BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, October 27 2004 LAWFUEL – Law firm, capital markets, legal, attorney news— Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, one of the world’s leading law firms, today announced the continued expansion of its office in Hungary with the appointment of five attorneys specializing in capital markets, banking and finance. This move comes hard on the heels of the arrival at Weil Gotshal earlier this month of Dr. Konrád Siegler, one of the most well-regarded international lawyers in the Budapest market, as a partner in the Budapest office. The firm said client demand for its services is increasing due to its continued growth in Hungary and its elevated profile throughout the rest of Europe.
The five attorneys and their practice areas are Dr. László Nagy, corporate transactions and capital markets; Dr. Kinga Szabó, corporate transactions; David Fink, capital markets and finance transactions; Dr. István Gere, banking and finance transactions; and Dr. Gábor Szabó, capital markets and finance transactions. They join Weil Gotshal from a number of leading law international law firms, including Baker & McKenzie, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, and Cameron McKenna.
The addition of five new attorneys brings to 19 the total number of attorneys working with the Budapest office, including 2 partners, and anchors the establishment of practice areas in capital markets and finance.
“The reputation we have gained in Hungary since the founding of our Budapest office in 1991 is a great tribute to our team there, said Joe Tortorici, Weil Gotshal’s European Coordinating Partner. This latest expansion is not only a testimony to the quality and service Weil Gotshal has brought to this important marketplace, but also indicative of our growing strength in Europe.”
David Dederick, managing partner of Weil Gotshal’s Budapest office, said, “The addition of these five talented attorneys to Dr. Konrád Siegler’s team fulfills an important strategic objective of the firm to provide a broad range of capital markets and finance capabilities for our clients, along with Weil Gotshal’s already well-established M&A, private equity and venture capital practices.”
Dr. Siegler said, “We welcome László, Kinga, David, István and Gábor to Weil Gotshal. The firm looks forward to building even stronger ties with our key financial and corporate clients in Hungary, and we are pleased that we are able to do so with the addition of five such well-respected capital markets and finance practitioners.”
Among the recent accolades Weil Gotshal has received in Budapest and worldwide are the following:
o Leading law firm in Hungary for private equity and venture capital (Chambers Global 2003-2004; HVCA 2003 Survey);
o Leading law firm in Hungary for M&A (Global Counsel’s Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook 2003-2004);
o First-tier ranking in Hungary for M&A (European Legal 500 — 2004);
o Nominee for law firm of the year in Eastern Europe (Chambers Global 2003 and 2004).
o U.S. Private Equity Law Firm of the Year (Chambers 2004 Awards)
o One of the 10 best corporate law firms in the United States (Corporate Board Member)
o One of the top 10 law advisers for transactional value of its mergers and acquisitions for the first half of 2004 (Thomson Financial M&A Rankings)
o Nine Weil Gotshal partners around the globe were named as among the world’s leading M&A advisers (Euromoney Legal Media Group)
Weil Gotshal’s Budapest office, in addition to being a market leader in M&A, private equity and venture capital, has played a prominent role in Hungary’s privatization process. Since its establishment in 1991, the office has represented Hungarian and international clients in a wide variety of transactions, including M&A, capital markets, joint ventures, bank financings, real estate projects and greenfield investments. The Budapest office also provides clients with advice on Hungarian regulatory issues including banking, securities, telecommunications, media, competition and labor matters.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is an international law firm of more than 1,100 attorneys, including approximately 300 partners. Weil Gotshal is headquartered in New York, with offices in Austin, Boston, Brussels, Budapest, Dallas, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Miami, Munich, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Warsaw, Washington, D.C. and Wilmington. Additional information regarding Weil Gotshal can be found at www.weil.com.
Contacts: David Dederick
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Budapest
+36-1-302-9100
david.dederick@weil.com
Dr. Konrád Siegler
Siegler Law Office / Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Budapest
+36-1-302-9100
konrad.siegler@weil.com
Chris Pullen
Weil, Gotshal & Manges, London
+44-207-903-1259
chris.pullen@weil.com
Jill Goodkind
Rubenstein Associates
+1-212-843-8017
jgoodkind@rubenstein.com
Balázs Szántó
Noguchi Communications
+36-1-312-7289
bszanto@noguchi.hu
