Curtis Continues To Expand Paris Office and Cross-Border Legal Services by Adding Two New Partners and One Counsel

October 3, 2007, New York, NY - International law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (“Curtis”) continues to expand in France and boost its cross-border capabilities. Curtis has added two new partners, Jérôme Pentecoste and Eden Quainton, and one counsel, Pascale Rouast-Bertier, to the growing Paris office.

“These three attorneys are important additions to Curtis as a leading international law firm, advancing our ability to present a truly integrated multi-jurisdictional practice,” said Yves Lepage, co-head of Curtis' European practice. “Eden Quainton will help us establish a strong capital markets and cross-border transactional practice in Europe, with an emphasis on France. Jérôme Pentecoste is a very well-known authority in Administrative Law and Privately Financed Public Infrastructure Projects who will strengthen our standing in those practice specialties. Pascale Bertier's experience in financial, commercial and administrative law will also be a great asset for Curtis.”

The addition of the three attorneys is part of Curtis' overall expansion strategy, which includes the recent opening of an office in Istanbul and the expansion of its offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Muscat. The three new Curtis lawyers bring diverse backgrounds and experience to help satisfy the substantial market in France for cross-border legal services:

Jérôme Pentecoste (Administrative Law and Public Private Partnership (PPP)/leasing)
Jérôme Pentecoste specializes in public business law. He has established a strong reputation in Administrative law, Public Project Financing and Privately Financed Public Infrastructure Projects. Mr. Pentecoste's Public Law experience relates to public-private partnerships, public projects finance (especially in leasing with domestic/overseas tax lever effect) and pharmaceutical law. He is also regularly involved in securing permits delivered by the French State to private entities doing business in France.

He is a former Maître de Conférence at the Paris Institut d'Etudes Politiques and former Secretary of the Workshop Conference of Lawyers at the Council of State and High Court of Appeal. Mr. Pentecoste recently collaborated on the drafting of official documents and guidelines in the field of French public-private partnerships under the initiative of the French Ministry of Economy and Finances.

He earned his Postgraduate Degree, form the Public Law, Institute of Political Studies, Sciences-Po and his Master Degree in Public Law (DEA) from the University of Paris 12.

Eden Quainton (Capital Markets and Cross-border M&A)
Eden Quainton joins Curtis from the Paris office of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom. He specializes in complex capital markets transaction and both French and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Quainton has played the lead role in many corporate finance transactions including privatizations, initial public offerings, sovereign debt financings, Rule 144A and Regulation S primary and secondary equity, debt and derivative securities offerings, and has advised numerous companies in their ongoing reporting and compliance obligations.

He has advised on some of the largest global offerings in the telecommunications, infrastructure, aviation and defense sectors and some of the most innovative offerings in the telecoms, internet and media sectors.

Mr. Quainton received his J.D. with distinction from Stanford Law School. He also earned his M.A. at Stanford and his B.A. from Yale University.

Pascale Rouast-Bertier (Administrative Law and Public Asset Financing)
Ms. Bertier specializes in French and international asset financing and public financing. Ms. Bertier has specialized experience in financial, commercial and administrative law. She has advised French as well as foreign clients in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, financial, administrative and regulatory law. Prior to joining Curtis, Ms. Bertier was deputy general counsel for the Lafarge Group, deputy general counsel for Dexia Credit Local Bank, a partner of Coudert Brothers, and judge at the Chambre Regionale des Comptes d'Ile de France (Paris Court for Public Finance).

Ms. Bertier earned a Master of Business Law from Paris II University and a DEA in Private Law from Paris I University. She graduated from Ecole Nationale d'Administration and Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Paris.