Contacts: Claire Papanastasiou ― United States Bingham McCutchen LLP +1.617.951.8881 [email protected]

Sammi Jayawardane ― Asia Bingham McCutchen LLP +852.3182.1797 [email protected]

Bingham Expands in Asia With Office Launch

Leading International Xiaowei Ye Joins Bingham to Co-Lead Beijing Office With Bingham Partner Brian Beglin; Beijing Office Marks Firm’s Third Asian Location

BEIJING (Nov. 30, 2011) ― Expanding its strategic investment in Asia and globally, Bingham McCutchen LLP announces the opening of a Beijing office with the addition of recognized international lawyer Xiaowei Ye as a partner and the transfer of corporate partner Brian Beglin to Beijing. Ye and Beglin will serve as managing partners of the new office, Bingham’s third Asian location in addition to Tokyo and Hong Kong. Both are also principals in Bingham Consulting LLC, the firm’s affiliated business providing strategic and public policy advice on cross-border and multijurisdictional matters.

Joining Bingham’s Financial Services Area, Ye has more than 15 years of experience in China representing multinational and Chinese companies in a wide array of legal matters. Her practice focuses on international capital markets, M&A transactions, regulatory and compliance matters, and governmental relations.

“Bingham’s investment in mainland China reflects our successful strategy of building upon core practice strengths that have made us leaders in the world of cross-border global finance,” said Bingham Chairman Jay Zimmerman. “We’re delighted to have Xiaowei join us during this exciting time, and we’re confident that she and Brian will be superb in leading and growing our Beijing office as well as bolstering our Asia capabilities for our clients.”

Bingham Consulting intends to operate as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in Beijing, offering clients guidance on the strategic and public policy aspects of cross-border trade, investment, and complex, multijurisdictional regulatory and enforcement matters involving the financial services, technology, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, environmental, telecommunications and transportation industries.

“The business and policy ramifications of the international expansion of Chinese companies and increased demands for greater corporate responsibility worldwide are directly affecting Chinese investors in the United States, Europe and Japan,” said Bingham Consulting President Chris Cox, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “This places a premium on coordinating a business’ approach across borders and in multiple jurisdictions. Bingham and Bingham Consulting are at the forefront of these developments. The planned expansion of the Asian capabilities of Bingham Consulting is a

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natural move for us, and having Xiaowei Ye and Brian Beglin leading our efforts on all fronts in Beijing will be an immediate advantage for clients facing complex issues.”

Ye and Beglin will be joined by Michael Crain, who previously served as chief of staff to Clark T. Randt Jr., former U.S. ambassador to China. Crain is also presently serving as a vice chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China.

For Ye, the attraction to Bingham was its commitment to growing its world-class financial services practice and its unique Bingham Consulting capabilities globally, particularly in Asia.

“I am enthusiastic about joining Bingham and Bingham Consulting and look forward to working with Brian and Michael to grow our new office,” Ye said. “The firm is a global leader in many practice areas and offers a unique platform to service both multinational and local clients.”

Ye has represented major Chinese companies and other multinational clients on investment, M&A and regulatory matters in China. Beglin has worked on cross-border transactions in the United States, Asia and Europe for more than 30 years. He has been based in Tokyo since 2010, focusing on cross-border and distressed mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

With more than 1,000 in 14 offices worldwide, Bingham’s leading role in Asia dates back to 1997 when the firm combined with Marks & Murase, a New York firm known for its complex cross-border work in Japan. In 2007, Bingham further expanded in Asia with the opening of its Hong Kong office and its combinations with two leading Tokyo firms — Sakai & Mimura, a leader in cross-border financial restructuring and M&A, and New Tokyo International, a premier insolvency, corporate and litigation firm. Today, Bingham’s Tokyo office is among the largest law firms in Japan, with more than 70 lawyers (most of whom are Japanese bengoshi) providing a full range of business law services, including domestic and cross-border financial restructurings, corporate, M&A, finance, financial regulatory, investment funds, intellectual property, antitrust, litigation, employment and real estate. The Hong Kong office, consisting of Hong Kong, English, U.S., Australian and Irish-qualified lawyers, focuses on global finance, including restructuring and distressed debt, corporate/M&A, investment funds, structured finance, and derivative transactions. Lawyers in Bingham’s Hong Kong office represent banks, public and private investment funds, insurance companies, and clients that undertake complex asset-based transactions, as well as investment fund formation and operations.

For more information on Bingham, visit www.bingham.com.

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