Fulbright & Jaworski Names Stephen C. Dillard as New Leader of the Firm's 424-Attorney Litigation Department.

Business Editors

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 13, 2004

The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. announced today that partner Stephen C. Dillard will head the firm's Litigation Department, which is comprised of 424 trial lawyers worldwide.

Fulbright's litigation practice, including international arbitration, is consistently ranked by peers and clients among the leading firms in the United States. The firm was named a top 10 U.S. dispute resolution law firm in the Global Counsel 2003/2004 Dispute Resolution Handbook; among the "Arbitration Elite" by The American Lawyer; a top 10 U.S. law firm for intellectual property litigation by IP Worldwide; among the nation's top 30 firms for client service by BTI Consulting and a top 20 corporate law firm in America by Corporate Board Member magazine.

The firm has led in headline-making cases, including class actions and multi-district litigation matters. In addition, the firm serves as national coordinating counsel, national discovery counsel or regional counsel. Clients in these cases have spanned a broad range of industries, including energy, health care, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, computer hardware and software, insurance, financial services and chemicals.

For the last five years, the firm's litigation practice was led by the Litigation Management Committee, following the 1999 retirement of James B. "Jim" Sales, who headed the Department for 20 years.

Chairman of Fulbright's Executive Committee, Steven B. Pfeiffer, said, "Steve Dillard follows a tradition of high caliber leaders of our trial section -- Leon Jaworski, Kraft Eidman, and Jim Sales, to name a few. He encourages a work atmosphere that focuses on the highest standards of both professional ethics and first-rate client service. He understands Fulbright's vision going forward and is committed to building upon our firm's reputation as one of the top litigation firms in the world."

Fulbright's history of litigation goes back to the firm's beginnings in 1919 and is highlighted by the distinguished career of Leon Jaworski, former war crimes prosecutor after World War II, federal appointee in 1962 to prosecute Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett over Barnett's attempts to prevent James Meredith from entering the University of Mississippi as its first African-American student and Watergate Special Prosecutor in 1973-74. Jaworski headed Fulbright's Litigation Department, as did Jim Sales, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers whose extensive 43-year career has included being named recently a Texas Lawyer "Legal Legend," a Texas Monthly "Super Lawyer" and among The Best Lawyers in America in business litigation.

Referring to this appointment, Dillard commented, "I came to Fulbright after Colonel Jaworski visited my and his alma mater, Baylor Law School, and while there encouraged me to 'take a look' at his firm in Houston. I never dreamed that it would lead to the privilege of heading up one of the finest groups of trial lawyers in the world."

A partner in the Houston office since 1978 and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Dillard has substantial litigation experience in a number of areas, most recently in the defense of toxic tort, mass tort and environmental litigation. Dillard has represented virtually every major U.S. energy company in toxic tort or environmental litigation. In his most recent win, Dillard headed the Fulbright team, working with co-counsel, on the successful defense of Baylor University and other defendants in the wrongful death suit brought by the father of Patrick Dennehy, Jr., the former Baylor basketball player who was murdered in summer 2003, allegedly by a former teammate. The civil litigation against Baylor and the other defendants was successfully concluded by summary judgment on February 25, 2004.

In addition to his new appointment, Dillard also serves on the firm's Executive Committee. Dillard received a B.A. in 1968 and a J.D., cum laude, in 1971 from Baylor University, where he was editor in chief of the Baylor Law Review. He was admitted in 1971 to practice law in Texas.

Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

Founded in 1919, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is a leading full-service international law firm, with approximately 900 attorneys in 11 offices in Houston, New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Hong Kong, London and Munich. Fulbright provides a full range of legal services to both domestic and foreign clients worldwide. For more information, please visit our new Web site at www.fulbright.com.