New Partner Expands Brown Rudnick's Structured Finance Presence in New York; Boris Ziser Brings More Than 10 Years of Experience across Diverse Asset Classes.

BOSTON -- Brown Rudnick, a premier international law firm, today announced that Boris Ziser, former partner at Baker & McKenzie, has joined the firm's Structured Finance Group in its New York office. The addition of Mr. Ziser serves to further strengthen Brown Rudnick's growing structured finance practice, while continuing the firm's expansion in New York.

To his new position at Brown Rudnick, Mr. Ziser brings more than 10 years of experience in public and private mortgage-backed and asset-backed securitizations, warehouse facilities, commercial paper conduits and related transactions. Mr. Ziser's practice encompasses commercial mortgage-backed transactions (including commercial mortgage conduits, single-property and single-borrower/multi-property transactions), as well as a variety of asset classes such as equipment leases, auto loans and franchise loans, in addition to esoteric asset classes such as timeshare loans, life settlements and intellectual property. Across these diverse areas, Mr. Ziser represents issuers, investors, lenders, borrowers, underwriters and placement agents.

"We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Ziser to the firm," remarks Joseph Ryan, CEO of Brown Rudnick. "His addition to the team advances not only our strategy to develop our structured finance practice but also our plans to broaden our presence in New York."

Brown Rudnick's internationally recognized Structured Finance Group provides services for all types of structured finance and securitization transactions. This team has developed special expertise for structuring and implementing securitization programs involving asset classes that are new to the securitization market. Leading-edge work has included the development of the earliest and largest credit tenant loan program in the early 1990s and the creation of a national program for securitizing or monetizing the legal fees awarded to the outside counsel to the states in the 1998 settlement of litigation against the tobacco industry. The first transaction closed under this program was named Asset-Backed Securities Deal of the Year for 2001 by the International Securitisation Report.

The addition of Mr. Ziser to the Structured Finance Group affirms Brown Rudnick's decision to commit further resources to the practice as it enters its next phase of growth. The firm looks to achieve this through a combination of lateral hires for the New York office and an increased presence of Boston-based structured finance lawyers in the metro area.

"Mr. Ziser's decision to join the firm signifies a recruiting success for our growing practice," explains Ron Borod, Chair of the Structured Finance Group. "His skills and experience will bring added depth and expertise to our Structured Finance practice, both in traditional asset categories and in newer asset classes for which we are well known. Specifically, Mr. Ziser's experience in IP securitization and life settlement securitization enhances our current strategy to develop structured finance programs in those spaces."

This announcement follows Brown Rudnick's June notice that David Blea, former partner at Morgan Lewis, and Ada Clapp, formerly of Schulte Roth & Zabel also joined the firm's New York office. Mr. Blea, a partner in the Corporate Department, focuses his practice in the field of private equity, and Ms. Clapp is a partner in the firm's Trusts & Estates Group. Brown Rudnick also announced in April that it has opened an office in Washington, DC where two senior Capitol Hill advocates, Michael Lewan and Doyce Boesch, are new principals in the firm.

About Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP 

Brown Rudnick is a full-service, international law firm with offices in the United States and Europe. The firm's 200 attorneys provide representation across key areas of the law: Project and Structured Finance, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Corporate Finance, Corporate & Securities, Energy, Intellectual Property, Government Law & Strategies, Health Care, Real Estate, Complex Litigation and Trusts & Estates. Combining a dedication to excellence with the implementation of sophisticated technologies, Brown Rudnick provides its clients with a breadth and depth of expertise uniquely suited to their legal needs.

The Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest is a measure of the Firm's strong commitment to the community and serves as an umbrella entity encompassing the Firm's pro bono legal work, charitable giving, community involvement and public interest efforts.