Rome, June 27, 2006 -- Shearman & Sterling's Rome office advised Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs International as Joint Lead Managers in the €1.46 billion rights offering by Italian lotteries operator Lottomatica S.p.A., which closed today.  The Rights Offering, together with Lottomatica's €750 million Hybrid Debt offering and $2.3 billion Senior Credit Facility, will finance Lottomatica's $4.8 billion acquisition of US-based Gtech Holdings Corp. in the largest-ever US acquisition by an Italian company.

Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs turned to the Rome, London and New York offices of global law firm Shearman & Sterling for the structuring of all three financing instruments.  The Shearman & Sterling team for the Rights Offering was led by Rome-based Partner Robert Ellison, assisted by associates Tommaso Tosi and Mei Lian.  The Senior Credit Facility team in London was led by Partner Kenneth MacRitchie assisted by associate Rowena van de Grampel, while London-based partner Clifford Atkins led the team structuring the Hybrid Debt offering (the first hybrid debt issuance by an Italian corporate issuer).  Shearman & Sterling is also acting as US M&A counsel to the financial advisor.  Gianni, Origoni, Grippo & Partners also advised on Italian law with a team led by Partner Alberto Giampieri and associates Fabio Ilacqua and Guido Iannoni.

The full Shearman & Sterling legal team for the Rights Offering included partners Robert Ellison (RO-CM), Joel Klaperman (NY-CM) and Bernie Pistillo (LO-ITX), associates Mariana Boranga (NY-CM), Virginia Boyd (NY-IP), Colin Chang (NY-CM), Sara Clevering (LO-ITX), Giampaolo Corea (RO-CM), Fabio Fauceglia (RO-CM), Kristina Hokenberg (LO-EF), Jennie Ingram (NY-CM), Mei Lian (RO-CM), Scott Lyne (NY-IP), Rebecca Marques (NY-CM), Jason Pratt (NY-PR), Marco Ramondino (RO-CM), Romica Singh (NY-ECEB), Simon Thomson (LO-PDF), Brett York (DC-TX) and trainees Vincenzo Armenio (RO-CM), Simone Caruso (RO-CM), Giovanni Cirelli (RO-CM), Gabriele Sabato (RO-CM) and Serena Scarabotti (RO-CM).