LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2006 – Morrison & Foerster LLP has announced that Pauline Stevens, a partner in the firm's Financial Transactions group in the Los Angeles office, has been selected as a recipient of the 2006 Burton Award for Legal Achievement.  This marks the second year that a Morrison & Foerster lawyer has won this prestigious award, which was previously received by Raj Davé, a partner in the firm’s Northern Virginia office.

Ms. Stevens was selected in recognition of her article "Security Interests in Patents and Patent Applications?"  The article originally appeared in the University of Pittsburgh's Journal of Technology Law & Policy, Spring 2005.

The annual Burton Awards honor 30 of the nation's finest legal writers based on submissions from the top 1,000 law firms in the country.  The Awards were established by William C. Burton to promote and reward the refinement and enrichment of good legal writing. Winners are chosen by an academic committee consisting of educators from the law schools of Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania, as well as leading members of the legal profession and the judiciary.  Ms. Stevens will be honored at a dinner at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 12.

"Pauline is an outstanding attorney, and ideal candidate for this award," said Keith C. Wetmore, Chair of Morrison & Foerster.  "We are delighted to congratulate her on this achievement which exemplifies her dedication to enhancing and enriching the legal profession."

"I am honored to receive this award and to be in the company of some of the best writers in the legal profession," said Stevens.  "My article was intended to address what I felt to be an important legal topic, and to hear that it communicates well is particularly gratifying."

Ms. Stevens' practice focuses on financial transactions, including secured transactions, financial product development, derivatives and bank products generally.  Ms. Stevens writes and lectures on commercial law topics and has served as the chair of the California Uniform Commercial Code Committee, vice-chair of the American Bar Association Secured Transactions Committee, member of the Board of Governors of the Financial Lawyers Conference, and member of California State Bar Business Law Section Executive Committee.

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