LONDON, Nov 19, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sidley Austin* is pleased to announce the formal launch of its London Dispute Resolution practice, headed by partner Dorothy Cory-Wright. The practice will focus on complex, high value commercial disputes, international arbitration and internal investigations. Members of the Dispute Resolution team have participated in recent high profile financial services sector cases, such as Perpetual and Orion and advised the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile in the Formula One Race-Fixing investigation.

Approximately half of Sidley's 1700 lawyers, worldwide, are involved in dispute resolution practices -- trial and appellate litigation; regulatory matters; commercial and trade arbitration; and internal investigations. The London Dispute Resolution practice will collaborate closely with the firm's global Complex Commercial Litigation and Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes practices. The team will continue to partner with colleagues in London in the International Finance, the Corporate Reorganisation & Bankruptcy and the Financial Institutions Regulatory practices, and colleagues in Brussels in the Antitrust/Competition and International Trade/Arbitration practices.

"With the expansion of cross-border disputes and the increasing requests from our clients to serve the entire range of their legal needs, the firm has long planned to establish a Dispute Resolution practice in London," said Charles W. Douglas, chair of the firm's Management Committee. "Dorothy and her distinguished colleagues will serve our clients well in resolving those types of disputes."

Dorothy Cory-Wright, who joined the firm in 2007, is a Barrister and Solicitor-Advocate, who has practised commercial litigation, international arbitration and dispute resolution for 25 years, in the UK and overseas. Other members of the team include Steven Pitt, Brett Rowland, Simon Fawell and Abby Stern.

Sidley's London office has approximately 120 lawyers, both English and U.S.-qualified, who advise on domestic and cross-border matters and have been involved in many highly complex and pioneering transactions. The principal areas of practice are international finance, including securitisation, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, corporate reorganisation and insolvency, investment funds, insurance and insurance/reinsurance litigation, arbitration and litigation, and are supported by the tax, regulatory, real estate finance and real estate, competition, employment and intellectual property practices.

Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world's largest full-service law firms practising in 16 US and international cities, including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Every year since 2003, Sidley has been named to Legal Business' Global Elite, its designation for the 18 firms "that define the pinnacle of the legal profession."

* Sidley Austin LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership which operates at the firm's offices other than Chicago, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney, is affiliated with other partnerships, including Sidley Austin LLP, an Illinois limited liability partnership (Chicago); Sidley Austin LLP, a separate Delaware limited liability partnership (London); Sidley Austin LLP, a separate Delaware limited liability partnership (Singapore); Sidley Austin, a New York general partnership (Hong Kong); Sidley Austin, a Delaware general partnership of registered foreign lawyers restricted to practicing foreign law (Sydney); and Sidley Austin Nishikawa Foreign Law Joint Enterprise (Tokyo). The affiliated partnerships are referred to herein collectively as Sidley Austin, Sidley, or the firm.

For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.

SOURCE: Sidley Austin LLP

Sidley Austin LLP 
Dorothy Cory-Wright, Partner, 44 207 360 2565 
dcory-wright@sidley.com 
or 
Janet Zagorin, Director of Practice Development, 212-839-8797 
jzagorin@sidley.com