McCarter & English Appoints First Woman as Office Managing Partner in New York

Mary Jane Augustine, Former Head of Construction Practice, Steps Into Lead
Management Position
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
McCarter & English has appointed Mary Jane Augustine as Managing Partner of the
New York office, effective April 1, 2010. Augustine is the first woman to hold
that position in McCarter`s New York office. In her new management role,
Augustine will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the
office, as well as coordinating business and practice development efforts. She
will also continue her established construction law practice.

"We congratulate Mary Jane on her new role, and anticipate that under her
leadership, we will continue to strengthen the firm`s reputation as a leader in
the New York market," said Eric Watt Wiechmann, McCarter`s firm-wide Managing
Partner. "McCarter & English has long appreciated that the significant
representation of women in firm leadership is essential not only to fulfill our
diversity goals, but also to enable us to provide varying perspectives on legal
solutions for our clients."

As a 34-year practitioner of construction law, Augustine was previously the
Practice Group Leader of McCarter`s Construction Practice Group, which is now
part of the firm`s Real Estate/Construction/Environmental Practice Group. The
firm`s construction practice includes three attorney/civil engineers, and five
U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professionals, of which Augustine is
one.

In her practice, Augustine focuses on the development of project delivery
strategies and the drafting and negotiation of design and construction contracts
for complex domestic and international building projects. Over the years, her
clients have included project owners, developers, contractors, construction
managers and design professionals. Augustine was the primary drafter and
negotiator representing the New York Jets and New York Giants football teams in
construction-related contract negotiations for their New Meadowlands Stadium, a
$1 Billion project. The Stadium will be completed this month.

"I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to guide our New York office," said
Augustine. "I look forward to building upon the accomplishments of my
predecessor, Steve Fields, by continuing to grow the office and enhance the
firm`s reputation in the New York marketplace through business development and
community service initiatives."

During the course of her career, Augustine has worked as an attorney in private
practice, as a contracts consultant with an international project management
firm, and as in-house counsel for a "signature" architectural firm. Twenty years
ago, she made a strategic decision to abandon the litigation portion of her
practice and focus exclusively on construction transactional work. Since that
time, her work for Construction Industry clients has involved her in projects
around the globe including some in South America, Asia and Russia, as well as in
the U.S. A recent international project assignment included contract
negotiations, representing the Architect, on the controversial Gazprom Tower in
St. Petersburg, Russia, which required her to spend two weeks working in Moscow.
Augustine`s contracting experience encompasses projects such as the renovation
of Grand Central Station; the design of more than 20 museums, including New
York's Museum of Modern Art; several high rise office buildings in mid-town
Manhattan; infrastructure projects; hospitals; sports facilities; cultural
facilities; large scale condominium projects; and numerous institutional,
mixed-use, commercial and entertainment projects.

Recognized as a "Leader in the Field" by Chambers USA 2008 - 2010, Augustine is
a member of the New York and New Jersey Bars. She is also a member of the ABA`s
Forum on the Construction Industry. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, she earned her
B.A., M.B.A. and J.D. degrees from Emory University.

The New York office of McCarter is the third largest of the firm`s seven offices
located throughout the Northeast region of the country. As the prior Office
Managing Partner, Steve Fields oversaw the growth of the office that included
the addition of 13 lawyers, including, Harley Lewin, Dan Pollack, Kenneth Yoon
and Jamieson Karson. Fields will now focus on the continued growth of the
Corporate and Financial Practice in New York, where he represents private equity
clients.

********* Note for Editors *********

McCarter & English, one of the oldest firms in America, has a history of
supporting the equality of women under the law and in the legal profession that
dates back to the firm`s successful representation of Annie Oakley at the turn
of the last century. Women attorneys of McCarter - both past and present - have
made significant contributions to the growth and success of the firm. From the
hiring of Rosalie B. Cooper (who later became a Superior Court Judge) as the
first female associate in 1953, to the elevation of Mary L. Cooper (who later
became a U.S. District Court Judge) as the firm's first female partner in 1980,
to the founding of the firm`s Hartford office by Cathy Mohan, who is still a
partner there and a member of the firm`s Executive Committee, to the appointment
of Lois Van Deusen as the first full-time firm-wide Managing Partner in 2002,
the firm has strongly supported the advancement of women, both within the firm
and in the legal profession. Today, McCarter`s Women's Initiative continues that
tradition, with a focus on building positive relationships for women with their
colleagues, peers, clients and their broader communities.

About McCarter & English, LLP

McCarter & English, LLP, established more than 160 years ago, represents Fortune
500 and middle-market companies in their national, regional and local litigation
and on important transactions. Its 400 attorneys are based in offices in Boston,
Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Stamford and Wilmington.
www.mccarter.com

For McCarter & English
Daria Hall, 212-843-8292
dhall@rubenstein.com

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