Press Release

Morgan Lewis Continues European Expansion with M&A Partner in Paris and London

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

PARIS—June 12, 2012: Morgan Lewis today announced that Olivier Chambord—an M&A and energy transactions lawyer who will relocate from Paris to London in the coming months—has joined the firm as a partner in its Business and Finance practice. Along with Chambord, associate Allison Soilihi joins the firm. Their arrival follows the recent addition of a team of litigators from Winston & Strawn—Alexandre Bailly and Xavier Haranger—to the Paris office.

"Olivier brings a keen insight into the business and legal needs of energy companies—a key segment of our client base—and other important sectors of the global economy," noted Charles E. Engros, leader of the firm's Business and Finance practice. "Rejoining many colleagues he has known and worked with for more than a dozen years, Olivier will be a great resource to our clients in the UK, EU, and Francophone Africa."

The firm has added a number of lawyers and staff across seven offices on three continents to continue developing its strong focus on energy, business and finance, and litigation—including a major expansion in London and two new locations for the firm in Moscow and Almaty. Morgan Lewis has invested in key geographic and practice areas for the firm's client base, recently drawing teams of lawyers and staff that have worked well together for many years. All told, the firm will be home to 17 partners (including Chambord), 3 international partners, 5 counsel, 42 associates, as well as more than 70 staff from the former Dewey & LeBoeuf firm, including 10 trainees.

Chambord joins a Business and Finance practice comprised of more than 300 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia that focuses on mergers and acquisitions (including joint ventures, spin-offs, and strategic alliances), energy transactions (including oil and gas, utilities, and renewable energy), private equity, fund formation, finance, restructuring, securities (including public and private equity and debt offerings), emerging business and technology, outsourcing transactions, and tax. Applying a deep understanding of virtually every industry and type of business enterprise, Morgan Lewis attorneys serve as outside general counsel to many of the world's leading companies and act as special counsel to others either in specific areas or on a transactional basis.

Morgan Lewis is a leading provider of legal services in the global energy industry, with extensive experience advising on some of the world's most complex and significant energy transactions. The firm's attorneys are well versed in national and cross-border transactions, as well as a wide range of energy and energy-related industry sectors. They have considerable experience managing and negotiating complex transactions in electric power; upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas; LNG; gas transportation; power transmission; and renewable energy projects.

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