LawFuel.com – 1 September, 2009 – NEW YORK — The international law firm of Chadbourne & Parke LLP today announced that Alper Deniz has joined the bankruptcy and financial restructuring practice in the London office as a partner in Chadbourne & Parke, the Firm’s affiliated partnership.
Prior to joining Chadbourne, Deniz, 36, had been a partner in the Finance and Restructuring Group of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP in London and before that he was an associate with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and Jones Day, both in London.
“Having Alper join us is strategically important for the Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Group in Chadbourne & Parke’s London office as we help clients with cross-border issues in today’s economy,” said Claude Serfilippi, Managing Partner of Chadbourne’s London office. “He will work closely with European restructuring head Adrian Harris and be part of our integrated global insolvency practice chaired by Howard Seife in New York.”

Also joining the practice will be Nuala Casey, 32, an associate who has been with Kirkland & Ellis International LLP in London and before that, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP. She has worked on cross-border restructurings, advising both debtors and creditors, and on acquisitions, disposals, and reorganizations of distressed businesses.
“We are delighted that Alper and Nuala are joining our Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Group in London. Alper is an experienced finance and debt capital markets lawyer who has been involved in a number of significant restructurings and refinancings,” said Mr. Harris. “Our client focus is strongly aligned and we have the advantage of having worked together before.”

The Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Group in the London office has been at the forefront of a range of issues relating to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, from advising fund clients on the recovery of assets under their prime brokerage and custody arrangements to the provisions of the forthcoming Scheme of Arrangement. The group has recently completed the restructuring of Carlton Screen Advertising Limited and continues to be heavily involved in the restructuring of Golden Key, a structured investment vehicle.

It has also advised a fund client on the refinancing of Spanish real estate developer, Reyal Urbis and has, more recently, advised on issues for noteholders arising out of the proposed merger of Baxi Group and De Dietrich Remeha Group. In emerging markets, the group has been involved in situations arising out of the difficulties faced by financial institutions in Ukraine as a result of the global economic downturn, and has advised on restructurings in Russia alongside the Firm’s Moscow and St. Petersburg offices.

Firmwide, Chadbourne’s bankruptcy and financial restructuring lawyers have represented clients in Chapter 11 cases and corporate restructurings in the United States and abroad, working for committees, banks, investment banks, insurance companies, bondholders and funds. They have had leading roles in the Enron, Refco, TOUSA, Inc., VeraSun Energy Corp. and Mirant Chapter 11 cases, and represented creditors’ committees in the Tribune Co., Spiegel, Inc./Eddie Bauer Inc. and Parmalat USA Corp. cases. Chadbourne is a leader in the use of cross-border ancillary proceedings, including its representation in a Chapter 15 of the receiver in the Russian bankruptcy of Yukos Oil.

Mr. Deniz speaks frequently at conferences and writes extensively on restructuring and insolvency. He qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1999. He received an LL.B. in 1994 and an LL.M in 1995, both from University College London. He also received a post graduate diploma, Legal Practice Course, in 1996 from the College of Law in London.

About Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Chadbourne & Parke LLP, an international law firm headquartered in New York City, provides a full range of legal services, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, project finance, private funds, corporate finance, energy, communications and technology, commercial and products liability litigation, securities litigation and regulatory enforcement, special investigations and litigation, intellectual property, antitrust, domestic and international tax, insurance and reinsurance, environmental, real estate, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, employment law and ERISA, trusts and estates and government contract matters. Major geographical areas of concentration include Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Latin America. The Firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Mexico City, London (a multinational partnership), Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Kyiv, Almaty, Dubai and Beijing. For additional information, visit www.chadbourne.com.

About Chadbourne’s London office

In London, the Firm conducts its practice employing both English-qualified solicitors and U.S. lawyers who work closely with other Chadbourne offices to provide seamless service to international clients. The London office offers a range of legal services under both English and U.S. law and, in particular, focuses on project finance, privatization, energy, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, capital markets, banking, insurance and reinsurance, securitizations, structured finance, corporate finance, litigation and products liability.

LawFuel.com – 1 September, 2009 – TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today recognized the 100th anniversary of Florida’s public records laws, noting the first public records law was enacted in August 1909. The law declared that all state, county and municipal records be open for a personal inspection of any citizen of Florida. An 1975 amendment to this statute removed the citizenship requirement.

“Florida has a proud tradition of leading the nation in open government
and transparency, which are the keys to building and maintaining public
trust in the institutions of government,” said Attorney General McCollum.
“I am honored to help promote and protect that access, a responsibility
which will continue to be a priority of my administration.”

In the century since Florida’s first public records law was enacted, a
significant body of statutory and judicial law developed that greatly
enhanced the original law. The state’s Public Records Act, which is
contained within chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, was first enacted in 1967. In the general election of 1992, Florida’s tradition of public
access was increased further when Floridians passed a constitutional
amendment guaranteeing public access to the records of all three branches
of state government.

“Holding government accountable is fundamental to a democratic society,
and Florida’s public records law, one of the best and oldest in the
nation, is a source of pride for each and every one of us,” said Barbara
Petersen, President of the First Amendment Foundation.

The anniversary coincides with a case in Leon County Circuit Court in
which the Attorney General’s Office filed an amicus brief in favor of
openness and transparency and in support of media access to documents made and received in connection with official business at Florida State
University. Prior to the action being filed, Attorney General McCollum
wrote a letter to the president of the National Collegiate Athletic
Association urging him to release certain records made available to FSU in compliance with Florida law. Numerous media organizations, the First
Amendment Foundation and the Florida Press Association argued the
documents were public record and should have been made available upon
request, and a judge recently ruled in their favor.

Educating local governments about Sunshine law requirements is a
significant priority of the Attorney General’s Office. Earlier this year,
Attorney General McCollum unveiled a series of online videos designed to
provide training and information to local governments, boards and
associations and law enforcement agencies on the requirements of Florida’s Sunshine and public records laws, including meeting notice requirements, rules for assessing fees and costs when responding to records requests, and exemption and redaction guidelines. The free training videos were made available through a new website, http://www.myfloridasunshine.com, launched by the Attorney General which also includes a free, downloadable copy of the Government in the Sunshine Manual, as well and training videos and resources for consumers, government entities, and the media.