U.S. Department of Commerce Names King & Spalding Environmental Lawyer Jane Luxton as the New General Counsel of NOAA

WASHINGTON, DC -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 4, 2007 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the appointment of Jane C. Luxton, a partner in the environmental practice of King & Spalding, a leading international law firm, as general counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Luxton replaces James R. Walpole, who is stepping down as the agency's general counsel this month.

"We congratulate Jane on her appointment," said Robert D. Hays, Jr., chairman of King & Spalding. "Jane is an outstanding lawyer and one of the nation's leading environmental practitioners. Her strong intellect and outstanding leadership abilities will be valuable resources to NOAA."

As general counsel, Luxton will serve as the chief legal officer for all NOAA activities and as a policy advisor to the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. She will be responsible for managing and providing leadership to the agency's more than 90 attorneys, who are involved in trial and appellate litigation, regulatory proceedings, enforcement actions, legislative drafting and negotiation of international agreements. These legal matters include the areas of protection of marine mammals and endangered species, oceanic and atmospheric data and climate change research, operation of weather and environmental satellites, coastal zone management and ocean and fisheries regulatory and policy issues.

Luxton's practice at King & Spalding has focused on U.S. and international environmental law. She serves as chair of the American Bar Association Environment Section's International Environmental Law Committee. While at King & Spalding, she has been recognized as a leading practitioner of environmental law by the ranking organizations Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, and Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers.

Note to Editors: For a photo of Jane C. Luxton, please contact Matt Hyams at 212-827-4057 or mhyams@kslaw.com.

About King & Spalding

King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 800 lawyers in Atlanta, Dubai, Houston, London, New York, Riyadh (affiliated office) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents half of the Fortune 100, and in a Corporate Counsel survey in August 2006 was ranked one of the top ten firms representing Fortune 250 companies overall. For additional information, visit www.kslaw.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Matt Hyams King & Spalding Ph. 212-827-4057 Email Contact