News

02.15.2003

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP announced today that it is opening a Washington D.C. office, effective February 15, 2003. The office is the Firm's first outside California, and will be led by Edward F. Schiff, a highly respected transactional attorney specializing in corporate and complex real estate matters, and Robert L. Magielnicki, a veteran antitrust and trade regulation counselor and business lawyer. The Washington D.C. office will offer Sheppard Mullin's clients nationwide assistance in many regulatory areas, including antitrust and trade regulation, government contracts, aviation, environmental and land use, and health care.

"This is a milestone event for Sheppard Mullin. It is fitting that during the Firm's 76th year, we open an office in our nation's capital," said Guy Halgren, Chairman of the Firm's Executive Committee. "The addition of Ed and Bob and the opening of an East Coast office will help us provide the best service possible to our clients and give us a strong base of operations for handling matters of federal and national significance."

Commented Schiff, "Washington is the focal point for national regulatory matters, and our proximity to federal agencies will allow us to better serve the current and growing needs of clients." He added, "Our national and international clients will now have access to a full complement of legal services in virtually all legal and regulatory areas."

Joining Schiff and Magielnicki in the new Sheppard Mullin office are tax expert Ronald A. Feuerstein, commercial litigator Roy Goldberg and corporate lawyer Thomas Ball. The Firm expects to announce the addition of more lawyers very soon.

Mr. Schiff has extensive experience in assisting public and privately held companies structure and manage complex real estate, financial and corporate transactions; advising entrepreneurs and investors on raising and investing public and private capital; and developing creative and effective financing techniques. He handles acquisitions and divestitures, equity and debt restructurings, leveraged buy-outs, joint ventures and strategic partnerships for clients ranging from emerging businesses and commercial banks, to venture capital firms and institutional lenders. Mr. Schiff has represented offshore corporations in connection with United States tax treatment of domestic and foreign generated revenues; lenders in connection with secured and unsecured credit facilities; syndications in the placement of financing for the acquisition of performing and non-performing loan portfolios; European-based lenders in connection with financing the acquisition and development of hotels, conference centers, and recreational facilities; institutional lenders involving the restructuring of debt for income-producing properties; and tenants and landlords in the negotiation of leases for industrial, commercial and retail space.

Mr. Schiff received his B.A. from Pennsylvania State University in 1966 and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 1969, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable John Minor Wisdom, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Mr. Schiff is a member of the American Bar Association and of several professional and charitable associations, including the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, D.C., Board of Directors; and the Club at Franklin Square, Board of Governors. Mr. Schiff has served on the Boards of Directors of several local and regional financial institutions.

Mr. Magielnicki has a multi-disciplinary practice with emphases on antitrust, domestic and international business transactions, and complex civil and criminal litigation. He has extensive experience in antitrust and trade regulation, both domestically and internationally, and served as division general counsel at General Electric. Mr. Magielnicki has provided antitrust counseling on a broad spectrum of business matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing, distribution systems, trade association activities, standards development issues and more. He has represented clients before the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and the FTC. Internationally, Mr. Magielnicki has represented clients in investigations by the Competition Directorate of the European Union, as well as national competition authorities of several European and South American nations and the Japan Fair Trade Commission. His litigation experience includes representing corporations and individuals in both civil and criminal investigations and litigation, including class actions. Mr. Magielnicki’s business representations include the sale of a consumer products subsidiary of an international company and the formation of an international joint venture between a Fortune 100 client and a Mexican company. He represents an array of clients engaged in manufacturing, telecommunications, computers, healthcare and environmental services.

Mr. Magielnicki received his A.B., with honors (Phi Beta Kappa), from Rutgers University in 1967 and his J.D. from Cornell Law School, with distinction, in 1970, where he served as Editor of the Cornell Law Review. He was elected to the Order of the Coif. Mr. Magielnicki is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.

Tax practitioner Ronald Feuerstein has an LL.M. in taxation from New York University and a J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law (1973). He has worked at the United States Tax Court, and focuses his practice on tax controversy work before the IRS and state tax agencies. He also assists clients with tax planning, tax structuring of transactional matters, and sophisticated estate planning, international and employee benefit matters.

Roy Goldberg, a 1987 graduate of the University of Colorado Law School, concentrates his practice in commercial and regulatory litigation before federal and state courts and arbitration panels. He has successfully represented clients in challenges to federal agency rulemakings, and has handled numerous bid protests and other government contract matters.

Thomas Ball, a 1997 graduate of Columbus School of Law of Catholic University, has a broad corporate practice, including mergers and acquisitions, licensing, formation, and stock/debt issuance.

Sheppard Mullin has more than 340 attorneys among its eight offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, San Diego, Santa Barbara, West Los Angeles, Del Mar Heights, and Washington, D.C. The full-service firm provides counsel in Antitrust & Trade Regulation; White Collar and Civil Fraud Defense; Business Litigation; Construction, Environmental, Real Estate & Land Use Litigation; Corporate; Entertainment, Media & Communications; Finance & Bankruptcy; Financial Institutions; Government Contracts & Regulated Industries; Healthcare; Intellectual Property; Labor & Employment; Real Estate, Land Use, Natural Resources & Environment; and Tax, Employee Benefits, Trusts & Estates. The Firm celebrated its 75^th anniversary in 2002.

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