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Michael J. Aiello to Join Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as Partner in Corporate Department
(January 3, 2007, Weil Gotshal Press Release)
New York, January 3, 2007 - Weil,
Gotshal & Manges LLP, the international law firm, today announced that
Michael J. Aiello has joined as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions
practice 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, buyout 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.
About Weil, Gotshal & Manges
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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