Prominent San Diego Corporate Team Joins Sheppard Mullin

SAN DIEGO, CA, Sep 02 (MARKET WIRE) --
Robert G. Copeland, James A. Mercer III and Michael S. Umansky have
joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as partners in the firm's
Corporate practice group. Copeland is based in the firm's San
Diego/Downtown office, and Mercer and Umansky are based in Sheppard
Mullin's San Diego/Del Mar office. Copeland, Mercer and Umansky most
recently practiced with Duane Morris LLP in San Diego.

Copeland practices in the area of corporate law with an emphasis on
corporate finance, securities, real estate and mergers and acquisitions.
He is experienced in the representation of startup business ventures,
private and public U.S. and offshore manufacturing, construction and
service corporations, venture capital and private equity firms, media
firms, real estate developers and syndicators. Copeland is regularly
selected to handle M&A assignments for buyers and sellers, which are
comprised of both clients as well as non-clients with existing counsel
relationships.

Mercer practices in the area of corporate law, with an emphasis in
representing emerging growth companies in securities and mergers and
acquisitions. He assists clients in financing their businesses through
seed capital, venture capital, IPOs, reverse mergers, PIPES, and secondary
offerings. Mercer regularly counsels publicly traded companies in SEC
reporting and compliance matters, including quarterly and annual reports,
proxy statements and solicitations, tender offers and going private
transactions. He also assists clients in the acquisition and sale of their
businesses. Prior to Duane Morris, Mercer was general counsel and chief
financial officer of publicly traded telecommunications software company
TeraGlobal Communications Corp.

Umansky practices corporate law with a concentration on representing
emerging growth and established technology and life sciences companies,
venture capital and private equity investors, and entrepreneurs. He has
extensive experience in venture capital financings, strategic
collaborations, commercial transactions, technology licensing, mergers and
acquisitions, public securities offerings, and public company reporting
and counseling. Prior to Duane Morris, Umansky was vice president and
general counsel for Linspire, Inc., a developer of Linux-based operating
system software and services, and Gizmo5 Technologies, Inc., a
venture-capital backed Internet telephony company.

"Bob, Jamie and Michael are top-notch dealmakers and considerably
strengthen our corporate presence in the San Diego/Del Mar market. Bob is
a stalwart of the San Diego corporate law community, and Jamie and Michael
bring an incredible mix of private practice and in-house business
experience. Their securities, emerging company, venture capital and M&A
expertise complement our Corporate practice group capabilities, while
significantly expanding it. Despite current economic conditions, our
transactional pipeline remains steady and the addition of this group
supports our drive to continue to grow the Corporate practice firmwide,"
said Guy Halgren, chairman of the firm.

Corporate partner Eric Klein joined Sheppard Mullin's Century City office
in April. Klein most recently practiced as a leader of Katten Muchin
Rosenman's West Coast Mergers and Acquisitions and Securities practices.
Also in April, Corporate partner Riaz Karamali joined the firm's new
office in Silicon Valley.

Commented Copeland, "Sheppard Mullin has an impressive Corporate practice
group. I am looking forward to continuing to practice with Jamie and
Michael, as well as the other San Diego-based transactional attorneys and
those throughout the firm."

"I am excited about the opportunity to help build the firm's corporate
practice in the San Diego offices with my former colleagues, as well as my
new Corporate partners based in the Del Mar office," Mercer said.
"Sheppard Mullin offers a strong platform for my practice, which includes
the support needed to handle sophisticated emerging growth companies'
securities and acquisitions representations."

Copeland received a J.D. from the University of Southern California School
of Law in 1966 and a A.B. from Occidental College in 1963. Mercer received
a J.D. from the University of Southern California School of Law in 1989,
an M.B.A. from California State University, Fullerton in 1986 and a B.A.
from University of California, Los Angeles in 1983. Umansky received a
J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of
Law in 1993 and a B.S., summa cum laude, from University of California,
Los Angeles (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1990.

Sheppard Mullin has 80 attorneys based in its San Diego offices (Downtown
and Del Mar). The firm's Corporate practice group includes close to 100
attorneys firmwide.

About Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with more than 520
attorneys in 11 offices located throughout California and in New York,
Washington, D.C. and Shanghai. The firm's California offices are located
in Los Angeles, Century City, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Orange
County, Santa Barbara, San Diego/Downtown and San Diego/Del Mar. Founded
in 1927 on the principle that the firm would succeed only if its attorneys
delivered prompt, high quality and cost-effective legal services, Sheppard
Mullin provides legal counsel to U.S. and international clients. Companies
turn to Sheppard Mullin to handle a full range of corporate and technology
matters, high stakes litigation and complex real estate, land use and
finance transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than
half of the Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit
www.sheppardmullin.com.

CONTACT:
Bob Copeland
(619) 338-6612

Jamie Mercer
(858) 720-7469

Michael Umansky
(858) 720-7470

Ralph Richardson
(213) 617-5542

Copyright 2008, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-