Corporate and Financial Services Lawyers Robert Azarow, Edward Bright, and Stephanie Nygard Join Arnold & Porter In New York
New York, September 21, 2010 -- Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that corporate and financial services lawyers Robert Azarow and Edward Bright have joined the firm as partners in New York, along with Stephanie Nygard, who has joined as counsel. Mr. Azarow and Ms. Nygard have experience in mergers and acquisitions and securities transactions for commercial banks, savings institutions, and other financial institutions that complements Arnold & Porter's existing bank regulatory and corporate practices. Mr. Bright's background in executive compensation and employee benefits will add depth to the firm's executive compensation and tax-planning practices.
"Rob, Ed, and Stephanie will add to our transactional capability in New York and broaden our footprint in the financial services sectors," said Arnold & Porter Chair Thomas Milch. "This team has an excellent track record and reputation, and will deepen our bench in financial services."
Mr. Azarow was a member of the corporate and financial institutions practice groups at his former firm. He has served as corporate and regulatory counsel, handling mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, SEC reporting, and bank regulatory matters for a wide range of publicly held and privately owned depository institutions, as well as for investment banks. He has worked extensively on FDIC-related transactions, and his clients have included banks, mortgage companies, insurance companies, private equity firms, and other financial institutions. Mr. Azarow is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.
Mr. Bright's practice focuses on executive compensation and employee benefit needs of publicly traded financial institutions, providing advice to institutions, their boards of directors, and individual executives. He frequently acts as outside counsel for executive compensation and ERISA matters for these clients, including retirement plan design, compliance and administration, employment contracts, equity and incentive compensation programs, and related corporate governance issues. He also provides strategic counseling and transactional advice on compensation and benefits issues arising in mergers and acquisitions and divestitures. Mr. Bright is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School.
Ms. Nygard was a member of the corporate and financial institutions practice groups at her former firm. She represents federally and state chartered depository institutions, holding companies and other financial institutions in a broad range of corporate and regulatory matters and transactions, including mergers, public and private offerings of securities and Securities Exchange Act reporting. She has extensive experience advising clients as to compliance with applicable federal and state banking, securities, and corporate laws and regulations. Ms. Nygard is a graduate of the New York University School of Law.
"Ed, Stephanie, and I are impressed by Arnold & Porter's platform in the financial services sector, and we believe our experience will complement its corporate practice as well," said Mr. Azarow.
Mr. Bright said, "Arnold & Porter has long been recognized as one of the leading legal advisors to financial institutions and continues to expand its presence with them as their legal needs evolve. We are happy to be a part of that continuing expansion."
Arnold & Porter has continued to expand the New York office throughout the past two years in both its transactional and litigation capabilities with the addition of real estate finance lawyers John Busillo and Alan Lawrence; corporate tax lawyer Cynthia Mann; former federal prosecutor Marcus Asner, who joined the white collar criminal defense practice; and hedge fund and private equity fund lawyer Richard Chen.
The firm's corporate and securities lawyers, who are based throughout its US and London offices, provide premier services to a wide variety of corporate clients, handling matters ranging from complex, high-profile mergers and acquisitions for multinational FORTUNE 500 companies to vital business transactions for rising mid-market companies, start-ups, and entrepreneurs. Arnold & Porter also has one of the world's most sophisticated and respected sovereign finance practices, advising on multibillion dollar transactions throughout South America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Arnold & Porter's financial institutions group provides US and international financial institution clients with comprehensive regulatory, litigation, and transactional services. The practice group handles complex regulatory and transactional issues and litigates cases involving the financial services industry at the administrative level and in the state and federal courts, including the US Supreme Court. The practice group is recognized for developing innovative structures and novel solutions to regulatory issues, which allow clients to optimize their business strategy.
Arnold & Porter LLP, an international law firm of more than 700 attorneys, has offices in Brussels, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Virginia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The firm, founded in 1946, maintains more than 25 practice areas spanning a broad spectrum of the law, with a primary focus on litigation, transactional matters, and regulatory issues.