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BEECHER CARLSON’S EXECUTIVE LIABILITY PRACTICE
BECOMES FIRST BROKERAGE TO LAUNCH ISS-ACCREDITED
AND CUSTOMIZED BOARD TRAINING PROGRAM

ATLANTA, GA and NEW YORK – (April 10, 2008) – Beecher Carlson, the fastest growing insurance brokerage and risk management consultancy in the country, announced today that its Executive Liability Practice has launched TopBoards™, the first and only ISS-accredited and customized board education and training program provided by an insurance brokerage. Unlike many standard training programs that offer pre-packaged, off-the-shelf courses, Beecher Carlson’s TopBoards is completely customizable to meet each client’s specific needs for training and education. Companies whose full Board participates in eight hours of accredited training provided by TopBoards may receive maximum credit toward their ISS Corporate Governance Quotient.

With TopBoards, Beecher Carlson links an accredited Board training program with its innovative forward-looking approach to analytics that identifies risk drivers that lead to future class action litigation. Beecher Carlson Executive Liability is distinguished as the first and only broker to provide its clients a forward-looking view of their future D&O risk profile. By having a clear picture of their future risks, executives know precisely where to focus their Board education and training.

“Being compliant is the most powerful weapon against investigations and shareholder litigation,” said Steve Anderson, Executive Managing Director of Beecher Carlson’s Executive Liability Practice. “With TopBoards, we wanted to make it easy and convenient for Directors to stay current on recent regulatory and legislative developments, board governance issues and industry requirements,” Anderson said. “Because today’s Boards operate in an environment rife with corporate governance scandals, contentious shareholders and Sarbanes-Oxley demands, training and education is an absolute and ongoing necessity so that Directors can govern more effectively and successfully lead their companies,” added Kimberly Fine, Senior Vice President for Board Training at Beecher Carlson.

TopBoards is comprised of Nationally-recognized thought leaders with unique perspectives, expertise and real-life business experiences on a variety of topics that are top-of-mind with Directors and Executives today. Beecher Carlson thoughtfully selected speakers based on the expertise of each individual. Speakers include directors, general counsel, legal advisors, forensic accountants, turn-around experts, crisis management professionals, intellectual property specialists, investor relations experts and branding consultants.

The 22 one-hour modules available through TopBoards cover a range of topics that include corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, crisis management, D&O liability, compensation, succession planning, branding and crisis communications, intellectual property, financial reporting, global issues and more. Beecher Carlson plans to regularly expand the modules and speakers available through TopBoards to keep the program strategically aligned with the topics most pressing to Directors.

“While being a watch dog is a crucial role for the Board to play, offering sound strategic advice that will move the company to the next level is equally as important,” said Betsy Atkins, CEO of Baja Corp and Director for Polycom, Chico’s, SunPower and Reynolds American and a TopBoards speaker on governance, compensation and merger related activities. “Whether clients are exploring acquisitions, entering new markets, bringing in new talent, working with new marketing partners, the Board is an incredible resource to help guide these efforts. To this end, Board training can also be specific to a strategy such as protecting intellectual property,” she said.

“What Beecher Carlson has put together with TopBoards is a quantum leap forward with regard to Board training that is aligned with today’s most pressing issues,” said Richard Levick, President of Levick Strategic Communications and a TopBoards speaker on crisis management and communications. “A properly designed training program, in essence, becomes part of a Board’s culture, offering opportunities to improve effectiveness, deepen knowledge of external forces and developments, and create a healthier working relationship between management and the Board.”

To download a TopBoards brochure or the complete course catalog which showcases the 22 modules and 50 speakers, please visit www.beechercarlson.com.

About Beecher Carlson

Beecher Carlson is the fastest growing commercial insurance brokerage in the country with 113 percent compounded annual growth over the past three years. The Company is ranked as the 44th largest broker in the United States and the 7th largest captive manager worldwide. Unique to Beecher Carlson is its laser focus on specialized industries that include healthcare, lodging, gaming, real estate and construction, energy, business services, retail, manufacturing and telecommunications. A privately held company with corporate offices in Atlanta, Beecher Carlson also maintains operations in Bermuda; Boston; Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Woodland Hills, California; Connecticut; Denver; Florida; Honolulu; Houston; Eugene, Portland and Medford, Oregon; Gulfport Mississippi; Minnesota; Las Vegas; New Jersey, New York; Nashville; Phoenix; Providence, Rhode Island and Burlington, Vermont. For more information, call 800-657-0243 or visit www.beechercarlson.com.

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