About The ILN > Success Stories

A Client's Perspective
"You have developed a fine network of attorneys throughout the world. I had the pleasure of meeting a number of them and will certainly utilize them as resources should the need arise." -- David Bell, Vice President of Corporate Operations and Development, Probitas Pharma Inc.

Client Satisfaction with Referral to Epstein Becker & Green
Luis Lavalle Moreno of Mexican representative Martinez, Algaba, Estrella, de Haro y Galvan-Duque, S.C. says of a 2005 referral to Epstein Becker & Green, "I just received a call from our client at Dextra Technologies, who expressed to me their happiness and satisfaction with the services provided by Epstein Becker and Green in a labor and immigration referral. Congratulations and thank you very much for the excellent work - this is not just positive for Epstein Becker, but for my firm as well, and more importantly, for the ILN. This is definitely an example of how the ILN works like a 'Swiss watch.'"

Fladgate Fielder Sees Rewards of ILN Membership
"ILN fits with our international strategy as about one-quarter of our fee income comes from overseas clients. For some time now, our international strategy has been to build desks with multi-lingual lawyers, often qualified in more than one country. ILN builds on that and gives us more reference points for our international clients, as well as building on our international work." - Charles Wander, head of the Corporate Department at Fladgate Fielder, on receiving their first major transaction through ILN firm Lefèvre Pelletier & associés - advising a French engineering company on its £165m acquisition of a UK company - Legal Week, November 2003.

IBM & ILN Collaborate
Lowell Lifschultz of Epstein Becker & Green, PC, the ILN's New York member and founding firm, presented the ILN to IBM as a controlled and unified solution to his international needs in late 2004. "For middle market matters in a variety of jurisdictions, using the offices of the ILN with the extraordinary mental database they have about the Network’s firms can get your problem solved in a timely manner, with the attention and care that it deserves. This attention and care, combined with the collective knowledge the Network provides, gives our clients a better service than could be found with a multinational firm," Mr. Lifschultz said in support of the ILN's collaborative efforts.

ILN Medical Device Group Assists Italian Client - Indiana Client Interested in Future Collaboration
In February of 2006, the ILN was contacted by Carmine Gravina, an ILN colleague and partner at Corrado Ferrari Mainieri Pedeferri & soci in Italy. He informed us that one of their firms' clients, Levetta, owned several international packaging patents, some of which had won prestigious awards. These patents were used mainly in Italy by pharmaceutical companies for the packaging of their products. Levetta was looking to develop and expand its business abroad, so Carmine contacted the ILN to get the assistance of the ILN Medical Device & Drug Manufacturing Specialty group in facilitating introductions for Levetta to US companies and/or private equity funds. As a result, David Russell of Harrison & Moberly in Indianapolis, Indiana made an introduction to Elliott Parker of Innovo Partners. Mr. Parker recently contacted David to say, "Thank you again for introducing us to Levetta in Italy. "The owners of Levetta have engaged my firm, Innovo Partners, to help them commercialize several innovative packaging technologies here in the United States. We hope that by tapping our databases of industry contacts we will find companies to license or acquire the US intellectual property rights. Our model has proven successful in the past, and with Levetta's positive reception in Europe, already we are very optimistic. "Working with Levetta's counsel, Carmine Gravina at CFMP in Rome, has been a pleasure. "This is certainly an example of your legal network's effectiveness in making the world a bit smaller! If any of your partner firms have clients that would like to commercialize inventions here in the United States, we would appreciate their consideration." Carmine Gravina added that "I think that this case shows one of the highest potential of ILN, i.e. to be able to offer business opportunities around the world, both for our clients and for the firms belonging to the ILN, who will then be involved in the legal assistance to clients."

ILN Member Epstein Becker & Green Commends Ogden Murphy Wallace in Referral
In August of 2007, David Ellenhorn and John O’Donnell of Ogden Murphy Wallace provided successful legal assistance to Bill Poole of Epstein Becker & Green, acting as local counsel in a closing on a $50M acquisition in the tourism industry for an English public client. This was the second opportunity for Bill to work with Dave and John, who assisted him in a similar transaction a few years ago. Bill commented “I would like to recognize and commend the firm of Ogden Murphy Wallace PLLC, and its partners, Dave Ellenhorn and John O’Donnell. [The firm has] once again exceeded my and my client's expectations for hospitality and professional competence and responsiveness. In both cases, they and all of their staff treated me with wonderful hospitality and professional competence. In fact, as I have told many people, they treated me just as well as if I were a partner in their firm, providing me full access to their offices and their personnel.” Bill’s clients were similarly pleased, and he observed that “Our clients have commented positively upon their excellent service and have told us that they greatly appreciate the fact that even though we do not have a branch office in Seattle, we are able to complete transactions in Seattle using the ILN-affiliated firm just as easily as we are able to do in cities where we have a branch office.” He further stated that “The ILN has proven to be a very positive and significant resource to us in connection with these acquisition transactions which we have had the privilege of completing in many states in the United States. I would strongly recommend and enthusiastically commend to [the ILN Administration] and all of the ILN members, Dave Ellenhorn, John O’Donnell, their staff and the firm of Ogden Murphy Wallace in Seattle, Washington.” Dave of Ogden Murphy Wallace agreed that “It was a pleasure to work with [Epstein Becker & Green] again, as [they] are highly professional and have that drive to get the deal done. This is the way we always conduct business at Ogden Murphy Wallace, but it is especially gratifying to be able to assist another ILN member firm. I hope to return the favor sometime in the future.”

ILN Member Kochanski Brudkowski & Partners Benefits From Lefèvre Pelletier & associés Referral
Rafal Rapala and Beata Karas, of Kochanski Brudkowski & Partners, recently provided successful legal assistance to Aerium Properties FGG, a leading European investment manager, upon receiving a referral from ILN member firm, Lefèvre Pelletier & Associates. Aerium Properties FGG currently holds and manages office, retail and logistics assets throughout Europe and Turkey through property funds and management mandates. The company acquired a portfolio of four shopping centers located in Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz and Torun from Carrefour Polska. Aerium's venture targets exclusive retail properties in Central Europe and Turkey, managing over 25 shopping centers. The acquisition constitutes the first transaction for Aerium Properties FGG in Poland. "It was one of the most significant referrals from a member of the ILN that we have received in the last couple of years. This referral, we believe, will be the start to future cooperation with Aerium Properties FGG," said Rafal Rapala.

Lewis Rice finds Success in Referral to Corrado Ferrari Mainieri Pedeferri e soci
Lewis, Rice & Fingersh L.C. of St Louis, Missouri referred the ILN's Italian member, Corrado Ferrari Mainieri Pedeferri e soci to a U.S. corporation based in the State of Missouri in the business of designing and supplying heat recovery steam generators, already operating in Italy as a minority shareholder of a JV formed with an Italian company belonging to one of biggest Italian group of companies. CFMP is now providing, on a permanent basis, the Italian newco with all legal assistance relating to the ordinary and extraordinary activity (i.e. corporate and contractual legal assistance). Antonello Corrado relates the success of the referral as "Having worked, in the first phase of our activities, in constant conjunction and collaboration with the partner of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, Mr. Joseph Weyhrich, who referred the client to us; Having supplied the client with an USA/Italian team capable to cover all the national and transnational issues of the acquisition; Having guaranteed the client a smooth handover from Lewis, Rice & Fingersh to an Italian Firm, able to assist the Italian company in the activities carried out in Italy; and having continued to work in conjunction and in consultation with Lewis, Rice & Fingersh for any legal assistance requesting to bridge between the USA and Italian legal system and for any matter needing to be discussed with, or decided by, the USA shareholders of the Italian company."

Miller Samuel Praises the ILN
Marie Macdonald of the ILN's firm in Scotland, Miller Samuel, says she "is impressed by the international contacts and thinks it can offer a competitive advantage...[the Executive Director] tours all firms to check on quality and ensure they're up to the mark professionally. It's a rigorous assessment." - The Scotsman, May 24, 2005.

Stradling Yocca Uses ILN Member, Robinson Sheppard Shapiro, Montreal for US-Based Public Company
Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth of Newport Beach, California used the services of Robinson Sheppard Shapiro in Montreal, Canada for a transaction that involved the acquisition by a subsidiary of a US-based public company of real estate and certain business assets of a Quebec-based entity, with both firms being actively involved for several months. Bob Rich of Stradling Yocca said, "When my client, based in Orange County, California, planned to acquire real property and other assets from a corporation doing business in a small city approximately 400 miles north of Montreal, my client asked me to recommend a Quebec (Canada) based law firm to assist with the transaction. I found Robinson Sheppard Shapiro, L.L.P. through the ILN directory and contacted Herb [Pinchuk]. Herb agreed to accept the engagement for what, at the outset, appeared to be a relatively small, uncomplicated transaction. However, as the transaction proceeded, several unexpected problems were discovered, largely as a result of the thorough and diligent efforts by Herb and Eric Boulva, and the rest of their team. Herb and Eric were responsive, thorough and persistent throughout the transaction, and obtained an outstanding result for our client. They were also a pleasure to work with. This was my first experience using a firm located through the ILN, and it was quite positive." Herb Pinchuk was equally pleased with the work done with Stradling Yocca, saying "Leaving aside the obvious, being superb legal talent and having the insight as to how to integrate the views of multi-party representatives in a transaction that ultimately became somewhat complex, Bob and his firm should be showcased for how they facilitated our involvement and coordinated the often differing views among the many players."