Cooley Expands Antitrust Practice With Addition of Senior FTC Attorney

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - July 26, 2007) - Cooley Godward Kronish LLP announced today that Michael H. Knight will join the Firm as a partner in the Antitrust & Trade Regulation practice group. He will be based in the Washington, DC office. Knight joins Cooley from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), where he was the Assistant Director of the Mergers II Division of the Bureau of Competition.

The Mergers II Division is a 25-attorney unit responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases under federal antitrust laws, with a focus on, among other areas, technology matters. As the Assistant Director in charge of the unit, Knight managed staff investigations and the litigation of merger and civil non-merger matters. Knight also oversaw consent decree negotiations and implementations. At Cooley, Knight will focus on expanding the Firm's antitrust practice on the East Coast.

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring Mike on board and further strengthen our East Coast litigation group with a highly respected and experienced 'Inside the Beltway' antitrust practitioner," said Stephen C. Neal, chairman and CEO of Cooley. "Mike is a top notch, proven attorney with a depth of experience that is exactly the right fit for Cooley. He will complement our current capabilities perfectly and will anchor our DC antitrust expansion."

A native of the Washington, DC area, Knight began his practice with the DC firm of Collier Shannon Rill & Scott. After five years as an associate in Collier Shannon's antitrust section, he joined the Department of Justice (DOJ) in May 1997, where he served as a trial attorney until July 2000. While at the DOJ, Knight focused on biotech, defense, radio, television, retail and other sectors. He rejoined Collier Shannon as a partner in August 2000, and remained there until joining the FTC in January 2003.

"I'm extremely pleased to have the opportunity join Cooley and its excellent antitrust and trade regulation practice," commented Knight. "This is an exciting time of expansion and great momentum for the Firm, and I am thrilled to be a part of it."

Knight earned a B.S. in Management/Marketing from George Mason University in 1988 and earned his JD from George Mason in 1991, where he served as the managing editor of the George Mason Law Review. Following graduation Knight clerked for a year for the Honorable Douglas O. Tice, Jr., U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia. Since 2003, Knight also has been a vice chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions Committee of the ABA Antitrust section, and has written and spoken extensively in the field. He recently was named as a vice chair of the Antitrust section's Sherman Act Section One Committee.

Since opening in 2005, Cooley's Washington, DC office has grown to 30 attorneys in diverse practice areas, including corporate law, government contracts, international trade, patent counseling, intellectual property and commercial litigation. As a result of robust growth in that market, the Firm will move to expanded office space this September.

Knight's arrival follows last week's announcement of ten partners joining Cooley to open an office in Boston. That office will focus on emerging and public companies, life sciences, venture and private equity fund representation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and commercial litigation.

About Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

Cooley Godward Kronish's 600 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 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, Washington, DC and Boston, MA.

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

Contact Information: Media Contact: Zach Olsen 415-732-7805 zolsen@cooley.com