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Christopher Kandel, a former Finance partner in the London office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, and Bill Rubin, a former Finance partner in the London office of Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP, have joined the partnership of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.

Mr. Kandel, whose practice is focused on financing for complex leveraged deals, will be joining the Banking and Finance Department in London. Mr. Rubin, a specialist in project finance, will join the firm's Project Finance team in London.

"Both Chris and Bill are exceptional lawyers with outstanding reputations and experience. Each of their practices fits with our core competencies, yet each is focused on those areas poised for further growth in our London office, banking and project finance. We see both as necessary components as we expand Cadwalader's capabilities in London and throughout Europe" said Robert O. Link, Jr., Cadwalader's Chairman.

"Chris has a broad general banking and capital markets practice, with a specialty in representing financial institutions in international finance transactions. Because of his level of expertise in jurisdictional, multi-layered financings, Chris will be a tremendous asset to the Banking and Finance Department in London as we seek to strengthen our cross border capabilities, expand our leveraged finance practice, and complement the team Stephen Mostyn-Williams is building. Adding Bill's expertise to the firm's strong group of project finance lawyers with a diverse range of specializations provides a superior base from which to pitch for the largest global project finance transactions" said Andrew Wilkinson, Managing Partner of Cadwalader's London office.

" There is a tremendous opportunity in London to build a substantial leveraged finance practice. Few firms in London have the experience and expertise to carry out complex multi-debt layered buy-out transactions. Chris, who practices under both English and New York law, will enhance our capabilities and offering to clients across senior debt, mezzanine and high yield. We now have built a team of over ten specialist bank debt finance lawyers and also intend to extend our leading securitisation business into the LBO arena" said Stephen Mostyn-Williams, Head of the firm's International Banking and Finance practice.

" Bill's specific geographical areas of expertise, namely Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia, add depth to our current practice, which is focused on projects in Africa, South Asia, Western Europe and the Middle East and energy trading in the UK and Europe. Awareness of these geographical markets, and increased sector coverage in power, telecoms and infrastructure projects, will allow the group to continue to develop and act on further major project instructions" said Paul Biggs, Head of Cadwalader's European Project Finance practice in London and Europe.

" Few Magic Circle firms are players in the representation of lenders in the European LBO market. I look forward to teaming with Stephen Mostyn-Williams to help build Cadwalader's international banking and finance practice" said Kandel.

" I look forward to joining Cadwalader's project finance group. The group has a strong team of lawyers which, after only a short period of time, has developed a sound reputation and the capability to handle the largest and most complex project finance transactions" said Rubin.

Cadwalader's London office continues to focus on the firm's core competencies capital markets, financial restructuring, banking and project finance, and litigation each of which is strong and growing. Since opening in 1997, the office has increased in size threefold and now employs more than 70 attorneys. In May 2002, the firm reaffirmed its commitment to the city and the European markets by relocating its offices to state-of-the-art facilities at 265 Strand, doubling the previous UK office capacity of Cadwalader.

Prior to joining Fried, Frank, Mr. Kandel was a partner at O'Melveny & Myers. He was a corporate associate at Piper & Marbury and an associate at O'Melveny & Myers, where he began his career. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale College in 1982 and earned a J.D., cum laude, from Cornell Law School in 1985. He is admitted to practice law in California, Maryland, the District of Columbia, England and Wales.

Prior to joining Weil Gotshal, Mr. Rubin was a Chief Counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where he supervised a team of lawyers working on financings for projects in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. From 1985 - 1992, he was with Coudert Brothers where he concentrated on banking and project finance in the Singapore, Tokyo and London offices. He began his career as an associate with Jones Day in Washington, DC. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, in Engineering and Applied Sciences from Harvard College in 1978 and earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1982.

Cadwalader Names Nine New Partners

December 11, 2003—Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, one of the world’s leading international law firms, has elected Michele Cohen, Anthony Davis, Gregg S. Jubin, Douglas I. Koff, Brian J. O’Sullivan, Frank Polverino, Jeffrey Y. Rotblat, Martin L. Seidel and Matthew J. Williams as Partners of the firm.

“We are pleased to welcome these outstanding attorneys to the partnership. The election of nine to the firm’s partnership is evidence of the high quality of lawyers working within Cadwalader today. It is also a demonstration of the growth and expansion the firm is experiencing both in the U.S. and in the U.K.,” said Robert O. Link, Jr., Cadwalader’s Chairman. “It is a great pleasure to congratulate them today and we look forward to their continued success and contributions to the firm in years to come.”

The following attorneys were elected Partner:

· Michele Cohen, an attorney in the New York Financial Restructuring Department, focuses her practice on corporate finance and restructuring transactions. She has extensive experience in acquisition financings, leveraged restructurings and refinancings, and other syndicated lending transactions, in addition to high-yield bond issuances, senior and subordinated bridge financings, project and structured financings, and private placements. Ms. Cohen received her B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Georgetown University, and her J.D. from New York University School of Law.

· Anthony Davis, an attorney in the Tax Department, resident in London, focuses his practice on a wide range of tax issues in the financial sector, handling the tax aspects of securitizations, debt issuance and a variety of derivatives issues. He also has extensive expertise with UK and international tax issues surrounding restructurings and corporate reorganizations as well as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, collective investment schemes and property transactions. He graduated with an Upper Second Class (Honours) degree from Oxford University and also obtained a Masters Degree in Medieval Studies from the University of London. He qualified as a solicitor in 1981 and as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in 1985.

· Gregg S. Jubin, an attorney in the Washington Capital Markets Department, focuses his practice on corporate and finance transactions, with particular emphasis in hedge fund and private equity fund-of-funds transactions, structured hedge fund transactions, collateralized debt obligations transactions, derivative transactions, synthetic structured products transactions and other types of structured products transactions. Mr. Jubin represents the managers of hedge funds and private equity fund-of-funds, collateral managers, investment banking firms, commercial banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions. He received his B.S. from Montclair State College and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law.

· Douglas I. Koff, an attorney in the New York Litigation Department, focuses his practice on large, complex litigation matters.

· Brian J. O’Sullivan, an attorney in the New York Litigation Department, focuses his practice on complex reinsurance litigations and arbitrations.

· Frank Polverino, an attorney in the New York Capital Markets Department, focuses his practice on commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and residential mortgage-backed securities. He has been responsible for a variety of public and private CMBS transactions, including fixed-rate conduit, floating-rate conduit, large loan, singe asset and seasoned pool deals, as well as resecuritization of CMBS. He received his B.S. from New York University’s Stern School of Business and his J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School.

· Jeffrey Y. Rotblat, an attorney in the New York Capital Markets Department, focuses his practice on all forms of commercial mortgage-backed securitization and resecuritizations, real estate and asset backed CDOs, whole loan trades, franchise loan securitizations, real estate participations and real estate mezzanine lending. He has been responsible for all of the legal, real estate and securities aspects of CMBS transactions. He received his B.A. from Yeshiva University and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was appointed to the Moot Court Board.

· Martin L. Seidel, an attorney in the New York Litigation Department, focuses his practice on complex business litigation matters.

· Matthew J. Williams, an attorney in the London Banking and Finance Department, focuses his practice on high value UK and European energy work, including project development and financing, financial restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, privatizations and commodity/derivatives trading.

Neil Weidner to Relocate to Cadwalader’s London Office

Partner’s Practice to Broaden Client Services Offered to UK and Europe

London, 2 February 2004, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP today announced that New York based capital markets partner Neil Weidner will be relocating to Cadwalader’s London office. Mr. Weidner, whose practice is concentrated in the areas of structured finance, derivative financial products and securities laws, will continue to service his U.S. client base while also broadening the capabilities and services offered by the firm to UK and European clients out of the London office. His relocation to the London office is expected to be effective second quarter 2004, at which point he will continue to divide his time between the firm’s London and New York offices on an ongoing basis.

“The breadth and depth of the products and services offered by Cadwalader’s capital markets department are unparalleled. With Neil’s move to London we will be able to offer an even wider range of services, on a more localised level, to our rapidly expanding European client base,” stated Robert O. Link, Jr., Cadwalader’s Chairman.

“Cadwalader has been focused on growing its international securitisation practice to the prominence it has achieved in the U.S. Neil’s representation of underwriters, issuers, institutional investors, collateral managers and trustees in a wide range of matters involving the securitisation of traditional and non-traditional assets will certainly help toward achieving this goal,” Mr. Link concluded.

Mr. Weidner actively practices in various areas of structured finance and has extensive experience in the area of CDOs. He represents issuers, derivatives dealers and end users in a broad range of matters, including structured swaps, total return instruments, equity and indexed-linked securities, credit derivatives and investment contracts, and other types of structured products.

“The Capital Markets Department in London is a major driver of growth for our London office, particularly as U.S. securitisation techniques are being used as the model for transactions undertaken by jurisdictions throughout the EU. Being part of a firm so entrenched in this industry makes us unique versus other firms in London today. Having Neil in London will only serve to strengthen this position,” said Andrew Wilkinson, Managing Partner of Cadwalader’s London office.

Since opening its London office in 1997 Cadwalader has steadily grown the office’s capital markets practice, which now numbers more than 15 lawyers. Jim Croke, who leads the London team, has also divided his time between London and New York for several years

Cadwalader’s CMBS Dominance Continues

Commercial Mortgage Alert’s CMBS Database Ranks Cadwalader First as Issuer Counsel; First as Underwriter Counsel in 2003 Rankings
London, UK, February 20, 2004, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP continued its commanding performance in the commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) market in 2003, capturing the top spots in the rankings as both issuer counsel and underwriter counsel, according to figures released today by Commercial Mortgage Alert’s CMBS Database. With four times the number of deals as the nearest competitor, Cadwalader ranked first as issuer counsel with 43 deals valued at $42.9 billion. The firm also ranked first as counsel for the underwriter with 32 deals valued at $28.8 billion.

“Once again Cadwalader’s Capital Markets and Real Estate Finance teams more than rose to the occasion, securing our position as the preeminent securitisation firm in the industry,” stated Robert O. Link, Jr., Cadwalader’s Chairman.
“Cadwalader is proud to have been a part of some of the earliest CMBS transactions, helping to shape this market since its beginning. The innovations we bring to the table and our track record of success is a result of this deep involvement. Our goal is to continue to grow this market, and our practice, in the U.S., UK and Europe.”


 

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