AREAS OF PRACTICE

                                    With the recent movement toward privitization of government owned entities in the Gulf Cooperation                
                                    Council (GCC) countries, the Middle East is currently in the midst of an historic period of economic growth
                                    and financial prosperity. The importance of the Middle East to the world economy is already immense and 
                                    it will only continue to grow in the years to come.  We represent clients in all types of transactions related to 
                                    the oil, gas and energy industry throughout the Middle East and the world. Our practice encompasses several 
                                    broad practice areas such as: 

                                    Major domestic transactions - including corporate acquisitions; sales and purchases of producing 
                                    properties, pipelines, and other significant assets; restructuring; representation on due diligence, bids
                                    and related financing issues.                                 

                                    International energy transactions - including the drafting and negotiation of study groups, bidding
                                    groups, operating groups and other forms of association for the conduct of international oil and gas
                                    operations, as well as representing clients before relevant governmental entities within host countries
                                    during the bidding, negotiation and performance of exploration and production contracts

                                    Exploration and production services - including the drafting and negotiation of leases, operating
                                    agreements, farmout agreements, production purchase and sale agreements, exploration agreements
                                    and other routine oil and gas questions affecting daily business operations

                                    Environmental counseling and regulatory services - including compliance with federal and state
                                    guidelines, defense of enforcement actions, assistance in permitting and other administrative proceedings,
                                    site analyses, risk assessments and advice on the effect of the environmental laws on business transactions.

                                    On natural gas issues, the firm has assisted clients in the following areas:

                                    contract negotiation and drafting, with particular attention to price terms, take-or-pay issues, regulatory
                                    obligations, processing rights and quality standards;

                                    contracting with respect to processing and extraction rights, including ownership and control of lease
                                    separated liquids, transportation of liquids and liquefiables through natural gas gathering and transportation
                                    facilities, and contracts for processing with third parties and the appropriate distribution of proceeds;

                                    reviewing, interpreting and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements, including well
                                    qualification, pricing, production-related cost analysis and enforcement matters

                                    ensuring that contracts provide for adjustments for deregulation, classification, contract renegotiation and
                                    antitrust concerns; and

                                    the purchase and sale of pipeline assets and facilities.

                                    On crude oil issues, the firm has assisted clients in the following areas:  

                                    contract negotiations, including sales and operating agreements;

                                    ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, including federal pricing and tax requirements;

                                    litigation, including contract and pricing disputes and claims by taxing authorities and royalty interest
                                    owners, including governmental agencies; and

                                    the acquisition and sale of producing and undeveloped properties. 

                                    Our Firm also represents Oil and Gas clients in various areas such as business formation in specific 
                                    jurisdictions, researching which forms of businesses allowed in certain jurisdictions, structuring 
                                    businesses to conform to both the client’s objectives and the jurisdiction’s requirements, negotiating and 
                                    drafting the relevant agreements, and obtaining necessary documents and licenses from the appropriate 
                                    ministry.  We also assist our clients in locating and acceptable local agents. Our lawyers also represent 
                                    clients before various regional administrative agencies and boards of grievance; as well as appear before
                                    competent authorities to obtain various licenses and permits on behalf of our clients.

                                    Additionally, we advise clients as to various specific corporate and commercial issues, including the 
                                    analysis of existing agreements and documentation in order to determine whether they are, by their terms, 
                                    in compliance with existing laws of a particular jurisdiction. We also advise our clients as to the existence of 
                                    mandatory obligations in certain jurisdictions, which obligations are largely unknown to all but a small number
                                    of local participants, such as offset programs. 

                                    The firm also monitors the legislative processes in various oil producing countries throughout the Middle-East
                                    and provide timely updates to our clients of new developments which may affect their business. 

                                    Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology Transfers

                                    We also represent clients in all aspects of technology transfers and in licensing transactions. Our attorneys
                                    draft and analyze related technical agreements and we offer a full range of services regarding the
                                    registration of trademarks, service marks, patents, and copyrights.

                                    Public Sector Privatization and Procurement

                                    As the public sector plays a key role in the economy of many Middle-Eastern countries, our lawyers have 
                                    significant experience in public sector procurement laws and regulations as well as government contracts. 
                                    Our attorneys have also represented clients in disputes with various Middle East government agencies
                                    and departments. Moreover, with the increasing importance of privatization in the Middle East, our lawyers 
                                    have significant experience in advising clients on privatization issues and assisting in the implementation
                                    of privatization projects.

                                    Middle East Practice 

                                    International Trade & Finance

                                      While clients anticipate success in a cross-border transaction, the presence of divergent legal systems,
                                complex bureaucratic regimes, cultural differences, political volatility, and other such risks make
                                the negotiations of viable exit strategies and the drafting of dependable dispute resolution mechanisms 
                                essential elements of this practice area. In many nations (both developing and developed), the need to 
                                be up to date on recent developments in local laws, the ability to assess local partner candidates, avoid
                                potential corruption issues, guide and manage local counsel, and interact with local governmental agencies
                                are crucial factors to the success of any transaction.  Our attorneys are experienced in anticipating and 
                                managing the substantial complexities that all such issues bring to a cross-border investment.

                                    We represent companies in a variety of industries in connection with corporate, securities
                                    and business law matters including entity organization; corporate governance;  public and
                                    private equity and debt financings; compliance with regulations of the Securities and Exchange
                                    Commission, the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., and national securities exchanges; mergers and 
                                    other business combinations; broker-dealer and investment adviser registration and regulation; 
                                    and SEC enforcement and litigation. 

                                    Our Merger's & Acquisitions practice includes negotiating mergers and acquisitions for 
                                    publicly traded companies as well as private concerns, tender offers, strategic alliances, 
                                    joint ventures and other business combinations.

                                    The International Business Law Firm’s tax practice offers a broad range of Business and Corporate Tax 
                                    advice, whether our clients need help with a corporate sale or acquisition valued in the hundreds of millions
                                    of dollars or our client is organizing a start-up company. We frequently advise companies on the choice of 
                                    business entity and create the organizational documents to meet those needs. As your business expands,
                                    we can help implement employee benefit plans, including retirement, medical, and cafeteria plans. We also
                                    reviews banking and other financial transactions, and advises on how best to structure mergers, acquisitions, 
                                    and reorganizations to minimize tax. In the event your business needs to appear before state agencies on a
                                    property tax question or other administrative law issue, we are able to aggressively represent your interests.

                                    The International Business Law Firm also has a broad practice in advising individuals in their personal legal
                                    matters, such as estate planning. Our attorneys have years of experience in crafting estate plans for small to
                                    multi-million dollar estates, aiming to accomplish the client's goals with the lowest possible estate and gift tax cost.

                                    Choice of Business Entity

                                    Choosing the right type of business entity involves an analysis of such factors as the number of owners, the 
                                    service or product offered, capital requirements, regulatory and tax factors, liability issues, and future expansion
                                    plans. Formerly, the choice was a simple trade-off between limited personal liability or flow-through taxation. The
                                    traditional choices of sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation have now been joined by an alphabet soup
                                    of other business entities, such as the limited liability company (LLC) and limited liability partnership (LLP). These
                                    additions are designed to offer both limited tort liability and flow-through of income.

                                    Intellectual Property Litigation

                                    Our Intellectual Property Litigation group handles trademark, trade dress, patent, misappropriation,
                                    trade secret, and unfair competition cases, including Lanham Act challenges before federal and 
                                    state courts as well as the United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Trial and 
                                    Appeal Board.

                                    In many cases, the protection of intellectual property requires immediate and decisive action,
                                    and we have successfully enjoined defendants through the use of temporary restraining orders,
                                    seizure orders and preliminary injunctions. We enforce and maintain the integrity of our clients’
                                    marks and other protectable rights. We have in place attorneys and paralegals who successfully
                                    and efficiently halt counterfeiting and infringing activities through the use of creative non-litigation
                                    programs specially designed for each client’s needs. We also defend claims against our clients
                                    when they are accused of infringement. Our attorneys have litigated Internet domain name disputes
                                    in federal court and have substantial experience in handling arbitration proceedings for domain 
                                    names under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.