MINNEAPOLIS/COSTA MESA — (Feb 17, 2003) —Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that it has nearly tripled its Orange County office with the hire of 18 attorneys formerly with Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP. The roster of new attorneys includes 7 partners who will continue their practices in the areas of litigation, labor and employment and business and technology.  The attorneys will begin with Dorsey effective today.

“We are very pleased to add to our already successful litigation practice in Orange County,” said Juan Basombrio, partner in charge of Dorsey’s Orange County office. “The addition of these veteran attorneys is in step with our business strategy to grow our litigation and labor and employment practices and establish a corporate practice in Orange County.”

“I am delighted to welcome this outstanding group of lawyers to Dorsey,” said the firm’s managing partner, Peter S. Hendrixson.  “They bring impressive litigation skills and experience along with strong corporate and employment expertise. Coupled with Dorsey’s strong intellectual property practice in San Francisco and Palo Alto, Dorsey can now offer our clients a comprehensive array of legal services in California.”

The group joining Dorsey brings with it one of Orange County's premier emerging growth and technology company practices.  It completed initial public offerings for dozens of prominent local companies, including Broadcom, Stamps.com, Buy.com, NetZero, and Quest Software.  Its employment and technology lawyers have special expertise in counseling both established and emerging technology companies, and its litigators have successfully defended those companies from unfair competition, trade secret, intellectual property and commercial disputes.  Its corporate lawyers have decades of collective experience with public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital transactions, securities law issues and general corporate representation.

New Partners
R. Patrick Arrington:  Arrington practices business and technology corporate law, including public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital transactions for emerging growth and technology companies. Arrington holds a Harvard Law degree.

John S. Baker:  Baker has expertise in complex commercial litigation, including class actions, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and employment litigation. He has successfully represented clients in jury and bench trials involving large compensatory, consequential and punitive damage claims. Baker graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Ellen S. Bancroft:  Formerly the co-chairperson of Brobeck’s Venture Capital Group, Bancroft’s practice includes corporate and securities transactions, venture capital financing, private and public securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and general corporate counsel. Bancroft earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University.

David L. Hayes:  Hayes’ practice includes high-technology transactions, acquisition and protection of intellectual property, financing of high-tech companies, and domestic and international software licensing. Hayes graduated from Cornell Law School.

Kathlene W. Lowe:  Lowe is a commercial, intellectual property and real property litigator. She has tried numerous cases in state and federal courts throughout the Western United States and argued appeals in state and federal courts of appeal and state supreme courts. Lowe is a graduate of the University of Utah College of Law.

Scott R. Santagata:  Santagata focuses on corporate and securities law practice, representing primarily emerging growth and technology companies. He advises public and private companies in the areas of corporate governance, securities law compliance and general corporate matters. Santagata received his degree from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Gabrielle M. Wirth:  Wirth is an employment litigator with an emphasis on complex employment litigation and class actions. Her labor and employment counsel includes substantial arbitrations on wage and hour matters, unfair competition, protecting proprietary information and personnel matters. Wirth graduated from the University of California at Davis School of Law.