Two Prominent French Lawyers, Georges Terrier and Christophe Perchet, Join Davis Polk

PARIS (Business Wire EON) March 14, 2008 -- Georges Terrier, who joins Davis Polk from Jeantet, a leading independent French law firm, is a prominent member of the Paris bar who has earned a market-leading reputation for his corporate advisory, M&A , corporate governance and related litigation expertise. He possesses an in-depth knowledge of the market and has developed trusted relationships with a number of senior business leaders and other leading players in the legal and financial community of Paris.

Christophe Perchet, during 10 years spent at Jeantet, has developed a combined M&A and related litigation expertise, in particular as legal adviser to large French and international companies in connection with their cross-border transactions.

The recruitment of Georges Terrier and Christophe Perchet furthers Davis Polk's objective, announced with the hiring of Arnaud Peres and the current team of lawyers practicing French law, of becoming a leading Paris firm in strategic advisory and transactional work for its French and international clients.

John R. Ettinger, Managing Partner of Davis Polk, said: "France is a strategic market for our firm and our clients, and we are delighted that Georges and Christophe have agreed to join our team of lawyers in Paris. We admire their professional qualities and what they have achieved already in their careers. Importantly, we share with them the same values and vision for the development of our profession, our French practice and how best to address our clients' needs."

He added: "This recruitment is a major step forward, which strengthens our roots in the French market. It is critical to be able to provide our French and international clients doing business in France both the resources and expertise of our international network and an in-depth knowledge of the French market."

Georges Terrier said: "I am extremely impressed by the personal and professional qualities of the Davis Polk partners. Having spent many years with a superb French firm, it is very exciting for us to be joining Davis Polk, with its leadership position on Wall Street and, above all, to have the opportunity to build a totally integrated team of first-rate French and U.S. lawyers. The international dimension provided by Davis Polk's network, particularly within Europe, which we will thus be able to bring our clients, is essential in order to assist them in their most important transactions."

Christophe Perchet said: "One of the attractions of our joining Davis Polk is being able to work with people who have a strong teamwork culture. This team-oriented approach is the way Georges and I have always enjoyed working and it translates into high quality service for the client."

Margaret Tahyar and Arnaud Peres, partners in the Paris office, emphasized that Georges Terrier and Christophe Perchet bring a special combination of both transactional and litigation expertise. According to Ms. Tahyar: "This combination is increasingly a key part of the strategic advice that clients seek today."

Georges Terrier, 61, is a leading corporate and litigation lawyer on the Paris scene. A partner at Jeantet since 1982, he has been managing partner of the firm since 2000. His clients include some of the largest French companies in the fields of luxury goods, industry, transport, banking and insurance. Recent corporate transactions in which he has been involved include advising Sacyr Vallehermoso, the Spanish construction group, in connection with the litigation proceedings related to its unsolicited public tender offer for the French construction group Eiffage; the Vallourec group, in connection with the acquisition of VM Tubes, one of Vallourec's strategic industrial assets; the French nuclear group Areva in connection with the acquisition of the T & D division of Alstom and Suez, in connection with various transactions, including the sale of the French cable-operator, Noos.

Christophe Perchet, 41, is a corporate lawyer with experience in public and private mergers and acquisitions, as well as related litigation. Recent transactions in which Christophe Perchet was involved include advising the French government in connection with the re-organization of EADS corporate governance and its share capital restructuring; advising Sacyr Vallehermoso, in connection with the privatization of Sanef, the French motorway company, and in the acquisition of a 30% stake in the French construction group Eiffage; and advising the French nuclear group Areva in connection with various acquisitions in related business areas such as mining, uranium enrichment and electrical equipment. He began his legal career in 1992 as an associate of Freshfields in Paris before joining Jeantet in 1997, where he was made a partner in 2001.

About Davis Polk & Wardwell. Davis Polk & Wardwell is a global law firm based in New York City. For nearly 160 years, its lawyers have advised industry-leading companies and global financial institutions on their most challenging legal and business matters. Davis Polk ranks among the world's preeminent law firms across the entire range of its practice, which spans such areas as capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, credit, litigation, private equity, tax, investment management, insolvency and restructuring, executive compensation, intellectual property and real estate. The firm has approximately 700 lawyers in offices in New York, Menlo Park, CA, Washington, DC, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo.