May 25, 2004

Fishman Haygood Ranked Top Corporate Law Firm in Louisiana by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2004 Edition

Once again, we have been ranked first among Louisiana corporate law firms in the Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business guide. The publication listed five of our partners as leaders in Louisiana and also praised our banking and litigation practice groups.

Corporate Law/Mergers & Acquisitions

For the second straight year, the guide awarded top ranking to our corporate and mergers and acquisitions practice, stating that "the firm punches far above its weight with expertise in both securities and M&A." It highlighted our work with mid-sized and start-up businesses, as well as large Louisiana-based corporations.

Two partners were singled out for their prominence in the corporate/M&A practice area. They commended Louis Fishman as "a man of extreme integrity - open and honest," and praised his strong negotiating skills. Paul Haygood has impressed clients with his "wealth of knowledge," and they described him as "one of the smartest attorneys around." The guide also noted that these three partners "are credited with training many of the leading practitioners in the state."

The guide also recommended our firm’s corporate/M&A team for its special expertise "advising companies on the ramifications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, creating hedge funds and designing strategies to prevent hostile takeovers."

Banking & Finance

The Chambers guide called our firm "the leading authority on bank mergers and acquisitions," citing superior skill in transactional lending, regulatory work and advice on bank closings. The guide noted that Fishman Haygood "has attracted banks in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to its client roster and specializes in complex loan arrangements to companies based in the state."

The guide’s commentators considered partner Sterling Scott Willis "one of the go-to-guys" in the field, "well versed in the nuances of oil and gas-related financings."

Litigation

The Chambers guide also recommended the firm "for its cultivation of a commercial litigation practice that houses a thriving media and tax specialty." The guide highlighted litigation head Jim Swanson’s prominence in the area of First Amendment litigation and the firm's publishing client base that includes The Times-Picayune.

The Chambers guide is published by Chambers & Partners, a United Kingdom legal publishing company. The guide and its rankings are designed to reflect market opinion measured through personal interviews by Chambers researchers with clients and lawyers across the United States.

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