Fish & Richardson Launches White-Collar, Government and Securities Litigation Section; SEC Enforcement and Prosecution at an All-Time High.

Business Editors/Legal Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 7, 2003

Fish & Richardson P.C. has launched a White-Collar, Government and Securities Litigation practice section in response to the growing client demand for such expertise in today's regulatory enforcement environment.

The new section includes several attorneys with significant expertise including former federal prosecutors and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement attorneys. Their broad experience provides clients with counsel and defense regarding white-collar, government and securities matters to reduce or even avoid potential civil damages and even criminal sanctions.

"Today, companies and executives are under intense scrutiny. Never before have both the government and shareholders so closely monitored their actions," stated Sean Prosser, a former SEC enforcement attorney and leader of the section's San Diego practice. "Our firm's extensive expertise in dealing with law enforcement agencies and civil litigation adversaries allows us to quickly assess potential problems, develop solutions, and take proactive steps toward effective resolutions for our clients."

Other members of Fish & Richardson's White-Collar, Government, and Securities Litigation Section are located nationwide and include one of the nation's top trial lawyers and former federal defender Juanita Brooks (San Diego), securities litigator Kimberly Greer (San Diego), and former federal prosecutors Paul Coggins (Dallas), John Helms (Dallas), Thomas Melsheimer (Dallas), Matthew Yarbrough (Dallas), and R.J. Zayed (Twin Cities).

The newly-formed section is part of the firm's Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice area. Fish & Richardson's other areas of practice include Intellectual Property and Corporate Law.

SEC Actions on the Rise

SEC civil enforcement actions and criminal prosecutions by the U.S. Attorney's Office in securities-related matters are at an all-time high. Last year, the SEC filed nearly 600 enforcement actions, which resulted in court orders to disgorge nearly $1.3 billion in illegal profits. The SEC barred 126 individuals from serving as public company officers or directors. In SEC-related criminal cases, prosecutors filed indictments, informations or contempts against 259 individuals or entities. The SEC, the U.S. Attorney's Office and enforcement officials at the state level have thousands of ongoing investigations and all of these numbers are expected to be significantly higher for 2003.

"The cooperation level between civil SEC attorneys and criminal U.S. Attorneys has never been higher," said Prosser. "Experience and relationships with those enforcement officials is the key to a successful defense and our attorneys have both."

White-Collar Experience

In the area of white-collar crime, Fish & Richardson represents clients throughout the criminal and civil process, including pre-indictment interviews and grand jury investigations, responding to subpoenas and search warrants, trial, sentencing and appeal, and post-conviction remedies in the areas of government investigations, internal investigations, qui tam whistleblower investigations and lawsuits, civil and criminal antitrust, health care fraud and abuse, and cybercrime.

In addition to corporate directors, officers and employees, the firm also represents high-profile individuals and elected officials in criminal/civil investigations and legal proceedings.

Securities Litigation Experience

Fish & Richardson attorneys have had significant success defending private and public companies and their officers and directors in private securities litigation and investigations, administrative proceedings, and lawsuits brought by the enforcement divisions of the SEC, the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the stock exchanges, state securities agencies, and the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in multiple types of actions including SEC and other regulatory investigations, stock exchange delisting proceedings, and private securities litigation, such as federal shareholder class actions, state and federal derivative actions, mergers, acquisitions, and corporate control litigation. They also have substantial experience counseling and representing boards of directors, including audit committees, in connection with internal and special committee investigations.

About Fish & Richardson PC

Fish & Richardson is a 300-attorney national law firm serving clients in three core practice areas -- intellectual property, litigation, and corporate law. Founded in 1878, the firm is nationally recognized as the premier intellectual property law firm. Fish & Richardson handles more patent litigation than any other firm and files over 4,200 patent applications each year. Fish & Richardson is the only firm in the nation to have achieved five National Law Journal "top verdicts" in civil litigation in the past six years and was recently named by IP Law & Business, the leading intellectual property magazine, as the number one patent defense litigation firm in the country.

The San Diego office opened in 1995 and includes 45 attorneys. Currently located in UTC, this fall the firm will relocate its local office to San Diego's first law firm campus, located in Carmel Valley. For more information about Fish & Richardson, visit www.fr.com.