February 22, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tovah LaDier has joined Williams Mullen Strategies as a vice president. In this role, Ms. LaDier will serve the national and international interests of clients involved in technology, biometrics and homeland security as well as clients interested in U.S.-Asia issues. Ms. LaDier has more than two decades of experience working with business, government, the academic and policy communities, and the media. Her prior experience includes a career as a corporate lawyer, lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and a non-profit director and policy issues leader dealing with political, economic, and cultural issues involving Asia and also, more recently, Islam and the West.

Before joining WMS, Ms. LaDier was managing director of French & Company, where she represented the International Biometric Industry Association before Congress and the Administration and was the industry representative in national and international standards organizations on privacy and social issues.

From 2001 to 2004, Ms. LaDier managed Global Policy Exchange, a policy institute dedicated to analyzing the fundamental role of culture in framing and influencing the policy choices of the U.S., its allies, and its adversaries, particularly in the area of foreign affairs.

Prior to that, Ms. LaDier was the executive director of the Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs (MCPA), a policy institute dealing with U.S.-Asia issues, bringing it from a start-up to preeminence. During her tenure, she developed a wide range of public policy programs, policy research and publications, conferences, the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program for U.S. federal government employees and education and travel programs on Japan and China for members of Congress. She also represented the MCPA before the U.S. Congress and Administration, Asian government officials, business representatives, scholars, the media, diplomats and cultural leaders and addressed numerous conferences in the U.S. and Asia. She was nominated for the 1999 Japan Foundation Prize.

Previously, Ms. LaDier was an attorney in private practice where she represented corporate clients, including a Fortune 500 energy company, the timber industry, Pacific Northwest power industry, U.S. shipyards, U.S.- flag carriers, investment companies, and municipal clients before Congress and administrative bodies in Washington, D.C., primarily in the tax, trade, energy and environmental areas.

Ms. LaDier is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and received her juris doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law, where she studied in the Asia law program. She is a member of the National Committee on U.S. China Relations, United States Indonesia Society, and the Asia Society.

Williams Mullen Strategies provides knowledge, experience and perspective in a broad portfolio of services to give our clients a strategic advantage. We bring expertise and solid relationships to public policy advocacy and regulatory affairs and have the proven ability to impart innovative and effective public affairs strategy. At the core of our success is the coordinated deployment of our team's aggregate capabilities and a partnership with each client. Through this team approach, clients can be certain we will invest the time, energy and resources to achieve their objectives.


For more information, please contact:

Charleen M. Pine
Two James Center
1021 East Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 783-6521
Fax: (804) 783-6507
cpine@williamsmullen.com