Orrick Continues International Growth With Launch Of Milan Office

International law firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has announced the opening of a Milan office as part of its continuing European growth. On 2^nd April 2003 some 23 lawyers, including 7 partners from the Italian legal affiliate of Ernst & Young, Studio Legale Tributario, joined the firm. Orrick’s Milan office will be led by Alessandro De Nicola, previously National Director of E&Y’s legal arm in Italy.

Orrick’s Milan office enters the market with a leading reputation in the Italian and international markets for major cross-border and domestic corporate, M&A, restructuring and project finance transactions as well as intellectual property, technology, competition, administrative and real estate law. Clients include major Italian and international corporates, financial institutions and civil and government bodies.

"The opening of our Milan office is a vital step in Orrick's global strategy of establishing a presence in the world's centres of business and finance as we compete with the leading global law firms for complex, high-value, cross border engagements," said Orrick Chairman & CEO Ralph H. Baxter. "As the seventh largest economy in the world, and the fourth largest in Europe, Italy is a vital market in the European Union’s evolving commerce with an increasing need for sophisticated legal service."

Baxter added, "The Italian economic and legal sectors are undergoing a profound transformation involving consolidation, deregulation and privatisation. The opening of an office in Milan demonstrates Orrick’s intention to be an important participant in providing sophisticated international business and financial legal advice that will flow from this transformation."

The establishment of this new office follows Orrick’s first move into continental Europe in November 2002, when the firm merged with the Paris office of Watson, Farley & Williams. The latest addition extends the reach of Orrick’s global corporate, project finance and infrastructure practice into the key Italian and Southern European markets.

David Syed, Orrick’s Managing Partner for Europe, added, "Just as the Paris office gave us access to the French and European cross-border markets for high-level finance transactions, we expect Milan to offer our clients a platform in Southern Europe for corporate transactions including high-level M&A and restructuring as well as project finance and public law. Additionally, we expect to see the benefit of significant synergies between our offices internationally, permitting us to serve existing and new clients on an increasingly global basis."

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP's lawyers serve clients from 11 offices around the world: San Francisco, New York, Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, Pacific Northwest, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo.

The firm opened its London office in 1998 driven by its importance as a critical business and financial centre for clients. Orrick has built its team in London with talented lawyers qualified in the UK, US and Europe, who work in international cross-border teams with Orrick lawyers in across the US and Far East.

The Paris office was founded in October 2002 and now comprises 13 partners and approximately 35 associates. It has a leading reputation in the French and international market major cross border and domestic transactions involving structured finance, leasing, asset finance, corporate and tax.

Orrick’s commitment to a strategy of global expansion was further displayed when the firm opened its office in Paris last year. The Paris office marked the firm’s first move into continental Europe and extends the reach of its market-leading global finance practice. David Syed is Orrick’s Managing Partner–Europe & Asia and leads the firm’s international strategic development in Europe.

Orrick’s Divisions and Practice Areas.

Orrick is organized into three divisions supported by key practice areas. Our commitment to cost-effective, innovative legal solutions is shared in all practice areas and in every office worldwide.

For additional information please access www.orrick.com.