4 New Tax Partners/Tax Counsel for Cleary Gottlieb

International law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP announced yesterday that it has elected 8 new partners and 6 new counsel, effective January 1, 2007. The elections bring the total number of Cleary Gottlieb partners worldwide to 189, and the total number of counsel to 43.

“We are very proud to introduce these five women and nine men as partners and counsel of Cleary Gottlieb,” said firm managing partner Mark Walker. “Representing six offices and nine practice areas, these outstanding individuals reflect the firm’s commitment to legal excellence, internationalism and diversity, and their elections will broaden our abilities to provide our clients with unparalleled legal service throughout the world.”

Biographical information of the newly elected tax partners and counsel:

FRANKFURT/COLOGNE

Volker Junge, counsel, whose practice focuses on German and international tax law, joined the firm’s Frankfurt office in 2004. He regularly advises financial institutions and corporate clients on the tax aspects of global capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and debt restructurings. In 2005, he provided German tax advice on the employee offering associated with Gaz de France’s Eur4.5 billion IPO-one of the largest IPOs in recent years and the largest IPO of a French state-owned company since the 1999 privatization of Credit Lyonnais. He also represented Goldman Sachs in the financing of the acquisition of various German real estate portfolios. Most recently, he advised private equity firm HMD Capital Partners on the debt restructuring of the German fashion retailer SinnLeffers. He is a member of the Bar in Frankfurt.

LONDON

Kate Habershon, counsel, joined the firm’s London office in 2003. A Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and in New South Wales, Australia, she specializes in corporate taxation, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and financial products. She also specializes in employee compensation tax work. Recently, she provided tax advice to Texas Pacific Group in its bid for foam rubber producer British Vita, and Hellman & Friedman on the buyout of investment manager Gartmore. She also advised on the tax aspects of the recent management buyout of A.T. Kearney.

NEW YORK

Kathleen M. Emberger, counsel, joined the firm’s New York office in 1998. Her practice focuses on executive compensation and benefits matters, including global employee incentive arrangements, benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions transactions, and corporate governance. She recently was a member of the team that advised the United Auto Workers in its negotiation of a groundbreaking agreement with General Motors to modify GM’s obligations to provide health care benefits to its retirees. She has also represented clients on major M&A transactions, including handling the benefits aspects of Capital One’s $5.3 billion acquisition of Hibernia, Texas Pacific Group’s and Warburg Pincus’ $5.1 billion acquisition of the Neiman Marcus Group, and PeopleSoft’s $10.3 billion acquisition by Oracle. She also represented Capital One in its pending $14.6 billion acquisition of North Fork. In addition, she has advised companies such as Citigroup, Constellation Energy, Continental Airlines, The Interpublic Group of Companies and Tech Data Corporation on corporate governance and disclosure matters related to executive compensation arrangements. She is a member of the Bar in New York.

PARIS

Anne-Sophie Coustel, partner, joined the firm’s Paris office in 2001. Her practice focuses on French and international tax matters, and she has represented corporate clients on the tax aspects of major transactions, including capital markets and mergers and acquisitions matters. She also has extensive experience with employee stock offerings (including leveraged offerings), employee benefit plans and management incentive packages. A member of the Bar in Paris, she is currently providing tax advice to Mittal in the implementation of its acquisition of Arcelor, and to Euronext in its proposed merger with the New York Stock Exchange. Previously, she advised Euronext subsidiary Clearnet in its merger with London Clearing House.