LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2008 — James E. Curry has joined the Century City office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLPas partner in the firm's Entertainment and Media group. Curry most recently practiced as a foundingpartner with White O'Connor Curry LLP in Century City. 

Curry is an experienced trial attorney who specializes in complexbusiness lawsuits on behalf of entertainment clients, primarily studios andnetworks.  He has litigated and tried awide variety of entertainment matters, with particular expertise in accountingcases. 

Curry's experience also includes a variety of entertainment mattersincluding First Amendment (defamation, disparagement and invasion of privacyclaims), insurance coverage and bad faith, media-related torts, real estate,copyright, trademark, antitrust, securities, class actions and othercomplicated commercial disputes.

Curry's clients have included CBS, Disney, Paramount Viacom, Showtime, Fox,ABC, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, MGM, Studios USA, Saban Entertainment,Mary Tyler Moore Enterprises, International Family Channel, InfinityBroadcasting and Westwood One. 

"Jim will be a tremendous asset to the firm and to ourentertainment clients.  His arrival furtherbolsters our position as the preeminent law firm representing institutionalentertainment clients,"  said GuyHalgren, chairman of the firm. 

"Jim is well known and well respectedin the community and we are looking forward to working closely together. He will help us continue to expand ourplatform as a full service entertainment firm, capable of anticipating clientissues and needs of the future," said Marty Katz, leader of the firm'sentertainment litigation practice. Katzrecently received the 2008 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY)award for Entertainment. 

Commented Curry, "Sheppard Mullin'sgrowth, success, and its reputation as a 'go-to' firm for entertainment andmedia clients is very impressive.  I amexcited to join the 50-plus attorney team focused on representing global entertainmentclients."

Curry earned a J.D. from University of Chicago in 1984 and received an undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1981.  He hasregularly been recognized as one of "The Best Lawyers in America."

About Sheppard Mullin Richter &Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with more than 520attorneys in 10 offices located throughout California and in New York, Washington, D.C. and Shanghai.  The firm's Californiaoffices are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Century City,Orange County, Del Mar Heights and San Diego. Founded in 1927 on the principle that the firmwould succeed only if its attorneys delivered prompt, high quality and cost-effectivelegal services, Sheppard Mullin provides legal counsel to U.S. and international clients.  Companies turn toSheppard Mullin to handle a full range of corporate and technology matters,high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.  In the U.S., the firm's clients include more thanhalf of the Fortune 100 companies.  For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.