Eight Wiley Rein & Fielding Attorneys Named to Washingtonian Magazine's List of Top Lawyers

December 1, 2004

Washington, DC-Wiley Rein & Fielding attorneys Jan Witold Baran, Fred F. Fielding, H. Jason Gold, Valerie P. Morrison, Thomas W. Queen, Barbara "Biz" Van Gelder,James H. Wallace, Jr. and Richard E. Wiley have been named "Top Lawyers" by Washingtonian magazine. Chosen by their peers for inclusion in the list, these "Top Lawyers" represent many of the firm's practices and are a reflection of the firm's diverse talent and capabilities.

Managing Partner Richard E. Wiley is singled out by the magazine as one of "30 Washington attorneys who have attained national and even world-class status in their fields." A former Chairman and Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, Wiley heads the firm's 70-lawyer Communications Practice, which is acknowledged by Washingtonian as "the nation's largest and most influential." The magazine hails Wiley as "a force in developing both policies and technologies, particularly through his role on the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service" and notes that he "has used his skills to build one of Washington's top law firms."

The magazine recognizes Fred Fielding and Biz Van Gelder, chairs of the firm's White Collar Defense Practice, as "Top Criminal Defense Lawyers." Name Partner Fred Fielding, chair of the firm's Government Affairs Practice, is also cited as a Top Appointments Lawyer. He specializes in legal counseling, strategic planning and coordination for individual and corporate clients and international negotiations and arbitrations. A member of the 9-11 Commission, Fielding has been named "Lawyer of the Year" by The Bar Association of the District of Columbia for the year 2004. Biz Van Gelder served more than 14 years in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia in both the criminal and civil divisions. She has handled numerous criminal and civil fraud prosecutions, high-profile agency enforcement matters, and congressional investigations and hearings. She is often called upon by clients to consult on compliance programs or conduct sensitive internal investigations.

Jason Gold and Valerie Morrison are rated "Top Bankruptcy Lawyers." Jason Gold, chair of the firm's Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring Practice, has 25 years of experience counseling clients on restructuring and insolvency matters. In recent years, the focus of his practice has been on major telecommunications and aviation cases. He has also served as a bankruptcy trustee for more than 15 years and has liquidated or participated in the restructure of dozens of businesses. Valerie Morrison represents diverse clients in financial restructuring matters, complex chapter 11 reorganization cases and bankruptcy litigation.

Among the "Top Intellectual Property Lawyers" named by the magazine are Jim Wallace and Tom Queen. Jim Wallace, head of the firm's Patent Group, has more than 30 years of experience litigating patents in the fields of communications satellites, data transmission, network interface devices, Internet business methods, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and semiconductors. He is a founding Partner of the firm and was named by Legal Times as a "Leading Intellectual Property Attorney." Tom Queen represents clients in a wide variety of counseling and litigation settings. His practice focuses on asset recovery on behalf of corporate victims, intellectual property disputes of all kinds and the representation of franchisors in virtually all aspects of the franchise relationship, as well as other complex litigation.

Jan Baran is ranked among the "Top Campaign & Elections Lawyers." Jan Baran, head of the firm' s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, has also been named by Washingtonian magazine as one of the "Top 50 Lawyers" in Washington, DC. He advises clients and litigates on federal, state and local campaign finance laws, government ethics requirements and lobbying laws and has served as a legal analyst for ABC News and abcnews.com.