Paul Hastings Bolsters Bank Regulatory Practice with the Addition of V. Gerard Comizio to the Washington, D.C. Office

January 28, 2008

Paul Hastings Bolsters Bank Regulatory Practice with the Addition of V. Gerard Comizio to the Washington, D.C. Office

Washington, D.C. (January 28, 2008) Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, a leading international law firm, announced today that V. Gerard Jerry Comizio, previously with Thacher Proffitt, has joined the firm as a partner in the Bank Regulatory Practice, resident in the Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Comizio is a leading authority on financial services matters, as well as corporate, transactional, securities and regulatory matters arising under the banking laws.

Mr. Comizio has extensive experience in representing a wide range of both domestic and foreign bank, thrift and financial services companies. He has been involved in a wide range of bank regulatory matters, trust and fiduciary activities, M&A, bank and thrift stock offerings, bank chartering, bank broker-dealer networking arrangements, enforcement actions, mutual-to-stock conversions, mutual holding company formations and similar complex transactions and engagements. Prior to joining Thacher Proffitt, Mr. Comizio was Deputy General Counsel and Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Thrift Supervision and Director of its Corporate and Securities Division. He was also a senior attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Corporation Finance.

Paul Hastings is extremely focused on expanding the breadth of services we offer our financial services clients. A key area of growth is our bank regulatory practice, particularly in the Washington DC area, said John Hilson, Finance and Restructuring Practice Chair. Jerry, along with the recent additions of John Douglas and Chris Daniel to the bank regulatory practice is ideally suited to offer the key regulatory advice financial services companies need for all areas of their business.

About Paul Hastings Corporate Practice: Teams of Paul Hastings' corporate lawyers provide clients with the sophisticated, cross-border legal and business expertise they need to finance and operate companies. The firm's Securities and Capital Markets, M&A, Finance and Restructuring, Project Finance, Private Equity, and Investment Management practices are nationally and internationally ranked. Paul Hastings' lawyers are experienced in every aspect of modern transactional practice in virtually every industry and service sector. Clients include major financial institutions, domestic, international, public and private companies.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, founded in 1951, is a leading international law firm with over 1,200 attorneys in 18 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including many of the leading global financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies and offers deep capabilities in capital markets, finance and restructuring, intellectual property, international arbitration and dispute resolution, investment management, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, product liability, project finance, real estate, securities litigation and tax advisory services. For additional information, please visit our website at www.paulhastings.com.