GENERAL BACKGROUND

The firm of HILL RIVKINS & HAYDEN LLP was formed in 1934 and is an established law firm of about twenty-five attorneys. Hill Rivkins holds a worldwide reputation as one of the pre-eminent admiralty and transportation law firms in the United States, while continuing to expand its practice beyond the traditional maritime scope.

Nearly one half of the attorneys have sea-going experience. Other attorneys have background expertise in naval architecture, and in the areas of ship financing, stevedoring, vessel classification, and other marine related functions. Language skills of our attorneys include fluency in French, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Swedish, and Greek.

The partners of the law firm include the immdediate past President of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and many other attorneys are deeply involved in the Association's activities, as well as the activities of other professional legal associations. Numerous attorneys serve as arbitrators, and the firm has long held a well-deserved successful reputation for its strong background in litigation and arbitration.

Hill Rivkins' practice has expanded well beyond the marine and transportation?field, providing full service to the insurance industry, including insurance coverage, defense and subrogation.? The firm maintains a full commercial litigation practice, and has added a full service taxation and trust & estates practice, including preparing income and estate tax returns, will and trust drafting, probate and estate distribution.

Hill Rivkins maintains offices in New York City, Houston, Texas, Bridgeport, Connecticut and South Amboy, New Jersey, as well as the affiliate office of Brown & Assciates,?Of Counsel to the firm in California.? Additionally, it maintains close liaison with corresponding counsel in every U.S. port and in all the major cities and ports outside of the United States.

Among our broad range of clients, the firm represents English, Japanese, Belgian, French, Dutch, Swiss and German Underwriters, and numerous other American and overseas marine insurers in handling cargo, collision, salvage, and general average claims, as well as insurance policy matters. The firm also acts for classification societies, grain exporting companies, major oil companies, oil traders, shipowners, banks, stevedores and many other corporations in connection with maritime contracts, charter parties, commercial disputes, and other legal matters.

In providing legal services to our clients, Hill Rivkins' objectives have always remained the same:

* To hold the interests of our clients as the focal

point of all law firm activities.

* To handle all matters with the utmost

professional responsibility, keeping in mind at

all times our clients' practical and commercial

concerns.

* To keep abreast of developments in the commercial

and cultural environments in which our clients

function, in order to give the kind of informed

and responsive legal advice the firm's clients

require.

* To maintain the high quality of professional

achievement and service which has made the

reputation which Hill Rivkins enjoys today.

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