lass="floatingright"> At the inaugural Caesar Awards celebration held Tuesday evening in the heart of the Hamptons, The M&A Forum presented seven awards to corporate dealmakers for contributions to Corporate Social Responsibility. The Caesar Awards celebrate deals that create new jobs, preserve existing ones, protect the environment or otherwise benefit the community.



The night's big winner was Arthur W. Hollingsworth, a Dallas investor and managing partner of Lone Star New Markets LP, a private equity fund. Mr. Hollingsworth was honored for his individual contributions, and Lone Star, which invests in businesses operating in low-income communities, collected a pair of Caesars for its leveraged buyout of Energy Steel Products Inc, a deal which promoted economic development in Houston.



The law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP was honored for its role in the sale of Nix CheckCashing Inc. to Kinecta Federal Credit Union. That deal, which expanded consumer banking services in neighborhoods underserved by banks, was named Deal of the Year in Corporate Social Responsibility.



"The Caesar Awards promote good corporate citizenship in an M&A environment by highlighting examples of it being practiced profitably," said Warren Strugatch, founder of The M&A Forum, a conference producer and newsletter publisher based in Manhattan. "We're here tonight to celebrate deals and dealmakers who incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility into their transactions not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's also sound business practice." He added, "By recognizing it, we're also encouraging it."



Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., the private equity firm, received a Caesar for its role in last year's $47 billion acquisition of TXU Corporation. That deal thwarted plans to build 11 new coal units, instead redirecting capital into cleaner technologies that also lowered retail energy prices.



Blue Wolf Capital Management got a Caesar for its role in the acquisition of Finch Paper last June. The deal helped preserve over 800 jobs in the Adirondacks, while transferring 161,000 acres to conservationists or government stewardship.



Eleven other firms or individuals received awards for deal quality or client service. Marlin &Associates was named Investment Bank of the Year, and was recognized for its role in three deals; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP was named Law Firm of the Year, and honored for its role in bringing Northwest Airlines out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Lone Star New Markets was named Private Equity Firm of the Year; TM Capital was honored as for its role in the sale of Smith & Wolensky; Financo Inc. for helping sell several Warneco Swimwear Brands to ImmoCean Group LLC.



Deals and dealmakers were nominated by private equity firms, investment and merchant bankers, law firms, and other professionals active in the industry. The Caesar Awards ceremony was held at the Southampton Inn following Convergence 2008: The M&A Summit in the Hamptons, a full-day

conference that brought together leaders in Alternative Investing.



Full information on the Caesar Awards and Convergence 2008 are available online at TheMAForum.org



Contact Cindy Smith

631.901.5780

Cindy(at)iqconline.com