[New York, N.Y., January 27, 2005] On January 26, 2005, Judge Shirley Wohl Kram of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York appointed Bernstein Liebhard client, the State of New Jersey – Department of Treasury – Division of Investment on behalf of the Common Pension Fund A, the DCP Equity Fund, and the Supplemental Annuity Fund (collectively, “New Jersey”), as one of two lead plaintiffs in the Marsh & McLennan securities fraud class action litigation.  Judge Kram based her ruling on a combination of factors, including the amount of losses that New Jersey sustained as a result of its purchases of Marsh stock and its ability to vigorously litigate the case on behalf of the class.

The Court also granted New Jersey’s motion to appoint its selected counsel, Bernstein Liebhard, as Co-Lead Counsel for the class of Marsh stockholders.

The State of New Jersey, Division of Investment, with $79.4 billion under management, is among the 50 largest public or private money managers in the United States. The pension funds constitute $67.5 billion of managed assets, which represent the retirement plans for over 700,000 active and retired employees in seven public systems.

Bernstein Liebhard & Lifshitz, LLP was established in 1993 as a boutique law firm to represent investors and consumers in complex class action and corporate governance litigation throughout the United States . The firm has grown to approximately 30 lawyers, with offices in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and is nationally recognized for its securities and corporate governance, antitrust, and consumer practices. Bernstein Liebhard & Lifshitz, LLP was selected by The National Law Journal for the second straight year as one of the top 20 litigation law firms for plaintiffs in the country. The firm has also received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest ratings for legal ability (A) and ethical standards (V).