ARAG Names Robert M. Fishman President and CEO.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Former Chief Underwriting Officer brings new leadership to legal insurance company; Jim Brennan retiring after serving 12 years as ARAG's president

ARAG, a leading provider of legal insurance and related services, is proud to announce that Robert M. Fishman has been named the company's Chief Executive Officer and President.

Mr. Fishman comes to ARAG after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer for Zurich North America. He had been with Zurich since 1994 in a number of executive-level capacities. He has also held key positions at Lexington Insurance Company (a subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. - AIG) and the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies. In addition, Mr. Fishman was a practicing attorney for six years.

Finding a successor for retiring company president, Jim Brennan, presented a unique opportunity for ARAG. Mr. Brennan operated as a company champion, leading ARAG through product innovation, channel diversification, profitability and growth.

"It has been an honor to work for an organization that is focused on making a positive difference in people's lives," Jim Brennan said. "I was very fortunate to collaborate with a strong team of individuals who took pride in transforming ARAG into a leading legal insurance provider. Mr. Fishman has the experience and qualifications to strengthen ARAG's position in our current markets, as well as expand our distribution into new arenas."

Mr. Fishman said he was attracted to ARAG based in large part by the progress the company has made to date and the direction it is headed. He is impressed with ARAG's leadership and their focus, combined with the dedication of ARAG associates to making the company a world-class organization.

"It is obvious to me that ARAG has been built on a foundation of financial stability with the ability to seize growth opportunities, which has allowed the organization to become a respected insurance company," Rob Fishman said. "I am enthused about the opportunity to lead an organization that has an entrepreneurial spirit, and that is nimble in strategy and operations. ARAG will be an exciting entity to lead."

Mr. Fishman earned a bachelor's degree with honors in economics from Hofstra University and a Juris Doctorate from the College of Law at the University of Toledo. Mr. Fishman has been a speaker at numerous professional seminars and attended several executive education programs at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Northwestern University.

About ARAG North America Inc.

ARAG (www.ARAGgroup.com) is a leading provider of legal insurance and related services, and maintains its domestic headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. Currently more than 6 million individuals throughout the United States and Canada have access to ARAG's legal products and services, and the company offers its legal plans as a benefit to more than 500 organizations. ARAG's industry strength has led to praise from the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services when it received meritorious recognition in the 2002 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access competition. Also, the A.M. Best Company assigned ARAG Insurance Company a Best's Rating of A (Excellent).