Akin Gump Expands Corporate Practice in Los Angeles and New York

(New York, New York) – Ronald W. Goldberg and Edward P. Christian have rejoined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s corporate practice, the firm announced today. Mr. Goldberg is a partner in the Los Angeles office and Mr. Christian is senior counsel in the New York office.

“Ron and Ed are accomplished debt finance lawyers who complement our existing strengths,” said Frank Reddick, co-leader of the firm’s corporate practice. “Their rich expertise in servicing the credit finance needs of the investment funds community augments the wide array of services offered by Akin Gump.”

Mr. Goldberg focuses his practice on banking, debt finance, equipment leasing, derivatives and financial restructuring. His clients include hedge, private equity and distressed debt investment funds; airlines and aircraft leasing companies involved in multijurisdictional transactions; foreign banks engaged in business in the United States; U.S. banks and financial institutions; and sophisticated individual borrowers.

Mr. Goldberg has considerable experience in transportation finance and insolvency matters and in financial derivatives, domestic and cross border equipment leasing and project finance, multicurrency syndicated secured and unsecured lending, and domestic and Euro commercial paper and medium-term note programs. Over the last decade, he has been involved in numerous innovative financing and restructuring transactions involving all types of lending, credit enhancement, equipment leasing and project finance.

In addition, Mr. Goldberg has represented governmental entities, corporate borrowers and high-net-worth individuals engaged in such financial activities as synthetic derivatives transactions and issuance of domestic and offshore debt securities. He has significant experience in the regulatory and legal constraints involved in operating and investing in Latin America, primarily in Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Mr. Goldberg received his A.B. cum laude in 1982 from Columbia University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.B.A. cum laude and his J.D. cum laude in 1986 from New York University, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. He returns to the firm from McDermott, Will & Emery; he was a partner at Akin Gump from 1994 to 2004.

Mr. Christian represents investment funds, investment banks and bondholders in loan, investment, joint venture and M&A-related transactions. He also has significant experience with insolvency-related transactional matters, representing bondholders, investment funds, and other institutional and private investors and creditors in large chapter 11 reorganizations and out-of-court restructurings. Additionally, he has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border financial activities involving private, syndicated, project and structured transactions. His clients include those in the transportation, energy, capital markets and distressed sectors. In the transportation finance area, Mr. Christian has advised on the purchasing, selling and leasing of commercial aircraft, shipping containers, and other transportation-related equipment and services, with particular emphasis on multijurisdictional and capital markets financial transactions. In the energy finance area, he advises bondholders, financiers and sponsors on large energy construction, operation, and capital markets financing and acquisition transactions involving private, public and independent power producers.

Mr. Christian received his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1987 and his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1995. He returns to Akin Gump from McDermott, Will & Emery.

Mr. Goldberg said, “The synergies among Akin Gump’s investment funds, financial restructuring and corporate practices combined with the strengths of the firm’s Los Angeles and New York offices in particular made our decision to return to Akin Gump an easy one. Ed and I look forward to marshalling the firm’s extensive experience and resources to help clients successfully navigate the turbulent financial markets.”

Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a leading international law firm, numbers more than 900 lawyers in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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