HONG KONG, February 1, 2007 – Morrison & Foerster is pleased to announce that Marcia Ellis and J. Edward Li have joined the firm as partners in its Corporate Group in Hong Kong. The addition of Ms. Ellis and Mr. Li further expands and strengthens Morrison & Foerster’s burgeoning China private equity and capital markets practices.

“Marcia and Edward join Morrison & Foerster at an exciting time for our Asia practice. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the firm’s presence in Asia, and we are continuing to grow the practice and add new capability in Hong Kong and throughout China,” said Keith Wetmore, Chair of Morrison & Foerster. “They will be valuable additions to the firm and will strengthen our position as a leading corporate practice in Hong Kong and China.”

“We are delighted to welcome Marcia and Edward to our Hong Kong office and Asia team,” said Ven Tan, managing partner of the firm’s Hong Kong office. "Marcia is an important addition to Morrison & Foerster's already preeminent private equity practice with her noted work and extensive experience throughout Asia." Tan continued, "Edward brings invaluable capital markets experience with China-based companies and we are excited to expand our leading U.S. securities capabilities to meet growing demand for our services in this practice area."

Ms. Ellis has extensive experience advising clients with regard to cross-border complex M&A and private equity investments in China. She has particular expertise in telecommunications, media, and technology investments in Asia, and has assisted clients with investments in many other industries. The firm was recently ranked first by Chambers Global 2007 for private equity investments in China and Hong Kong, and the addition of Ms. Ellis will definitely provide additional momentum to the practice.

Mr. Li’s practice focuses on U.S. and international corporate and financial transactions, particularly public and private security offerings and private equity investments. He represented issuers and underwriters alike in a wide variety of security offerings, including U.S. and Hong Kong initial public offerings, debt offerings, and offerings of equity-linked securities by Chinese and other Asian companies.

“I am pleased to be joining Morrison & Foerster, and very excited about the tremendous opportunity to be part of the firm’s dramatic growth in the region and to join a team of first-rate attorneys who are committed to superior client service,” said Ellis. Ellis also cites the firm's multifaceted corporate practice in China as a reason for joining, “The firm's ability to handle a wide variety of corporate and securities transactions is a strategic capability that many other firms in the region lack. Morrison & Foerster is an obvious choice in this regard, allowing me to meet the ever-changing needs of my clients.”

“I am looking forward to joining the China practice team at Morrison & Foerster. The firm’s extensive international capital markets network and reputation throughout the Greater China region provides a strong platform from which I can rapidly grow my practice,” said Li.

Ms. Ellis joins the firm from Paul Weiss. She received her J.D. from Columbia University, where she was a Harlan Fiske Scholar and book review editor of the Columbia Law Review. She received her B.A. summa cum laude from Princeton University.

Mr. Li joins the firm from Cleary Gottlieb. He received a J.D., with distinction, from Stanford Law School and a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University. Mr. Li received his undergraduate degree from the University of Science and Technology of China.