Two Philadelphia Nonprofits Benefit from Unique Ace Legal Charitable Program

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Two Philadelphia nonprofit organizations that support the legal needs of women
and low-income residents have received $35,000 in grants from the ACE Rule of
Law Fund, a unique charitable program that leverages donations from ACE Group
attorneys with matching contributions from partner law firms and ACE.

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) recently received a $20,000 grant
from the fund that will enable its housing unit to assist low-income tenants in
dealing with problems associated with private, public and subsidized housing.
CLS helps 17,000 low-income Philadelphia residents each year in obtaining equal
access to justice by providing them with advice and representation in civil
legal matters; advocating for their legal rights; and conducting community
education about the legal issues that affect them.

"As many traditional funders of legal services have less to donate this year,
the ACE Rule of Law Fund contribution is a great boost," said CLS Executive
Director Cathy Carr. "This is the first time we have heard of a corporate law
office raising funds for legal services, and it speaks to the commitment of the
ACE lawyers to helping those in need. The economy has turned the constant flow
of low-income clients into a flood of people needing legal services."

The Women`s Law Project (WLP) received a $15,000 grant from the fund to support
its efforts with Philadelphia police and prosecutors to improve investigations
and enforcement of domestic violence and sex crimes against women. The WLP is a
national leader in women`s rights and a local resource for Pennsylvania women,
with a successful record of advocating for women on a wide range of family,
violent crime and discrimination issues.

"The Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorney`s Office have
become true partners with advocacy organizations in recognizing the severity of
domestic and sexual violence and in responding appropriately," said Carol Tracy,
Executive Director of the Women`s Law Project. "The ACE grant will help continue
the momentum with our collaborative efforts, which are proving to be very
effective in improving and coordinating law enforcement`s response to violence
against women."

"We are glad we can support these two legal organizations and the staff who are
working tirelessly to advocate for the rights of women and low-income residents
in Philadelphia," said Robert F. Cusumano, General Counsel, ACE Limited.
"Especially in this time of great need and financial difficulty, I am proud of
the ACE lawyers and our law firm partners who are making this possible."

The ACE Rule of Law Fund is a unique partnership among ACE, its legal staff and
several partner firms. Funded by voluntary contributions from individual
in-house lawyers and matching contributions, the Fund supports projects to
enhance the rule of law around the world.

Lawyer contributions are matched by the company`s charitable foundation, its
general counsel and eight outside law firms: Clyde & Co., Cozen O`Connor,
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, DLA Piper, Mayer Brown LLP, O`Melveny & Myers LLP,
Ropes & Gray LLP and Susman Godfrey LLP. Through this cumulative matching, the
in-house lawyers` contributions were in effect multiplied 12 times. More than 50
ACE lawyers have contributed approximately $15,000 to the fund, with the series
of compound matching contributions bringing the initial fundraising total to
about $180,000.

"As corporate lawyers, we tend to take the existence of a rule of law for
granted. But we have to keep in mind that the rule of law is not yet universal,
not always available to all who need it and very much in need of a support
system," said Mr. Cusumano. "The partnering and compounding approaches we use in
the fund allow us to pool our resources to make a real difference for
organizations like Community Legal Services and the Women`s Law Project."

To date, the fund has supported six nonprofit legal organizations with grants
totaling approximately $90,000 for projects in Philadelphia, New York and
Africa.

The ACE Group is a global leader in insurance and reinsurance serving a diverse
group of clients. Headed by ACE Limited (NYSE:ACE), the ACE Group conducts its
business on a worldwide basis with operating subsidiaries in more than 50
countries. Additional information can be found at: www.acelimited.com.

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The ACE Group
Stephen M. Wasdick, 212-827-4444
stephen.wasdick@acegroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009