As the chairman of M&A Outlook 2006, Robert A. Kindler, global head of M&A and managing director of Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan, will open the conference addressing key trends in mergers and acquisitions. Following Kindler's remarks, Steve Pagliuca, managing director at Bain Capital, will give a keynote speech focused on the globalization aspects of private equity. During the conference's luncheon, Ali Velshi, business news anchor for CNN, will share his perspective on how recent natural disasters and events have affected the global economy.

"The Deal is pleased to host an M&A conference that presents a range of perspectives from respected leaders of the deal community," said Kevin Worth, president and CEO of The Deal LLC. "This dynamic conference will provide attendees with access to valuable information and networking opportunities for achieving successful mergers and acquisitions in the coming year."

Recognized industry figures from leading investment banks, private equity firms, law firms, hedge funds and advisory firms will take part in panel discussions and present real-world case studies on new strategies and trends. Panel topics include:

• Economic Forecast: What Lies Ahead for M & A? with panelists from The Deal, Wharton School of Business, Bear Stearns, Deutsche Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Broadcom Corporation.
• LBOs and Private Equity: The Impact of Club Deals on M & A with panelists from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Silver Lake Partners, Citigroup Capital Markets, Blackstone Group and JP Morgan.
• Industry Sector Focus with panelists from Goldsmith Agio Helms, West Corporation, Sun Capital Partners, TSG Consumer Partners and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe.
• Renegotiating the Deal: What to Do When a Company's Value is Compromised? with panelists from The Deal, Deloitte, Pagemill Partners, Harris Williams & Co., Control Risks, Kroll and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
• Cross Border Deals: New Opportunities in China and Europe with panelists from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Slaughter & May, Goldsmith Agio Helms, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Lazard.
• Special Focus on Hedge Funds: A Bigger Role in 2006 Deals? with panelists from The Deal, Pershing Square Capital Management, Chapman Capital LLC, Reservoir Capital and Prospero Capital.

Respected companies supporting the event include: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Goldsmith Agio Helms and IntraLinks as platinum sponsors; American Appraisal Associates as a gold sponsor; PricewaterhouseCoopers as a luncheon sponsor and Chanin Capital Partners and Deloitte as exhibitors. The conference is endorsed by the Association of Corporate Growth's New York, New Jersey and Connecticut chapters. More information about The Deal's M&A Outlook 2006 is available at www.TheDeal.com/outlookevent.

About The Deal LLC
The Deal LLC is a diversified media company that is the authoritative voice of the deal economy. We serve the global deal community - corporate and financial dealmakers, advisers and institutional investors - by providing business and financial news and information that offers fresh insights on the deal economy, a set of interrelated activities, focused on dealmaking of all kinds, whose purpose is to generate corporate growth in a continually changing global market. We offer a comprehensive line of print and electronic product and services for both readers and advertisers, including The Deal, The Daily Deal, TheDeal.com, Corporate Dealmaker, Tech Confidential, Corporate Control Alert, Auction Block, Bankruptcy Insider, Deal Focus and VCDeal.com. Investors in The Deal, a privately held company, include majority owner U.S. Equity Partners, a private investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co. LP, and Rustic Canyon Ventures, one of the largest venture capital funds in Southern California.