Paul Hastings Advises Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group on Merger with Patina Restaurants Group

February 27, 2007

Paul Hastings Advises Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group on Merger with Patina Restaurants Group

New York, NY (February 27, 2007) - Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, a leading international law firm, served as legal advisor to The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWRG) in its merger agreement with the Patina Restaurant Group LLC.

According to the agreement, Patina will acquire Smith & Wollensky in an all-cash merger at a price of $9.25 per share. As part of the transaction, Mr. Alan N. Stillman, Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Wollensky, will acquire from Patina the restaurants currently operated in New York and will assume certain specified liabilities.

The Paul Hastings team included partners Michael Zuppone and Thomas Kruger and associates Glenn Schoenfeld, Keith Pisani, Jonathan Perle and Yoon-Kyung Chang.

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP, founded in 1951, is a leading international law firm with over 1,100 attorneys in 18 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including including many of the leading global financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies and offers deep capabilities in Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M+A, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Project Finance, Investment Management, Real Estate, Labor and Employment and Tax Advisory Services. For additional information, please visit our website at www.paulhastings.com.