Press Release

HONG KONG and WASHINGTON, D.C., November 7, 2008 - Winston & Strawn LLP announced today that it is taking the next step in a remarkable year of growth by acquiring eight partners and several associates and other legal professionals from Heller Ehrman.

Pending local regulatory approval in mainland China and Hong Kong, Winston & Strawn plans to open offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, with several partners, associates and other professionals many of whom were previously with Heller's offices in Greater China.*Winston also has acquired Heller's entire international trade practice group in the Washington, D.C. office, and a prominent environmental litigation partner in San Francisco.

"This is a strong team of sophisticated attorneys who bring added quality and breadth to our international transactional and litigation capabilities,” said Tom Fitzgerald, managing partner of Winston & Strawn. “We are continuing our strategic expansion in regions widely viewed as having the greatest growth opportunities for the firm and its clients.”

“We are very pleased to have such talented lawyers join the firm, and expect them to be a great fit with our core practices and culture," said Winston & Strawn chairman Dan Webb. The latest moves are designed to increase Winston's transactional and litigation strength.

The partners joining in Hong Kong are Simon Luk, David Hall-Jones, and Michael Phillips. Luk, the former chair of Heller's Hong Kong practice, has substantial experience in corporate mergers and acquisitions, private equity and fund formation, and advising emerging companies. Phillips' credentials include capital markets, M&A transactions, real estate finance, hospitality, and insolvency matters. Hall-Jones is well known for his experience in international arbitration and complex commercial litigation, particularly involving cross-border implications.

“We decided to join Winston & Strawn because of its significant corporate clients and exceptional litigation practice. Winston & Strawn's platform will help us continue to provide high quality service to our clients, and grow our practice," said Simon Luk, head of Winston's initiatives in the region.

The Hong Kong team will continue to work closely with Winston's new Washington, D.C.-based international trade partners William Barringer, Daniel Porter, Christopher Dunn and James Durling, all of whom have been involved in numerous trade cases with regard to China. The group also includes one of counsel, three associates, four high-level trade analysts and other key support professionals who are based in China.

In addition to those in Washington, D.C., Winston & Strawn’s international trade practice includes practitioners in Chicago, San Francisco, Geneva, Moscow and Paris and will extend to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. The incoming lawyers based in the nation's capital bring with them a broad range of skills and decades of experience handling some of the world’s most significant international trade disputes in all parts of the world.

Barringer, Porter, Dunn and Durling have practiced together for more than 20 years and are recognized by Chambers and Partners as one of the most respected international trade lawyer teams in the United States. In the past 20 years, they have represented exporters and importers involved in some of the most significant international trade cases, including several of the largest involving exports from Asia. "We're extremely pleased with the addition of this group. Coupled with our established capabilities in the area, particularly in Geneva, this addition should be a tremendous strategic asset for our clients," said Tom Frederick, chairman of Winston & Strawn's litigation practice, referencing the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The group is perhaps best known for its skill in representing clients in trade remedy disputes, such as antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard investigations. Of particular note, the team includes in-house economic support from non-lawyer specialists in Beijing and elsewhere, including former Commerce Department officials, who provide economic analyses based on the massive amounts of data compiled in international trade cases.

Winston & Strawn's new international trade team also has extensive experience advising foreign countries and industries in disputes and negotiations before the WTO and in various bi-lateral and regional trade contexts. They have prosecuted and defended WTO dispute settlement proceedings and advised both governments and companies on multilateral and bilateral negotiations on a wide range of issues, including trade remedies, intellectual property, customs  procedures, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and technical barriers to trade.

The firm announced last week the hiring of environmental litigator, Joseph Armao, who joined Winston's San Francisco office as a partner. Armao represents major companies in private disputes related to, among other things, cost recovery, toxic exposure, class actions, activist suits and contamination cleanups.

Earlier this year, Winston opened an office in Charlotte, N.C., with the addition of nearly 20 corporate finance attorneys. The firm has added nearly 150 attorneys in the past 18 months.

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international commercial law firm with more than 1,000 attorneys in 11 offices. Understanding our clients face many challenges on a daily basis, Winston & Strawn provides solutions to our clients' legal issues.

* Winston & Strawn has begun the process of formalizing its presence in mainland China and Hong Kong where it will be formally affiliated with a local partnership encompassing Mssrs. Luk, Hall-Jones and Phillips.

EDITOR'S NOTE:   Tom Fitzgerald, Simon Luk and William Barringer are available for media interviews.