New York, N.Y., May 9 2012– Corporate Board Member, publisher of Corporate Board Member magazine, and global business advisory firm FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN ) hosted the fifth annual Legal Recognition Dinner  last tonight at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, honoring distinguished general counsel (GC) and the top 25 national corporate law firms. The winners were selected by directors and general counsel of publicly traded companies as a part of the 12^th annual America’s Best Corporate Law Firms study.

The event honored Siri S. Marshall, former vice president, general counsel and chief governance and compliance officer, General Mills, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her accomplishments and commitment to the legal profession.  Additionally, the event recognized America’s Top General Counsel who have made significant strides in helping their boards and companies succeed: Karen Cottle (Adobe Systems Incorporated); Larry D. Hunter (DIRECTV); Mark J. Ohringer (Jones Lang LaSalle); and Robert C. Weber Esq. (International Business Machines Corp).

The event also paid tribute to 10 GCs to Watch as recommended by our past general counsel honorees, representatives of the top national corporate law firms and Corporate Board Member: Katherine L. Adams (Honeywell); Timothy R. Baer (Target Corporation); Michelle Banks (Gap Inc.); Peter J. Beshar (Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.); Adam G. Ciongoli (Lincoln Financial Group); Paul D. Gilbert (LifePoint Hospitals); Reginald D. Hedgebeth (Spectra Energy Corp.); Maryanne R. Lavan (Lockheed Martin Corporation); Gjon N. Nivica, Jr. (Celanese Corporation); and Alan K. Tse (Churchill Downs Inc.).

“Risks and legal matters are intrinsic to the boardroom discussions of today’s public companies,” stated TK Kerstetter, president of Corporate Board Member. “The responsibilities and decisions that general counsels are facing reflect the complexity of doing business in today’s global marketplace.”

“This annual event provides the legal profession with a much-needed opportunity to honor the accomplishments of some of the most distinguished general counsel in the United States ,” said Neal Hochberg, senior managing director and global leader of the Forensic and Litigation Consulting business segment, at FTI Consulting.  “The role of general counsel has become increasingly more critical in advising the C-suite and board of directors and in assuring the success of companies in this changing environment, and we are excited to put a spotlight on these leaders, as well as some of the top law firms identified on this year’s ranking.”

In addition to naming the top 25 corporate law firms nationally, the Corporate Board Member/FTI Consulting study identifies the top law firm in 25 major U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the directors and general counsel polled. A complete listing of the national, general counsel and metropolitan rankings will appear in the second-quarter 2012 issue of Corporate Board Member magazine to be released on May 10. More information about the event is available at https://www.boardmember.com/2012legaldinner.aspx.

About Corporate Board Member

Corporate Board Member, an NYSE Euronext company, is the leading information resource for senior officers and directors of publicly traded corporations, large private companies and Global 1000 firms. The quarterly publication, Corporate Board Member magazine, provides readers with decision-making tools to deal with the strategic and corporate governance challenges confronting their boards. Corporate Board Member further extends its governance leadership through an online resource center, conferences, roundtables and timely research. The magazine maintains the most comprehensive, up-to-date database of directors and officers serving on boards of publicly traded companies listed with NYSE Euronext and The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. stock exchanges. www.boardmember.com 

About FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at  www.fticonsulting.com.

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Contacts:

Nicole Madison                                                                         Stephanie Clark
FTI Consulting                                                                          Corporate Board Member
(212) 850-5647                                                                        (615) 309-3200 ext 213
nicole.madison@fticonsulting.com                                           sclark@boardmember.com