Paul Hastings Adds Prominent M+A Lawyer Luc Saucier to Paris Office

December 19, 2005

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP (Paul Hastings), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce today that Luc Saucier, previously at Rambaud Martel, has joined the firm as partner in the Corporate Department, resident in the Paris office. Lucs practice is focused on large-scale public company transactions. Luc, a fulbright scholar, earned LL.M degrees both from Columbia University and the University of Paris. He is admitted to the New York and the Paris Bars. One of the main objectives of the Corporate Department is to expand our transactional capabilities around the globe, said Robert Miller, Paul Hastings Corporate Department Chair. Lucs experience in high profile domestic and cross border transactions will be a tremendous asset to our clients and instrumental in the future growth and development of Paul Hastings M+A practice in Europe. Recruiting top talent that will bring additional depth to our core competencies is a main focus of the Paris office, said Dominique Borde, Paul Hastings Paris Office Chair. Luc is a highly regarded lawyer with extremely strong expertise on a wide range of client matters and is an outstanding addition to our Paris office as well as an exceptional resource to our offices in London and Milan. Lucs practice focuses on both public and private M&A, cross-border transactions, joint-ventures, and other similar transactions. He also provides clients with general corporate and commercial law advice. Recently, Luc has participated in several M&A transactions including Metrovacesas acquisition of Gecina, Sanofi Synthelabos acquisition of Aventis, and the leveraged buyout of Vivarte. The Paul Hastings Corporate Department: Paul Hastings has 400 corporate attorneys located in 17 global offices. The Corporate Department acts as counsel to public and private companies, financial institutions, investment funds and private investors. The Corporate Department represents these clients in all aspects of their business including mergers and acquisitions, financings, cross-border transactions, leveraged buyouts, and general corporate work. Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP, founded in 1951, is a leading international law firm with 1,000 attorneys in 17 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including many of the top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies, supports clients in all of their legal needs and offers deep capabilities in Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M+A, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Project Finance, Investment Management, Real Estate, Labor and Employment and Tax Advisory Services. For additional information, please visit our website at www.paulhastings.com.