Quarles & Brady LLP: Managing partner Bie appointed to board overseeing New York bulk electricity system

For additional information, contact:

Julie Cole

jcole@quarles.com

(414) 277-5212

MADISON, Wis. (April 22, 2009) – The law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP is pleased to announce that Ave M. Bie, managing partner of the Firm’s Madison office, has been appointed to the 10-member New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) board of directors, after being recommended by a nationwide selection committee.

The NYISO, formed in 1999, is a non-profit corporation that operates New York’s bulk electricity grid, administers the state’s wholesale electricity markets, and provides comprehensive reliability planning for the state’s bulk electricity system. It was created to protect public interest by operating and promoting a fair and competitive wholesale electric market, enhancing regional liability and providing quality customer service. The board consists of members with backgrounds in the electric industry, environmental conservation, finance, academics, technology and communications.

“We are excited to have Ave on this board,” said John W. Daniels Jr., the Firm’s chairman. “Ave’s background and knowledge in energy issues, government affairs and corporate services will make her an asset to the board and the state of New York.”

Bie focuses her practice at the Firm’s six offices nationwide in the areas of energy, government relations and corporate services, working on both state and federal issues.

She formerly served as chairwoman of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Bie also served as deputy secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, deputy secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing, and policy director for the House Republicans. She currently serves on the boards of the Green Bay Packers and St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, and is president of the board of trustees for Edgewood Campus School in Madison.

Bie earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She is a resident of Madison.

Quarles & Brady LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 450 attorneys practicing from offices in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Chicago, Illinois; Naples, Florida; and Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin. The Firm offers an array of legal services to corporate and individual clients that range from small, entrepreneurial businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Additional information about the Firm may be found at http://www.quarles.com.

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