Paul Hastings Boosts Global Private Equity Practice With Addition of Leading Private Equity Lawyer William S. Kirsch

December 06, 2006

Paul Hastings Boosts Global Private Equity Practice With Addition of Leading Private Equity Lawyer William S. Kirsch Firm Strengthens New Chicago Office With Top-Notch Private Equity Expert

Chicago, IL (December 6, 2006) - As part of the continued expansion of its new Chicago office, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP (Paul Hastings), is pleased to announce that nationally recognized private equity lawyer William S. Kirsch has joined the Chicago office as partner and chair of the global private equity practice.

"Recruiting exceptional talent to build a substantial Chicago presence in our core practice areas has been our strategy from the beginning. Bill's decision to join Paul Hastings speaks volumes about our platform, reputation and top-tier client base," said Seth Zachary, Chairman of Paul Hastings. "The addition of Bill will boost our presence in Chicago, enable us to attract additional leading practitioners and catapult our global private equity practice. Bill exemplifies the kind of world class talent we seek to bring on board."

"I am extremely excited about joining Paul Hastings new Chicago office," said Kirsch. "My background and expertise will allow for the continued growth of Paul Hastings global private equity practice, a strategic priority for the firm."

During Bill Kirsch's 23 years at Kirkland & Ellis, he helped build its private equity practice and rose quickly to the top of the Firm as a leader in the private equity group. While at Kirkland & Ellis, he served in various management capacities including the firm management committee, chair of the compensation committee, co-chair of the finance committee, as well as other important management roles. Bill has led the legal representation of hundreds of large and complex private equity transactions including acquisitions of Boise Cascade and Jefferson Smurfit Group by Madison Dearborn Partners. During his career, Mr. Kirsch represented such private equity clients as Audax Group, Bank of America Global Equity Group, CIVC Partners, Madison Dearborn Partners, Olympus Partners, Providence Equity Partners, Sun Capital Partners, Thomas H. Lee Company, Willis Stein & Partners and others. While at Kirkland, Mr. Kirsch served as General Counsel of Madison Dearborn Partners from 1999 through 2004 and also served as a member of the advisory committee of Sun Capital. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Boise Cascade.

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 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.