WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CINCINNATI -- Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is pleased to announce the expansion of its services with the addition of a new Public Finance Practice Group.

The new practice group will be led by partners Christopher Brewer and Anthony Ditka; also joining the firm is Lynn Freeman. The three attorneys will be moving from Thorp Reed & Armstrong to Dinsmore & Shohl's Pittsburgh Office.

"We have been interested in the Public Finance area for many years and are pleased to now be entering the market with these three very experienced lawyers," said George Vincent, the firm's Co-Managing Partner. "We expect to use our regional footprint throughout the Midwest to grow this important practice."

"Having built one of Pennsylvania's largest bond counsel practices over the last 20 years, I am excited for the opportunity to expand this practice throughout the Midwest with the resources of a larger, regional law firm," Brewer said. "Joining Dinsmore & Shohl means more comprehensive and effective services for all of our clients."

Brewer has practiced public finance law for over 28 years, in a career that includes transaction experience in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. At different periods, Brewer was resident in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio as well as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; he also worked as an investment banker. Brewer is rated an AV lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

Ditka has been practicing municipal finance law for 11 years. He has represented local governments, municipal authorities, non-profit and for-profit borrowers, underwriters, lenders and trustees with regard to their roles in the municipal finance area. Ditka has been on the cutting edge with new and innovative structures, being primarily responsible for one of the first Qualified Zone Academy Bonds issued in Pennsylvania and the first "Off Balance Sheet" dormitory transaction completed by the Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority.

Freeman has been practicing public finance law for over eight years, consulting with and advising issuers of tax-exempt bonds on a wide array of public finance matters, including the planning, structuring and coordinating of tax-exempt financings. In addition to her law degree, Freeman's resume includes a masters of business administration and an undergraduate degree in finance/economics, all of which have provided Freeman with a solid foundation for her public finance practice.

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP provides legal counsel to businesses that include Fortune 100 and 500 companies, institutions and individuals in a wide range of industries and business sectors. The firm is comprised of more than 300 attorneys operating in nine offices in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Dinsmore & Shohl is one of the largest full-service firms in the Midwest and the country.