Cohen & Grigsby Elects Three New Directors

October 31, 2003

PITTSBURGH, PA - Mark A. Grace, W. Scott Hardy and Marc P. Taxay were recently elected as Directors (partners) in the law firm of Cohen & Grigsby, P.C.

Mark A. Grace is a director in the Firm’s Litigation and Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Groups and concentrates his practice in the areas of general commercial litigation and bankruptcy litigation. His areas of focus include general and complex commercial litigation; intellectual property matters involving non-compete agreements and trade secret protection; patent, trademark, trade dress and copyright infringement litigation; bankruptcy and creditors’ rights litigation; employment contract matters; Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation; contract disputes; and administrative law involving federal agencies. Mark earned his B.S. (with distinction and honors) in Nuclear Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1983, his M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1984, and his J.D. with Honors (Dean’s Fellow, Honors in Legal Research and Writing and in Oral Advocacy) from George Washington University National Law Center in 1996. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association, and the American Nuclear Society. Mr. Grace resides in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

W. Scott Hardy is a director in the Firm’s Labor and Employment Group, where he concentrates his practice on representing employers in all types of litigation in federal and state courts, and on defending employers against charges before various governmental administrative and law enforcement agencies such as the EEOC and the PHRC. Mr. Hardy also counsels employers in all aspects of their employment relationships, including crafting employment policies, Corporate Compliance Programs, Codes of Ethics, and related practices. He also trains employees and supervisors on how to prevent and eliminate harassment in the workplace, and conducts or oversees internal corporate investigations of alleged harassment and other types of employee misconduct. Scott earned his B.A. in Economics and Political Science (magna cum laude) from Allegheny College in 1993 and his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1996. He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and Federal Bar Associations and a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Labor/Employment, Civil Litigation and Federal Court Sections. Scott serves as an Executive Board Member of the American Inns of Court, University of Pittsburgh Chapter, and he is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Good Samaritan Hospice of Pittsburgh. Mr. Hardy resides in Ross Township, Pennsylvania.

Marc P. Taxay is a director in the Firm's Business Group and concentrates his practice in the areas of securities, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and general corporate law. Mr. Taxay has represented companies across a broad range of industries, with experience in the emerging technology area including software, e-commerce, Internet related services, information technology, medical devices and life sciences. Mr. Taxay has advised companies through all stages of their life cycle including corporate formation, private equity and convertible debt financings, registered primary and secondary offerings, corporate governance and business combinations. He also has experience representing venture capital firms in private financings as well as underwriters in public offerings. In Mr. Taxay’s public company practice, he has assisted both U.S. and foreign public companies in periodic reporting, proxy solicitations, trading issues and, most recently, compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Marc earned his B.A. in Honors Political Science and Economics (High Honors) from the University of Michigan in 1990 and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and California and is a member of the Pennsylvania and California Bar Associations. Mr. Taxay resides in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania.