Fame as one of only two law firms to rank in the Client Service Top 10 for seven years in a row.

For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.