November 1, 2005 (Boston, MA) - Proskauer Rose LLP, an international law firm with over 700 lawyers in the U.S. and Europe, announced that former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger has joined the firm's Boston office as counsel.

With a wealth of experience as a trial lawyer, prosecutor, regulator and public advocate, Mr. Harshbarger adds even greater depth to Proskauer's Criminal Defense and Corporate Investigations practice.

"Scott has had a distinguished career in both the public and private sectors and is a significant addition to our growing corporate practice, both in Boston and firm-wide. His years of experience serving in government and, more recently, working with corporations involved in government and regulatory matters and related crisis management will be invaluable in serving a wide range of clients facing these high-stakes issue," said Proskauer Chairman Allen I. Fagin.

Mr. Harshbarger was most recently a partner at Boston-based Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP, where he established the firm's Strategic Litigation/Corporate Governance practice, working with clients on matters involving fiduciary responsibility, governmental and fraud investigations and the development of governance programs.

"Since we opened our Boston office in 2004, we have experienced phenomenal growth in all of our practice areas including private equity, finance, intellectual property, litigation, and labor and employment," said Steve Bauer, partner and head of Proskauer's Boston office. "Scott's reputation and experience working in government and with the corporate community on government-related issues is an invaluable addition and a foundation for further growth."

Mr. Harshbarger served as Massachusetts Attorney General from 1991 to 1999. During his tenure, he reformed and expanded the office and gained national recognition as the first Attorney General in the nation to use consumer protection laws to regulate handguns. He also led the effort to deregulate the energy industry in Massachusetts as well as spearheaded initiatives in the areas of public corruption, elder protection and white-collar crime prosecution. In addition, he created the Massachusetts Business Labor Protection Bureau to focus on workers compensation, insurance fraud and fair labor practices enforcement.

"Proskauer's international focus and deep and diverse range of practice areas constitute a very compelling platform that fits perfectly with my experience and background," said Mr. Harshbarger. "I look forward to working with this talented group of attorneys in Boston and beyond."

Following his tenure as Attorney General, Mr. Harshbarger was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, his alma mater, and served as President and CEO of Common Cause, where he led the organization's reform and renewal. He has chaired the Governor's Commission on Corrections Reform and continues to chair the Department of Corrections Advisory Council and the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission, Reform Initiatives Advisory Council.

Prior to becoming Attorney General, Mr. Harshbarger served for eight years as District Attorney of Middlesex County. Before that, he was General Counsel of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission and Chief of the Public Protection Bureau in the office of the Attorney General. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Chief Counsel of the Massachusetts Defenders Committee and Director of the Criminal Justice Project of the Boston Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Upon graduating from Harvard College and Harvard University Law School, Mr. Harshbarger joined Goodwin, Procter & Hoar as a trial attorney.

Since opening in March of 2004, Proskauer's Boston office has grown to over 60 attorneys, making it one of the 25 largest law firms in Boston, and is now home to one of the country's top private equity practices, representing over 100 venture capital and private equity firms worldwide. The office and firm also have nationally-ranked corporate transactional, intellectual property, litigation, and labor and employment practices.