Following UK Merger Withers Bergman Moves to Larger Offices to Meet Increased Demand for Services.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2002

World's Largest Private Client Law Firm Positions New York Office as

Flagship to Offer Full Range of Services to

U.S. High Net Worth Individuals

Withers Bergman LLP, the world's only international law firm dedicated to the business and personal interests of high-net-worth individuals, their families and advisors, has announced that its New York City office has taken new space at 430 Park Avenue.

The firm, previously known as Bergman Horowitz and Reynolds was founded in 1962 by Stanley Bergman and from its offices in New York City and New Haven, CT provides advice on tax, trust, and business planning for individuals with sophisticated global legal needs.

In January of this year it merged with the UK law firm Withers, founded in 1890. The new firm is named Withers Bergman LLP in the US and Withers LLP in the rest of the world. The new firm represents a significant number of the "Forbes 400" list of richest Americans as well as more than 15 percent of Britain's wealthiest individuals.

Stanley Bergman, senior partner, points out, "Although Bergman Horowitz and Reynolds represented some of the world's wealthiest people before the merger, the combined firm offers an unprecedented opportunity to better serve our rapidly expanding client base throughout the world as well as in the United States. In the future, we look forward to providing ever more creative ideas, such as those our clients have benefited from throughout the years.'

"We planned from the inception of the merger to move to larger New York City offices, but the response to our merger has become overwhelming and, frankly, the need to move became critical," said Ed Granski, head of the New York City office. "The new office will serve as the flagship of our United States practice. With state-of-the-art facilities, it will act as a magnet for the best practitioners as well as offer the highest standards of client service." The New York City office will be supported by over 100 tax, trust and estate planning lawyers worldwide and another 100 lawyers specializing in areas such as corporate, litigation and real estate.

Mr. Granski, who previously advised families and trustees on wealth transfer and trust related issues at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, cited both the firm's clear focus and commitment as reasons for his joining Withers Bergman. "What attracted me was the opportunity to serve clients at the highest level as part of the first full-service law firm in the United States dedicated to managing private clients' complex legal and wealth-management requirements. On top of that we now have a number of English solicitors working from our US offices who can offer English legal advice instantly, which has already proven particularly important with a number of my clients."

The merged firm has been particularly successful at recruiting some of the most highly regarded tax and trust lawyers, such as Joe Field, former head of the International Private Client Team at Bryan Cave. "Increasingly my clients have interests - whether business or personal - spread around the world. For the first time I'm now able to provide them with truly integrated solutions to what are invariably complicated tax and trust issues."

"We are committed to further enhancing our reputation as the premier international law firm serving high net worth individuals, their families and advisors both here in the US and the rest of the world," said Diana Parker, the London-based Chairman of the firm. "We are actively looking to add more attorneys in New York as well as considering opportunities to open new offices in a number of the major wealth centers of the world--from the West Coast of the United States to Switzerland and Hong Kong."

About Withers Bergman LLP and Withers LLP

We are the world's first international law firm dedicated to the business and personal interests of high-net-worth individuals, their families and their advisors. There are more than 70 partners and 360 staff members with unparalleled expertise in tax law, trusts, estate planning, employment and family law and other legal issues facing high-net-worth individuals, their families and their businesses.

Our offices are in New York, London, New Haven, Conn., and Milan. The firm is called Withers Bergman in the United States and Withers in the United Kingdom and rest of the world. For more information on the firm, visit its web site at www.withersworldwide.com.