Cooley Litigation Partner Steven M. Cohen Named New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Chief of Staff


NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 12, 2007 -- Cooley Godward Kronish LLP announced today that New York litigation partner Steven M. Cohen has been named Counselor and Chief of Staff for Andrew Cuomo, the newly elected Attorney General of the State of New York.

At Cooley, Mr. Cohen's practice focused on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations and the trial of criminal and civil matters. Mr. Cohen represented numerous individuals and corporations in connection with investigations and prosecutions conducted by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York State Attorney General, the National Association of Securities Dealers, the New York Stock Exchange and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

"Steve is an outstanding lawyer, and he is highly qualified to assume this important new position," said Alan Levine, partner in charge of the New York office. "We will miss him, and we wish him well in his new role."

"I have had an opportunity to work on some of the most interesting cases in the country with some of the smartest lawyers in the world," said Mr. Cohen, who joined the firm in 1998.

Over the past six years, Mr. Cohen has spearheaded efforts to reverse the wrongful murder convictions of two men serving 25 years to life for the murder of a bouncer at the Palladium nightclub in New York City. As a result of these efforts, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office consented to the release of one of the men, while the litigation over the other man's fate continues.

A former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Cohen served as Chief of the Violent Gangs Unit and received the 1997 Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service and the 1995 Award for Superior Performance.

About Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

Cooley Godward Kronish's 580 attorneys have an entrepreneurial spirit and deep, substantive experience and are committed to solving clients' most challenging legal matters. From small companies with big ideas to international enterprises with diverse legal needs, Cooley Godward Kronish has the breadth of legal resources to enable companies of all sizes to seize opportunities in today's global marketplace. The firm represents clients across a broad array of dynamic industry sectors, including technology, life sciences, financial services, retail and energy.

The firm has full-service offices in major commercial, government and technology centers: Palo Alto, CA; New York, NY; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Reston, VA; Broomfield, CO and Washington, DC.

For additional information, please visit www.cooley.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Mark Curran Cooley Godward Kronish LLP Direct: 212-479-6482 mcurran@cooley.com