CHAMBERS

America’s LeadingLawyers for Business

USA

CHAMBERS & PARTNERSL E G A L P U B L I S H E R S

w w w. c h a m b e r s a n d p a r t n e r s . c o m

2008The Client’s Guide

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BARTLIT BECK HERMAN PALENCHAR & SCOTT LLP

Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar &Scott LLPThe Firm: This remarkable trial firm possessesstrategic excellence coupled with heavyweight trialcapacity, forming the twin pillars of its productsliability litigation practice. It may not be able tomanage and coordinate multidistrict litigation in amanner similar to firms with a larger infrastructure,but its involvement in several Vioxx trials, as well asPPA and lead paint, demonstrates that it is still a go-to trial firm for crucial products litigation.A constel-lation of great legal minds means the firm can handleseveral big-hitting litigations at once. As onecommentator put it: “There are a lot of firms that areexcellent in products liability – but few that can trycases like Bartlit Beck.”And yet it carries its greatnesslightly. Said one observer:“You’d expect lawyers of thatbrilliance to have huge egos, but that’s simply not the

case – everyone I’ve met at Bartlit Beck has been anabsolute pleasure to work with.”The Lawyers: “One of the finest lawyers in the coun-try,”Phil Beck is credited by many with being “the mostimportant figure in the Vioxx litigation.”He can try caseswith success anywhere in the country, and “his bril-liance in the courtroom approaches the cinematic!”Witha great track record in PPA litigation, the excellent DonScott recently successfully defended NL Industries in alead paint-related public nuisance matter brought inMilwaukee, and is set to try Vioxx cases in the comingmonths. The “extremely talented”Adam Hoeflich hasa tighter products focus than most at Bartlit Beck, andhas acted as national counsel for DuPont Teflon-related class actions,as well as providing strategic inputin Baycol litigation. One of the most exciting youngtrial lawyers in the country, Tarek Ismail combines“brilliant intellect with sound common sense.”

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NATIONWIDE

BARTLIT BECK HERMAN PALENCHAR & SCOTT LLPis ranked in Chambers USA 2008 as follows:

PRODUCTS LIABILITYProducts LiabilityLeading Firms Band 3Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Leading Individuals

Band 1Beck Philip Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Band 4Scott Donald Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Band 5Hoeflich Adam Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Up-and-coming individuals

Ismail Tarek Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Alphabetical order within each band. Band 1 is the highest.

Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar &Scott LLPThe Firm: A potent force in the Chicago litigationarena, sources unanimously declare that this is “oneof the elite firms – absolutely outstanding in terms ofquality.” For many clients, this is the outfit of choicefor “high-profile, high-stakes, high-visibility litigation.”Though a compact practice, the group is not limitedby its relatively small size: commentators agree thatthe litigation team can be relied upon to give a“superb performance on the really big cases.” A glitter-ing array of high-profile clients further illustrates thecaliber of the group – Merck is a longstanding client.The Lawyers: The “phenomenal” Phil Beck is firmlyestablished as a leading litigator. “His name carriesweight,” agree sources. “He has tried significant casessuccessfully and is able to attract major clients.” In addi-tion to his trial skills, observers also highlight hisstrategic abilities: “He is not just a great litigator, but

also understands how to put a case together effectively.”Peers “can’t say enough good things” about FredBartlit. “They really broke the mold when they madehim,” sources declare. Based in Denver,Bartlit is widelyacknowledged as one of the most preeminent triallawyers in Chicago and nationally, and is known forhis skill in handling complex commercial litigationand patent litigation. Adam Hoeflich is “an extremelyhard-working young lawyer,” who sources consider hasbenefited greatly from working with senior lawyers atthe firm. He is lead counsel for DuPont in a multidis-trict litigation brought by consumers who claim tohave purchased cookware made with non-stick coat-ings sold under the Teflon brand name. Tarek Ismailshows great promise.Already described as “a fabulouslawyer,” Ismail was part of the team acting for Merckin a wrongful death case alleging that Merck’s VIOXXpain relief medicine caused a decedent’s heart attackand subsequent death.

ILLINOIS

LITIGATION GENERAL COMMERCIAL

Litigation: General CommercialLeading Firms Band 1Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Leading IndividualsBand 1Beck Philip Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Band 2Bartlit Jr Fred Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Band 4Hoeflich Adam Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Up-and-coming individuals

Ismail Tarek Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Alphabetical order within each band. Band 1 is the highest.

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Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar &Scott LLPThe Firm: “Superb to work with,” this high-end corpo-rate boutique offers experience in complex M&A,securities and compliance issues as well as counselingon corporate governance matters. Acclaimed for“quickly getting right down to business,” it emphasizesquality and efficiency and “wastes no time.” Recentwork includes the successful defense of Trico MarineServices against proxy contest initiated by NewcastlePartners, and advising the buyer on the $40 millionacquisition by Alpha Natural Resources of Arch Coal’sMingo Logan Ben Creek mining complex.The Lawyers: Well respected by clients, James

Palenchar is “an exceptional lawyer,” notedcommentators. “He doesn’t press outrageous positions– he knows what the other side is looking for, and deliv-ers with a great deal of common sense.” Workingprimarily at a national level, he focuses on M&Awork and corporate counseling, and recently advisedAquilex, a company created for First Reserve, on itsacquisition by Harvest Partners. Thomas Stephens“continues to be great,” and recently acted for StratosInternational on its acquisition by Emerson Electric.Clients/Work Highlights: Other clients includeAbingdon Resources, and a broad range of privateequity companies, hedge funds, and both local andnational firms in the public and private sectors.

BARTLIT BECK HERMAN PALENCHAR & SCOTT LLP

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COLORADO

CORPORATE/M&A

Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar &Scott LLPThe Firm: This “terrific and well-honed” commerciallaw boutique is home to a team of lawyers hailed bycommentators as “high-stakes litigation commandos.”Conducting high-profile work at a national level, thefirm stands “head and shoulders above the rest,” andis renowned for the expertise of its trial lawyers, itsefficient staffing system and the sheer number ofcases it tries. In addition, a strong corporate team

ensure that the firm is firmly in the vanguard of liti-gation firms in this region.The Lawyers: The “absolutely first-class” FredBartlit maintains his considerable reputation as atrial lawyer to be reckoned with on a national scale,thanks largely to his profusion of high-profilesuccesses in court. Donald Scott has considerableexperience on major cases, and is commended forhis attentive client care.

LITIGATION GENERAL COMMERCIAL

Corporate/M&ALeading Firms Band 1Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Leading IndividualsBand 1Palenchar James Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar

Band 2Stephens Thomas Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar

Alphabetical order within each band. Band 1 is the highest.

Litigation: General CommercialLeading Firms Band 1Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Leading IndividualsBand 1Bartlit Jr Fred Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Band 2Scott Donald Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Alphabetical order within each band. Band 1 is the highest.

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