Weil Gotshal to Open Hong Kong Office; Senior New York Partner Akiko Mikumo to Head Office and become Managing Partner for Asia

Weil Gotshal to Open Hong Kong Office; Senior New York Partner Akiko Mikumo to Head Office and become Managing Partner for Asia

September 06, 2007

    NEW YORK, Sept. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Leading global
law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges announced today its
plans to open an office in Hong Kong in October 2007. The
Hong Kong office will provide firm clients with
transactional counseling throughout Asia, broadening Weil
Gotshal's presence in Asia from its substantial office in
Shanghai.  The firm is also in the process of applying for
a license to open an office in Beijing in the near future.

    Weil Gotshal also announced its initial strategy to
staff the new Hong Kong operation with deeply experienced
transactional attorneys from both the firm's New York
headquarters and from Shanghai.

    Akiko Mikumo, a senior corporate partner from the New
York office and a member of the firm's Management
Committee, will become Managing Partner for Asia and the
head of the Hong Kong office.  Ms. Mikumo has a diverse
corporate and securities law practice, with a focus on
mergers & acquisitions for corporate and private equity
clients.  She has been repeatedly recognized as a leading
practitioner in her field and was named "Dealmaker of
the Year" by The American Lawyer in 2004.  Ms. Mikumo
previously headed the US practice in the firm's London
office from 1998 to 2002.  

    In addition to Ms. Mikumo, two additional partners will
be relocating to the Hong Kong office:  Peter Feist, a
corporate partner from the New York office who focuses on
private equity and mergers & acquisitions, and David
Meredith, a corporate partner from the Shanghai office,
specializing in capital markets.  Several of the firm's
highly qualified associates, initially Lindsay Germano and
Roy Wiesner, will also relocate to the Hong Kong office.

    About the announcement, Weil Gotshal Chairman Stephen
J. Dannhauser said, "We are delighted to announce the
opening of our Hong Kong office.  There are considerable
business opportunities in Asia and these opportunities
continue to create a need for the client-driven,
commercially-minded attorneys that are the hallmark of our
firm. Coupled with our established presence in Shanghai,
our new Hong Kong office evidences our continued commitment
to the region.  In line with that commitment, we are sending
some of our best partners and associates to lead this
effort."  Continued Dannhauser, "Hong Kong will
provide the platform for Weil Gotshal's expansion into
other Asian markets, including India and Japan, and with
our offices strategically located in Asia, we will have an
exceptional platform to deliver the incisive, best-in-class
legal advice and service clients are asking for throughout
the region."

    Ms. Mikumo stated, "I am delighted to have the
opportunity to lead the firm's expansion in Asia. We will
have an extremely talented team in Hong Kong made up of
lawyers who are excited about our opportunities in Asia,
are determined to expand our presence there and will bring
sophisticated, commercially-oriented transactional skills
that will serve our clients well throughout Asia.  We are
confident that the office will be a tremendous success. 
Under the leadership of Steve Xiang, we already have a
hugely successful office in Shanghai, and we believe that
Weil Gotshal will rapidly expand from that base to become
one of the premier firms in the region."

    Steve Xiang, head of the firm's Shanghai office, said,
"Akiko is an outstanding attorney and wonderful
leader, and she is bringing with her a superb team.  Peter
Feist is one of the rising stars of our corporate
department in New York and David Meredith has already
established a presence in Hong Kong for capital markets. We
look forward to this broader Asian platform and the
opportunity to build on our local experience and
contacts." 

    The new Hong Kong office is to be located in Gloucester
Tower in The Landmark complex, located in the Central
financial district of Hong Kong. 

    About Weil, Gotshal & Manges

    Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is an international law
firm of 1,200 lawyers, including approximately 300
partners. Weil Gotshal is headquartered in New York, with
offices in Austin, Boston, Budapest, Dallas, Frankfurt,
Houston, London, Miami, Munich, Paris, Prague, Providence,
Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Warsaw, Washington DC and
Wilmington, and opening in Hong Kong in October 2007.


    For more information, please contact:

     Mike Ford 
     Weil, Gotshal & Manges
     Phone: [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]