Asia PR News

NEW YORK, BEIJING and HONG KONG, April 27 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

Douglas Markel To Join

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that it has opened an office
in Beijing to focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and capital
markets transactions for Chinese companies and for international companies and
financial investors interested in China. Simpson Thacher also announced that
Douglas Markel, a leading M&A practitioner based in China, will join the Firm
to head the Firm’s China practice in the Beijing office. The Beijing office
augments Simpson Thacher’s leadership in Asia, with established offices in Hong
Kong and Tokyo.

Pete Ruegger, Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee, said, "We
are very excited about the launch of our Beijing office, and are equally
delighted to have Doug join our talented team in Asia. His experience will
significantly enhance our ability to offer sophisticated M&A advice to our
clients in China and throughout the region."

Doug Markel commented, "I am looking forward to the opportunity to help
Simpson Thacher further grow its China practice and deliver outstanding legal
services to the Firm’s clients in this dynamic market."

Simpson Thacher has advised on some of China’s most sophisticated
transactions, including the representation of China Life Insurance Company,
China’s largest insurer, in a consortium to acquire Guangdong Development Bank
Co., Ltd. for US$3.1 billion. This transaction is the largest acquisition to
date of a majority stake in a Chinese financial institution and the outcome of
one of the largest takeover battles in China’s history. The Firm also
represented the underwriters in connection with the US$3.3 billion IPO and Hong
Kong listing of H shares of Shenhua Energy Company Limited, China’s largest
coal producer; and advised Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a leading solar
energy company headquartered in China, in connection with its Rule 144A
offering of US$500 million convertible notes, the largest ever convertible
offering of a non-State owned company out of China. The Firm has also worked on
several share offerings of Focus Media, a leading Chinese media company based
in Shanghai.

Chris Lin, one of Simpson Thacher’s senior partners in the region with more
than 15 years experience working on China-related transactions, will be the
Firm’s resident partner in Beijing. Douglas Markel will head the Beijing office
shortly after he joins the Firm. The China practice team also includes, among
others, Leiming Chen, recognized as one of the leading capital markets lawyers
in China, and Shaolin Luo, an experienced M&A counsel resident in Beijing.

Mr. Markel was previously a mergers and acquisitions partner at Freshfields
Bruckhaus Deringer. He has been practicing in Beijing for 16 years and is
fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Mr. Markel received his law degree from Harvard Law
School in 1990 and his Bachelor of Arts from Yale College in 1984.

Simpson Thacher has 45 lawyers practicing throughout Asia.

About Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (www.simpsonthacher.com) is a leading global
law firm, with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New
York, Palo Alto and Washington, D.C. The Firm is widely recognized throughout
Asia for its successful representations in complex capital markets, mergers and
acquisitions, fund formation and asset management, structured and project
finance, banking and general corporate matters. On a world-wide basis, the Firm
provides coordinated legal advice on the largest and most complex corporate
transactions and litigation matters.

BEIJING OFFICE:
29/F, China Merchants Tower
No. 118, Jianguo Road
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, China
Tel: +86-10-6566-8086

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Jean Cleary
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
New York, New York
jcleary@stblaw.com
+1-212-455-2180

SOURCE: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

CONTACT: BEIJING OFFICE,
+86-10-6566-8086, or

Media,
Jean Cleary,
+1-212-455-2180,
jcleary@stblaw.com,
of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Web site: http://www.simpsonthacher.com