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

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.

HOUSTON (Business Wire EON) August 27, 2008 -- 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.

Mark and Elaine will be key additions to the development of our general business practice in Houston

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.