DLA Piper Ramps up U.S. Capital Markets Capabilities in Asia.

The Hiring of Two New U.S. Capital Markets Partners Significantly Strengths the Firm's Corporate Platform and Deepens DLA Piper's Ties to Global Investment Banks

NEW YORK -- DLA Piper has announced that Stephen Peepels and Gene Buttrill, leading corporate and securities lawyers

Stephen Peepels, who will head the U.S. capital markets practice in Asia, comes to DLA Piper from Jones Day, where he helped to develop a large Asian capital markets practice. His recent work includes representing UBS, JPMorgan and China International Capital Corporation in the U.S.$2.6 billion initial public offering by China Merchants Bank. He also represented Morgan Stanley, UBS and CICC in the U.S.$1.6 billion initial public offering of Fosun International, one of the largest initial public offerings in 2007. Steve has practiced in Asia for more than 10 years on financial transactions in Hong Kong, throughout Greater China and in Southeast Asia.

Gene Buttrill, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, joins from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He has substantial experience representing investment banks on corporate finance transactions in Greater China. He has advised the underwriters and issuers on a significant number of SEC-registered offerings by foreign private issuers, and represented both PRC issuers and the underwriters in reorganizations and listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, including the U.S.$3.3 billion China Shenhua Energy Company IPO. His recent debt offering experience includes the U.S.$1.0 billion high yield bond offering by CITIC Resources Holdings, the largest high yield offering ever from Asia.

Both lawyers have built their careers representing leading global investment banks in international offerings and have deep ties to Asia's investment banking community. The arrival of the new partners comes approximately six months after Roger Meltzer joined DLA Piper from Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP to lead an aggressive expansion of the firm's Corporate and Finance practice in the United States and abroad. As Global Chair of the practice, Meltzer has been working to attract and manage significant engagements in New York and to lead efforts to recruit quality corporate lawyers in major financial centers around the world.

"The addition of these partners is a significant step in advancing our strategy to develop a leading global corporate and finance practice," said Meltzer. "Steve and Gene bring vast experience with cross-border IPOs, and share strong ties to the world's leading investment banks with whom we are actively working to forge deeper relationships around the world. We are thrilled to add these credentialed transactional lawyers to our thriving corporate practice."

Nick Seddon, Asia Managing Partner added, "We have been building a strong Hong Kong-based corporate team for several years, and have had great success as Hong Kong counsel on several large Hong Kong initial public offerings under the experienced leadership of partners Dr. Liu Wei and Esther Leung. By adding lawyers with the depth of experience Steve and Gene have on the U.S. capital markets side, we position DLA Piper as a premier firm delivering integrated legal advice on public offerings in Hong Kong and the United States, and take advantage of the strong market for international capital markets transactions regionally."

About Stephen Peepels

Steve began his career as a lawyer in the Chief Counsel's Office of the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance. After leaving the SEC, he has practiced in New York, London, San Francisco and Singapore, as well as Hong Kong. His primary practice is in corporate finance, with an emphasis on international offerings of debt and equity securities, including SEC-registered offerings and international securities offerings under Rule 144A and Regulation S. He also has advised on many M&A and privatization transactions. In the past several years, Steve has worked extensively for the major international investment banks, including UBS, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, throughout the PRC and Asia.

Steve received his B.S. and B.A., cum laude, and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh.

About Gene Buttrill

A native of Palo Alto, California, Gene has over 20 years experience in China. Gene was a law clerk with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati prior to law school and practiced at Linklaters in New York and Hong Kong and then Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in Hong Kong after graduating with honors from Columbia Law School. Since moving his practice to Hong Kong from New York in 2002, Gene has completed transactions with every significant U.S. and European investment bank operating in the region. His affinity for telecommunications, media and new technologies companies combined with his strong China skills has resulted in his significant involvement in the recent wave of listings by PRC interests in the United States. In addition to working on over a dozen such SEC-registered offerings, Gene has been active in the restructuring and listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange of state-owned and privately held PRC companies. He is also experienced with equity-linked offerings by PRC and ROC issuers, high yield debt offerings, global equity offerings, and PRC share and asset acquisitions.

Gene, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, is a member of the New York Bar. He received a B.A. from Dartmouth College, a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Stone Scholar, and has completed graduate work in the PRC with Johns Hopkins University S.A.I.S.

Continuing to Build a Leading Global Corporate and Finance Practice

DLA Piper's Corporate and Finance practice includes more than 800 attorneys worldwide. Recognized as one of the world's leading emerging growth, venture capital and technology law firms, DLA Piper lawyers advise clients on public and private equity and debt securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions and reorganizations, in addition to corporate governance, IT, tax, compensation and technology issues. Lawyers in the firm's Finance practice counsel clients on syndicated loans, asset-based and cash flow loans, mezzanine and private equity investments, transportation finance and leveraged lease transactions, as well as specialty areas such as projects and infrastructure and real estate structured finance products.

About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)

DLA Piper has 3,400 lawyers in 25 countries and 64 offices throughout the U.S., U.K., Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia. It has leading practices in corporate, finance, human resources, litigation, real estate, regulatory and legislative, tax, and technology, media and communications. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.