King & Spalding Strengthens Its Texas Presence With Office in Austin; Arrival of Commercial Litigator Mike Stenglein Broadens Energy Practice

HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - May 2, 2008) - Building on its strong presence in Texas and broadening its national litigation and global energy practices, King & Spalding announced today the establishment of an office in Austin, Texas, occasioned by the addition of experienced commercial litigator Mike Stenglein as partner. Stenglein, the former managing partner of Dewey LeBoeuf's Austin office, has extensive experience in complex litigation, including energy litigation for electricity generating and marketing companies (often involving Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, issues), accounting-related disputes, tax controversy issues and Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, litigation.

The firm also announced that King & Spalding partner Reagan W. Simpson, a trial and appellate lawyer, is relocating to Austin from the firm's Houston office to oversee the start-up and growth of the new operation.

"With Mike's arrival and Reagan's pending move, we are pleased to increase our Texas footprint by opening an office in Austin," said Robert E. (Bobby) Meadows, managing partner of King & Spalding's Houston and Austin offices. "Mike's national commercial litigation practice adds strength to our national litigation practice, and his work in energy, electric power and FERC litigation provides an excellent complement to our global energy practice."

King & Spalding last year designated its energy practice as a strategic initiative that will fuel the continued growth of the firm and said it would concentrate on global expansion of this key practice area. In 2007, the firm opened offices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in part to bolster its energy work. King & Spalding's Texas offices create an important link with its London and two Middle East offices for the firm's global energy work.

The Austin office will focus initially on commercial litigation, particularly in the energy sector. The firm anticipates increasing its strength in commercial litigation through additional hires, with Stenglein leading the expansion in this area. The Austin office is also expected to grow in the area of environmental regulatory law in connection with its transaction and energy litigation practices.

Stenglein has a broad commercial practice representing clients in complex commercial litigation, securities and ERISA class actions, and internal investigations of financial and tax issues. His clients have included PG&E, Constellation Energy Group, Econnergy Energy Company, Comerica Bank, UBS, U.S. Trust Company and Occidental Chemical Corporation.

Stenglein received a J.D. from the University of Houston and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Florida and worked as a certified public accountant prior to his career in the legal profession.

Simpson has been lead trial counsel in more than 45 jury trials and lead appellate counsel in more than 80 appeals. He received a J.D. and B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

The King & Spalding Austin office will be located temporarily at Littlefield Center, 106 E. Sixth Street, Suite 900, in Austin, Texas 78701.

The Austin opening represents King & Spalding's seventh new office in the past 15 months and its twelfth worldwide location.

About King & Spalding

King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 800 lawyers in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Houston, London, New York, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. The firm represents half of the Fortune 100 and in a Corporate Counsel survey in September 2007 was among the top firms representing Fortune 250 companies. For additional information, visit www.kslaw.com.

Contact Information: Contacts: Kimberly Brooks King & Spalding Ph: (212) 827-4378 Matt Hyams King & Spalding Ph: (212) 827-4392