Arnold & Porter Expands West Coast Platform With Three New Partners In San Francisco

Additions Broaden Expertise in Key Practice Areas

SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2008 - Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that it will expand the firm's West Coast presence and extend the reach of core practice areas with the addition of three partners in San Francisco.  Joining the firm as partners are Trenton H. Norris, Angel A. Garganta and Monty Agarwal, whose closely aligned practices focusing on consumer class actions, intellectual property, product liability and environmental matters complement the firm's existing practices in other offices in the United States and Europe.  Mr. Norris joins as head of Arnold & Porter's San Francisco office and will serve on the firm's Policy Committee.  With the addition of this team, there will be 64 Arnold & Porter lawyers serving clients on the West Coast.

"This is an ideal group for our firm to grow with," said Arnold & Porter Chair Thomas Milch.  "Trent, Angel and Monty have highly successful practices that work cohesively together and dovetail with our own strengths in commercial litigation, intellectual property and products litigation."

"We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to join a first-rate team of lawyers at Arnold & Porter," said Mr. Norris.  "The firm's outstanding work at the intersection of regulation, science, and litigation, as well as its longstanding commitment to diversity and pro bono, have tremendous appeal.  We are excited about helping to build this office, and we think the firm's culture positions it well to compete for top talent in the Bay Area."

Mr. Norris, a 1992 graduate of Harvard Law School, began his career as a summer associate in Arnold & Porter's Denver office and an associate in Arnold & Porter's Washington, DC office before moving to San Francisco 15 years ago.  He has extensive litigation experience, with a particular focus on intellectual property litigation and on consumer products litigation that encompasses environmental, health and safety issues.  About half of his practice is devoted to litigation and counseling for manufacturers and retailers regarding California's toxics and labeling law, Proposition 65.  The remainder of his practice focuses on consumer/commercial litigation and patent and trademark prosecution and litigation.  Chambers USA described Mr. Norris as "bright, thoughtful and aggressive when need be."

Angel A. Garganta represents financial institutions, manufacturers and service companies in a broad range of unfair business practice/consumer class action and complex commercial disputes.   A recognized authority on California's consumer protection laws, he is currently defending a manufacturer of wireless cell phone headsets in federal multi-district false advertising and unfair business practices class actions and has defended various major financial institutions in consumer class actions and commercial matters.  He is a 1992 graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Monty Agarwal has trial experience in both patent and trademark cases.  He has argued before the Ninth Circuit and tried cases in federal and state court.  Among other things, his practice focuses on the information technology and semiconductor industries.  He has served as the president of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, been honored for his pro bono work, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Asian Law Caucus.  He is a 1997 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and clerked at Arnold & Porter as a law student.

Arnold & Porter's San Francisco office opened in 2005, specializing in antitrust litigation.  The San Francisco team works in tandem with lawyers based in Los Angeles and firm-wide to represent a diverse base of local, national, and international clients, including pharmaceutical and biotech companies, computer and Internet companies, banking, insurance and financial services institutions, FORTUNE 500 industrial and consumer product companies, healthcare providers, and entertainment and media companies. The firm's West Coast practice areas include complex litigation; intellectual property and technology litigation; corporate transactions; real estate; pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medical devices; environmental disputes and litigation; and antitrust litigation and counseling. 

Arnold & Porter LLP, an international law firm of over 650 attorneys, has offices in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, London and Brussels. The firm, founded in 1946, maintains more than 25 practice areas spanning a broad spectrum of the law, with a primary focus on litigation, transactional matters and regulatory issues.