NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 09/07/10 -- Kevin R. Puvalowski has joined the New York office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the Business Trial practice group, where he will concentrate on white collar and civil fraud defense. Puvalowski most recently served as Deputy Special Inspector General in the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program ("SIGTARP"); before SIGTARP, he was a federal prosecutor in Manhattan for more than seven years.

"Kevin joins us with a formidable background based both on the critical role he played at SIGTARP and his extensive experience at the U.S. Attorney's Office," said Guy Halgren, chairman of the firm. "His expertise adds significantly to our financial institution and white collar defense capabilities not only in New York but also firmwide."

"I am looking forward to returning to private practice and thrilled to be joining a firm of such national prominence," Puvalowski said. "I am particularly impressed with Sheppard Mullin's finance and litigation practice areas, groups with which my expertise dovetails well."

At SIGTARP, Puvalowski co-founded the federal agency that was created to oversee the $700 billion bailout program and helped build it into a sophisticated law enforcement and audit agency with more than 120 employees and a $50 million annual budget. He served as the Special Inspector General's principal deputy and primary advisor and represented the Office in dealings with federal agencies, law enforcement, the financial industry, the media, and Congress, including testifying at Congressional hearings. Puvalowski co-authored and edited reports regarding various aspects of the bailout, including the mechanics of the complex TARP programs, the capital injections into the nation's largest financial institutions and the investments in AIG and the auto industry. He met regularly with the senior leadership of the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and helped oversee SIGTARP's parallel criminal and civil investigations, including matters involving securities fraud, accounting fraud, insider trading, mortgage fraud, asset securitization and bank capital and regulatory issues.

Prior to SIGTARP, Puvalowski was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted a broad range of criminal and asset forfeiture cases, with an emphasis in complex money laundering and international crimes, including ten trials and numerous arguments in the Court of Appeals. During his tenure, Puvalowski held several leadership positions, serving as the Chief of the International Narcotics Trafficking Unit, Deputy Chief Appellate Attorney, and Regional Coordinator of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. As a result of his exemplary service, Puvalowski was twice awarded the Attorney General's John Marshall Award, one of the Department of Justice's highest honors.

Puvalowski graduated cum laude from the Fordham University School of Law in 1994, Order of the Coif, where he was Associate Editor of the Fordham Law Review. He clerked for the Honorable Loretta A. Preska, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Puvalowski received an A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1990.

The addition of Puvalowski further demonstrates the continued growth of Sheppard Mullin's New York office. Last month, Jim Hays joined the firm's New York office as a partner in the Labor and Employment practice group. Hays previously practiced at Mintz Levin. Last week, Michele Williams joined the Washington, D.C. and New York offices of Sheppard Mullin as a partner in the firm's Real Estate and Finance & Bankruptcy practice groups. Williams joined the firm from DLA Piper.

Also announced today, Steve Korniczky has joined the San Diego/Del Mar office of Sheppard Mullin as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property practice group and will co-chair the firm's 70-attorney IP practice group with current co-chairs Dan Yannuzzi and Carlo Van den Bosch. Korniczky most recently practiced at Paul Hastings in San Diego.

Sheppard Mullin has 35 attorneys based in its New York office. The firm's Business Trial practice group includes close to 200 attorneys firmwide.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in the United States and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.