Seyfarth Shaw Welcomes Mark W. Coffin and Elaine H. Tippitt as Partners to Corporate...

Seyfarth Shaw Welcomes Mark W. Coffin and Elaine H. Tippitt as Partners to Corporate Practice Group in Houston

HOUSTON--(Business Wire)--
Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America's leading full-service law
firms, today announced that new partners Mark W. Coffin and Elaine H.
Tippitt have joined Seyfarth Shaw's Corporate Practice Group in the
firm's Houston office. Prior to joining Seyfarth Shaw, both were
partners with Adams and Reese LLP.

Coffin has practiced corporate law since 1984 and was a Practice
Group Leader for his previous firm's regional Transaction and
Corporate Advisory Services Group. His practice focuses on the areas
of general corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and health
law. Coffin represents both public and private companies in a variety
of legal matters, including: reporting and filing obligations under
federal and state securities law, public and private offerings of
securities, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing,
corporate finance and related matters, corporate governance, and
contract negotiation and interpretation.

Tippitt practices in the areas of corporate, securities law and
mergers and acquisitions. She focuses on counseling clients on
corporate governance, disclosure and compliance under federal and
state securities laws and stock exchange rules. Tippitt represents
issuers and individuals in public and private offerings of securities,
including initial, secondary and follow-on public offerings, as well
as private equity financings. In addition, she advises clients on a
wide-range of business transactions, including: mergers, acquisitions
and divestitures, exchange offers, tender offers, and going private
transactions. She is also experienced in venture capital fund
formation and financing, as well as representing clients in connection
with general corporate and partnership formation matters, shareholder
and governance issues, commercial transactions, and contract drafting
and negotiation.

"Mark and Elaine will be key additions to the development of our
general business practice in Houston," said Ed Karlin, Chair of
Seyfarth Shaw's Business Services Group. "Their experience and client
relationships will expand our corporate capabilities in the energy and
healthcare industries and we are delighted to welcome them to our
team."

Seyfarth Shaw's corporate and finance attorneys possess the broad,
in-depth experience necessary to serve a diverse client-base, ranging
from start-up ventures to middle-market companies to large
multinational corporations. The firm carefully guides clients through
myriad legal issues and offers guidance on key decisions that
determine long-term success in today's highly competitive, high-speed
business environment. Since corporate matters frequently involve
aspects of many legal disciplines, the corporate attorneys regularly
draw on the resources of Seyfarth Shaw's other practice areas such as
employee benefits, intellectual property, labor and employment, real
estate, environmental and bankruptcy to deliver coordinated, seamless
service to the firm's clients.

"Mark and Elaine are accomplished attorneys who share our firm's
commitment to expanding the Houston corporate practice while also
enriching the culture of the office and our firm nationally," stated
John Collins, Managing Partner of Seyfarth Shaw's Houston office.

Coffin is admitted to practice law in Texas. He received his B.A.
from Bowdoin College and his J.D. from the University of Houston Law
Center. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Health Law and Policy
Institute at the University of Houston and has been a member of the
University of Houston Law Center's adjunct faculty.

Tippitt is admitted to practice law in Texas. She received her
B.A. from the University of Saint Thomas and her J.D. from the
University of Houston Law Center.

"On behalf of Elaine and myself, we are delighted to become a part
of Seyfarth Shaw's robust national practice and to join the firm's
strong business services team," said Coffin . "Together, we will help
build the growing Houston corporate practice and draw on the firm's
extensive resources to better service our clients."

Seyfarth Shaw is a full-service law firm with over 750 attorneys
located in nine offices throughout the United States including
Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, as well as Brussels, Belgium.
The firm provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of real
estate, labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and
business services. Seyfarth Shaw's practice reflects virtually every
industry and segment of the country's business and social fabric.
Clients include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial
institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care
organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a
number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational
entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Mark S. Roy, 212-218-5272
Public Relations Manager
mroy@seyfarth.com
or
Elisa Marks, 212-218-5273
Senior Public Relations Associate
emarks@seyfarth.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008