Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, the international law firm, today announced that Michael J. Aiello has joined as a partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions group of the firm's Corporate Department, effective January 2, 2007. Mr. Aiello, 37, has moved to Weil Gotshal's New York office from Dewey Ballantine, where he was a partner. He started his legal career as an associate at Weil Gotshal.

Mr. Aiello regularly represents acquirors, targets, buy-out groups, boards of directors, special committees, investment banks, investors and shareholder groups in complex domestic and international transactions, both negotiated and unsolicited. Among clients he has represented are The Walt Disney Company, Sony Corporation of America, Actavis Group h.f., DTE Energy, Associated British Foods plc, Sumitomo Corporation of America, Omnicare, Inc., Sempra Energy, Credit Suisse, Lazard Freres and Merrill Lynch.

Of Mr. Aiello's decision to join the firm, Stephen J. Dannhauser, Chairman of Weil Gotshal, said, "We are delighted to welcome an attorney of Mike Aiello's caliber, particularly since he is, in a sense, 'coming home' to the firm where he started. He is an accomplished practitioner and extraordinary individual. We have worked hard to develop a client focused, team-oriented approach, and are confident that Michael will be a vital part of our first-tier mergers and acquisitions practice headed by Howard Chatzinoff and Fred Green."

Added Thomas A. Roberts, co-chair of the firm's Corporate Department, "This makes sense for us and it makes sense for Mike, not only because we know him so well, but because Weil Gotshal will provide him with the ideal domestic and international platform from which to serve clients, expand his practice, and help grow our overall Corporate practice."

Confirming the reasons for his decision, Mr. Aiello added, "There's no doubt in my mind that Weil Gotshal is a great choice, both for the clients I represent, and for me. This is a firm at the top of its game, a market leader and one of the fastest growing in the industry, with unparalleled M&A and private equity practices which complement my own perfectly."

Commenting on Mr. Aiello's addition, Barry M. Wolf, co-chair of the firm's Corporate Department added, "Weil Gotshal is not a firm that takes lightly the decision to add a lateral partner, but in Michael's case, we saw two things which made this work. First, his practice is at a level comparable to our own and, in some cases, with clients we also represent. Second, we know him and he knows us, so there was no uncertainty about ensuring a smooth transition."

Michael J. Aiello holds a JD degree from Widener University School of Law (1994), and earned a B.A. in Political Science from New York University in 1991. Prior to joining Weil Gotshal as an associate, he served as law clerk to Judge Collins J. Seitz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was recognized in 2005 and 2006 in Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business as a leader in the field of mergers and acquisitions, and was named one of The National Law Journal's "40 Under 40" for his work in M&A. He has authored several articles discussing the fiduciary duties of corporate directors and officers, recent developments in mergers and acquisitions and corporate compliance matters, including Sarbanes-Oxley and related rules. He is a recipient of the prestigious Burton Award for Legal Achievement for his article, "Taking a Hard Look at Poison Pills," which originally appeared in The New York Law Journal in 2005.

The Corporate Department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP numbers over 500 attorneys globally, and regularly represents clients in the world's largest and most complex transactions, including sophisticated mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity transactions, securities offerings, financings, debt restructurings, real estate transactions and other commercial transactions. The Department also handles an array of general corporate matters, including SEC and regulatory compliance, corporate governance practices, executive benefits and compensation plans, proxy solicitations, new business ventures and technology and trademark licensing.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is an international law firm of over 1,100 lawyers, including approximately 310 partners. Weil Gotshal is headquartered in New York, with offices in Austin, Boston, Brussels, Budapest, Dallas, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Miami, Munich, Paris, Prague, Providence, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Warsaw, Washington DC and Wilmington.

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