Matthew LaRocco Joins Arnold & Porter's Washington, D.C. Office

Washington, D.C., June 8, 2006 - The international law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that Matthew LaRocco joined Arnold & Porter's Washington, D.C. office as a senior legislative and policy advisor, a non-lawyer position, in its public policy practice group. Mr. LaRocco's experience will strengthen Arnold & Porter's legislative expertise, particularly in the areas of financial services and homeland security.

"Matt brings a deep set of skills, in both the public and private sectors, and a wealth of experience on the Hill," said Arnold & Porter Chairman Michael Sohn. "We are committed to expanding our legislative group in order to provide first-rate expertise in areas that are critical to our clients. We believe Matt will be a superb asset."

The legislative arm of Arnold & Porter's public policy group expanded last spring with the addition of former Congressman Jim Turner, who represented the Second Congressional District of Texas, and was the ranking minority member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. "Matt has excellent relationships on the Hill and a strong knowledge of homeland security issues, among other areas," said Mr. Turner.

Since 2001, Mr. LaRocco has been with Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations in Washington, D.C., first as senior vice president and then as general manager, where he launched two of the firm's strongest practice groups--financial services and homeland security. In 2004, he served as an advisor for John Kerry's Presidential campaign on homeland security policy initiatives, including countermeasures for radioactive/nuclear attack, surface transportation and rail threats, and first responder deployment.

In 1998, Mr. LaRocco co-founded and served as president of the Washington-based LaRocco & Associates, a lobbying firm that focused on financial services. He was Special Assistant to Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt during the Clinton Administration, providing weekly briefings to the White House on departmental activities. He is a founding board member of Hope Academy, a charter school in Washington, D.C. He has a B.A. from the University of Portland and background in mediation training and conflict resolution.

Commenting on his arrival at the firm, Mr. LaRocco said, "I am pleased to join the outstanding team at Arnold & Porter and to continue assisting clients in the legislative and public policy field."

Mr. LaRocco's background adds to the firm's growing strength in lobbying and legal expertise with special focus on issues of national security. In addition to the expertise of Mr. Turner, the group is headed by Jeffrey Smith, who served as General Counsel of the Senate Armed Services Committee and as the General Counsel of the CIA. Ronald Lee, who served as General Counsel of the National Security Agency and as Associate Deputy Attorney General and Director of the Executive Office of National Security in the Department of Justice, is also a prominent member of the group.

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