Chicago – Sidley Austin LLP announced that sixlawyers will join the firm in Chicago in the private equity practice.These lawyers, S. Michael (Sy) Peck, Jeffrey Smith, Roger Wilen, DirkAndringa, Alexis Cooper and Nancy Kasko, will integrate theirsignificant experience representing private equity sponsors and theirportfolio companies with Sidley’s well established M&A andsecurities practices and expanding private equity practice.

“Theseare six exceptionally talented and successful lawyers in the privateequity arena and they will make valuable contributions to our privateequity team,” said Fred Lowinger, co-head of the firm’s M&A andPrivate Equity practice. “Our new colleagues will be an integral partof our efforts to expand the scope and depth of our services to theprivate equity community.”

“Sidley offers us the idealplatform to grow our practice in all areas of private equity,” saidPeck. “Sidley is already recognized as global leader in so many areas,including M&A, capital markets, financing, corporate governance andhedge funds. Their global private equity practice is extremely activeand we are thrilled to not only be a part of this, but to add a newdimension of experience to an already substantial practice.”

Thesesix new private equity lawyers have extensive experience in a widerange of complex corporate transactions, including LBOs, equityinvestments, add-on acquisitions, divestitures, public offerings,recapitalizations and restructurings.

On March 17, 2008 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission)
issued a release proposing a new anti-fraud rule under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (Exchange Act), which addresses “naked” short selling, which the
SEC has generally defined as “selling short without having stock available for delivery
and intentionally failing to deliver stock within the standard three-day settlement
cycle.”

Specifically, proposed Rule 10b-21 is intended to target: (i) short sellers who
deceive certain persons, such as their broker-dealers, about the source of borrowable
shares, to circumvent the Regulation SHO “locate” requirement; and (ii) long sellers
who misrepresent to their broker-dealers that they own the shares being sold, also to
circumvent Regulation SHO, as well as certain other rules.

The deadline for submitting comments on proposed Rule 10b-21 is May 20, 2008.