U.S. Secretary of Transportation Appoints Nossaman Partner to Serve on Infrastructure Financing Commission

LOS ANGELES (June 26, 2007) - Today, Nossaman announced that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters has appointed partner Geoffrey S. Yarema to the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission (the "Financing Commission"). Mr. Yarema, together with other distinguished industry experts (please see list attached), will serve on the newly formed federal advisory committee Congress created as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users ("SAFETEA-LU"). Meetings of the 15 member Financing Commission are open to the public and the next meeting is scheduled for July 16, 2007.

"The Commission is comprised of a remarkable group of industry leaders with tremendous potential for consensus building and creating real policy solutions," said Geoff Yarema, Chair of Nossaman's Infrastructure Practice. "I am honored to be among their number. We have an important job to do, however. Current resources are demonstrably inadequate to maintain the condition of, and improve mobility on, our existing transportation network. I welcome the comments, suggestions and insights of the public to help us in our mission."

Congress charged the Financing Commission with: analyzing the needs for future capital improvements to the country's highways and transit systems; determining the value of revenue sources currently supporting the Highway Trust Fund; and making recommendations to supplement available funding and meet further national infrastructure needs. Congress has directed the Financing Commission to complete work no later that April 2009 and to forward its policy recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury and the U.S. Congress.