Located in Washington, D.C., Elias, Matz, Tiernan & Herrick L.L.P. ("EMTH") has, for more than 25 years, focused its practice on advising private and public companies on matters relating to extraordinary corporate transactions. Acting as special counsel to a national client base, we provide our clients with advice on corporate, securities, financial services, tax and benefits law. Our clients include entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, high net worth individual investors, hedge funds, investment banks, financial services companies (including holding companies, savings institutions, banks, insurance companies, credit unions, securities brokers, transfer agents and specialty finance companies), high technology companies, manufacturers, and entertainment companies.

• Focus
We work closely with start-up, development-stage, growth and mature businesses by providing sophisticated counsel in areas encompassing private equity and debt financing, initial public offerings, secondary offerings, trust preferred and debt financings, subscription rights offerings and other forms of capital raising. EMTH was in the top 15 law firms nationwide for IPO filings for 1996, 1997 and 1998. EMTH has been noted in the national press as one of the most recognized and recommended law firms in the country that specializes in mutual to stock corporate reorganizations. We have advised well over 150 companies in such transactions. In addition, the firm is highly active in the merger and acquisition arena, advising just one client on over 16 acquisitions since January 1998 alone.

• Experience
Our partnership is extremely stable - the average partner's tenure at the firm is more than 17 years; with the least number of actual years of firm membership being 12. EMTH's partners and associates have a broad foundation of relevant experience. Most of our partners base their practice on their prior government service with the corporate finance or securities divisions of such federal regulatory agencies as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Other lawyers in the firm have, for example, acted as General Counsel to a $7 billion financial institution and have served in the Navy JAG corps.

• Client Relationships
Our clients receive the direct, personal attention of the engagement partner who ensures that the client's needs are met on a timely basis at a fair and reasonable fee. Our lawyers develop a level of understanding about our clients' business, focus on our clients' needs and work with our clients to structure rational solutions. EMTH is sensitive to our clients' financial situation and we are able to provide flexible and innovative fee arrangements on an individualized basis. EMTH maintains an open line of communication with our clients and encourages client feedback on any aspect of the relationship.