Brown Rudnick Expands Structured Finance Group with Addition of Albert J. Pinzon and Thomas R. Weinberger

<strong>Albert J. Pinzon and Thomas R. Weinberger bring vast Insurance-Linked Securities and Life Insurance Finance experience

Boston, MA, July 19, 2006 - Brown Rudnick, a premier international law firm, announces that Albert J. Pinzon and Thomas R. Weinberger have joined the firm as partners in the Structured Finance Group. Bringing over 25 years of combined experience in the capital and insurance markets, Mr. Pinzon and Mr. Weinberger previously led the Insurance-Linked Securities and Life Insurance Finance practices at Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass. At Brown Rudnick, this team will handle a wide range of matters involving insurance and reinsurance as well as complex capital market transactions.

Albert J. Pinzon has over fifteen years of experience in corporate and securities law, structured finance and insurance regulatory matters, with a particular focus on cross-border transactions, insurance-linked securities and corporate restructurings. He has represented both acquirers and sellers in a wide range of mergers and acquisitions and has represented underwriters and issuers in a variety of public and private securities offerings. Mr. Pinzón regularly develops and structures complex financial solutions for financial institutions that bridge traditional finance with structured finance. He represents finance companies, hedge funds, insurance companies, private and institutional investors, and other financial institutions in all aspects of capital markets, cross-border financing, asset-based lending, structured and trade finance, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity transactions. Mr. Pinzón has substantial expertise structuring complex cross-border deals for companies doing business in Latin America and Canada.

In the area of insurance-linked securities and alternative risk transfers, Mr. Pinzón specializes in insurance securitization transactions, including catastrophe risk transfers, imbedded value deals, life insurance reserve funding securitizations, (a.k.a. regulation XXX and AXXX facilities), and life settlements and premium finance facilities. Mr. Pinzón's practice also includes advising insurance and reinsurance companies, hedge funds and investment banks on capital raising, mergers and acquisitions and derivatives based transactions.

Thomas R. Weinberger focuses his practice on insurance and risk-linked securities, life insurance finance and related capital markets transactions, including Regulation XXX and AXXX, reserve funding transactions, life settlements, premium finance and alternative risk transfer and securitization transactions.

Mr. Weinberger is also active in cross-border asset-based lending and M&A transactions.  He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and securities law, public and private offerings, joint ventures and strategic alliances.  Mr. Weinberger represents insurers, reinsurers and investment banks, as well as both buyers and sellers in major international M&A transactions.  He also advises publicly traded companies on a wide variety of securities law matters, and counsels boards of directors on corporate governance matters.  Additionally, he works with private investment partnerships on matters involving fund formation and portfolio company transactions.

According to Brown Rudnick's CEO, Joseph F. Ryan, "By expanding our Structured Finance Group to include Insurance-Linked Securities practices, the firm will be well-positioned to help clients capitalize on the convergence of the capital and insurance markets. Albert and Tom possess a strong background in alternative risk transfer and life insurance finance combined with substantial experience in complex capital market transactions, augmenting our existing life settlement securitization practice."

This announcement follows Brown Rudnick's June notice that former Chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (DTE), Paul G. Afonso, joined the firm as the Co-Practice Leader of the Government Law & Strategies Group in Boston.  Also in June, Stephen Hallam joined the Litigation Department as a partner in the firm's London office.

About Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP

Brown Rudnick is an international law firm with offices in the United States and Europe. The firm's attorneys provide representation across key areas of the law: Structured & Commercial Finance, Corporate & Securities, Complex Litigation, Energy, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Government Law & Strategies and Health Care. Combining a dedication to excellence with a commitment to superior client service, Brown Rudnick provides its clients with a breadth and depth of expertise uniquely suited to their legal needs. For more information, please visit www.brownrudnick.com.

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. For more information, please visit www.brownrudnickcenter.com.   

Media Contact:

Lisa Murray
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