Maripat Alpuche is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, concentrating in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions for financial institutions.  Ms. Alpuche has worked on many of the largest financial institutions mergers in recent years, including Mellon Financial Corporation’s merger with The Bank of New York Company, Inc. ($29 billion); JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s merger with Bank One Corporation ($58 billion); Manulife Financial Corporation’s acquisition of John Hancock Financial Services ($11 billion); Wachovia Corporation’s merger with First Union Corporation ($13.14 billion) and its successful hostile takeover defense against SunTrust Banks ($13.7 billion); and Chase Manhattan Corporation’s acquisition of J.P. Morgan & Co. ($34 billion).  Ms. Alpuche has also represented a variety of clients in connection with a number major credit card portfolio transactions, including Federated Department Stores, Inc. ($7.4 billion); The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. ($640 million); Dillard's Inc. ($1.25 billion); Chase Manhattan Corporation ($8 billion); and Wachovia Corporation ($1.9 billion).  Other M&A representations in the financial services area include representation of Washington Mutual, Inc. in its equity capital raising transaction ($7 billion) and its sale of its consumer finance operations to Citigroup ($1.25 billion); and Wachovia Corporation in its acquisition of A.G. Edwards, Inc. ($6.8 billion) and its retail brokerage venture with Prudential Financial Inc. ($1 billion).

Transactions outside the financial institutions area include the merger of Adolph Coors Company and Molson, Inc. ($6 billion); Smithfield Foods, Inc.'s acquisition of Premium Standard Farms, Inc. ($810 million); Hellman & Friedman’s acquisition of AlixPartners LLP ($296 million); Ingersoll Rand’s sale of its Engineered Solutions Unit ($840 million); Best Buy Co. Inc.’s sale of its Musicland Stores Corp. unit; and The Seagram Company Ltd.’s merger with Vivendi S.A. and Canal Plus ($55 billion).

Ms. Alpuche joined the Firm as an associate in 1990.  In 1997, she joined The Chase Manhattan Corporation as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel specializing in mergers and acquisitions, securities and other corporate matters for the parent company.  She rejoined the Firm and became a Partner in 2002.

Ms. Alpuche received her B.A., magna cum laude, in 1987 from Franklin & Marshall College where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa.  She received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1990, where she was a Stone Scholar and Member of the Columbia Law Review.

Publications

•	FDIC Issues Guidance on Policy Statement for Investments in Failed Banks
•	FDIC Adopts Final Statement of Policy on Private Investor Purchases of Failed Banks
•	FDIC Proposed Policy Statement on Private Capital Investor Purchases of Failed Banks
•	Treasury Department Outlines Reforms to U.S. Financial Supervision and Regulation
•	U.S. Treasury Department Unveils New Financial Stability Plan
•	Restructuring Public Debt – An Overview of the Legal Framework
•	Federal Reserve Issues Final Rules on Trust Preferred and Other Capital Instruments
•	Delaware Supreme Court's NCS Healthcare Decision May Limit Effectiveness of Voting Agreements From Majority Stockholders as Deal Protection Measures (December 2002)

Speaking Engagements

•	Lee A. Meyerson and Maripat Alpuche to Speak at PLI's "Banking Law Institute 2009: Stabilizing the Financial Services System" April 17, 2009

Admissions

•	New York 1992

Education

•	Columbia Law School, 1990 J.D. Stone Scholar; Columbia Law Review, 1989-1990, Articles Editor 1990
•	Franklin & Marshall College, 1987 B.A. magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa