Law Firm of Motley Rice LLC

To Focus on Critical Developments in Federal and State Asbestos Legislation

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (September 15, 2005) - Joseph F. Rice, co-founding member of Motley Rice LLC, one of the nation's largest plaintiffs' litigation firms, will serve as co-chair and speaker at the 2005 Mealey's National Asbestos Litigation Conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 19-20, 2005. The panel discussion, titled "Legal and Financial Aspects of Proposed Federal Asbestos Legislation," will cover the concerns surrounding the latest federal asbestos legislation, including the various party views, fund start-up and operations, outstanding amendments and claimant's rights.

Rice served as lead private counsel in the States Attorneys General negotiations with the tobacco industry in November 1998. Three years of negotiation led to the Master Settlement Agreement, the largest financial resolution of civil litigation in the history of the U.S. jurisprudence. Rice still leads Motley Rice's efforts in resolving highly complex litigation. He is a frequent speaker and author on asbestos, the art of negotiating and complex litigation. He is a member of the South Carolina Bar, American Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. He earned a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is licensed to practice in South Carolina.

The conference will provide a comprehensive examination of all aspects of the state and federal asbestos legislation currently suspended in an uncertain landscape. With federal, state, constitutional and financial implications, the controversial asbestos bill is shaking up the industry and warranted the convergence of plaintiffs' attorneys, defense attorneys, insurers, reinsurers and investors to share practical advice regarding the constitutional and financial issues brewing and what the future impact will be on their practices and new defendants. For more information, visit http://www.mealeys.com.

About Motley Rice LLC
Motley Rice LLC is one of the nation's largest plaintiffs' litigation firms. Motley Rice attorneys gained global recognition for their pioneering work on behalf of asbestos victims, the State Attorneys General in their landmark litigation against Big Tobacco, and the 9/11 families in their groundbreaking lawsuit against terrorist financiers. Motley Rice attorneys continue to seek justice in the areas of: catastrophic injury; complex case resolution; consumer and commercial fraud; environmental hazards and contamination; medical negligence and defects; occupational disease and toxic torts; and transportation defects. For more information on Motley Rice LLC call 1-800-768-4026.