Financial Services Industry Senior Attorney Joins Murphy & McGonigle

NEW YORK, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Murphy & McGonigle, P.C. announced that Hannah Berkowitz has joined the Firm as a partner in its New York City office.  Ms. Berkowitz brings to the Firm substantial experience in defending complex securities and commercial litigation matters affecting broker-dealers and financial services firms.

"We are thrilled that Hannah has joined our Firm," said James A. Murphy, chairman of Murphy & McGonigle.  "Hannah brings a wealth of litigation knowledge and experience, and her joining us in New York solidifies our commitment to providing world-class service to our clients on Wall Street."  Paul A. Merolla, managing partner of the Firm's New York office, states: "I have known Hannah through our many years serving the securities industry, and her addition gives us another knowledgeable and practical resource for our broker-dealer clients.  Adding Hannah to our New York team bolsters our already strong credentials in financial services litigation defense work."

"I am excited to be joining Murphy & McGonigle," said Berkowitz.  "The Firm brings together an impressive array of attorneys with diverse backgrounds and extensive experience.  I look forward to joining my new colleagues in providing outstanding value to our clients.  I found the Murphy & McGonigle platform to be an ideal fit for me at this critical time as the regulatory landscape changes in the financial services world and in-house counsel seek to forge more creative and flexible partnerships with outside counsel."

Ms. Berkowitz was a Group Executive and Senior Associate General Counsel at Mastercard Worldwide where she supervised litigation, regulatory, public policy and government relations globally.  Prior to Mastercard, Ms. Berkowitz was at UBS Financial Services, Inc. and its predecessor PaineWebber Incorporated, where she attained the position of Managing Director and General Counsel, Litigation. At UBS, she oversaw a team of in-house lawyers and outside counsel engaged in court and arbitration proceedings involving a broad range of financial products and services.  Ms. Berkowitz also served for thirteen years as a litigator at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell where she defended investment banks and other companies in securities class actions and other complex proceedings.  She was law clerk to the late Honorable William C. Conner, United States District Court, Southern District of New York at the start of her legal career.

Ms. Berkowitz taught as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, and currently is an Adjunct Professor at Pace Law School and a speaker at Pace's Center for Continuing Education in Westchester County.  She graduated with highest honors both from the Rutgers University School of Law in 1978 and Brooklyn College in 1975.

Murphy & McGonigle serves the litigation, enforcement defense, and regulatory counseling needs of financial services firms, public companies, accounting firms, and their officers and directors. It also provides a full range of discovery counseling services through its Strategic Discovery and Information Management ("StraDIM") group.

Murphy & McGonigle operates out of offices in New York, Washington, DC and Richmond, Virginia.

For more information on the Firm, please visit www.mmlawus.com.

SOURCE Murphy & McGonigle, P.C.