New York, NY (May 31, 2006) – Labaton Sucharow & Rudoff LLP and TILP International, a division of the German-headquartered TILP Group, announced today a joint alliance of the two law firms that will create the world's first truly international practice dedicated to representing institutional investors in class actions and complex securities cases.

Labaton/TILP will work together to address the growing need for investor protection services in the global arena. With increasing global investments in the US securities markets, financial institutions throughout the world require an international team that will help safeguard their US interests. The Labaton/TILP relationship will ensure that individuals and institutions outside of the US will have a highly professional, international team to advise them and recover their losses stemming from corporate wrongdoing.

Based in Germany, TILP Group has offices in Europe and the Middle East, and represents private and institutional investors in Germany, Austria, Ireland and Luxembourg with assets under management of cumulatively more than $300 billion. Building on Labaton Sucharow’s experience and reputation as one of the US’s premier securities and antitrust class action law firms, having secured record recoveries and effected significant corporate governance reforms in several of the largest and most prominent cases in history, the Labaton/TILP alliance will allow the firm to expand and offer its investor protection services throughout the world.

“In today’s global economy, corporate fraud has no boundaries,”said Lawrence Sucharow, Managing Partner of Labaton Sucharow & Rudoff. “We keenly understand how individuals and institutions outside the US can be harmed by securities fraud and mismanagement infecting our system of capital markets. Building on many great successes protecting and defending the rights of aggrieved investors in the US, we believe our relationship with TILP International provides the perfect platform for helping to protect global investors from investment portfolio losses resulting from corporate wrongdoing.”

“Having dedicated my career to investor protection, I believe the Labaton/TILP relationship will provide an indispensable service to financial institutions in Europe and throughout the world,” said Andreas Tilp, Managing Partner of TILP PLLC. “European institutions are increasingly becoming cognizant of the need to guard their US investments. Labaton Sucharow’s experience and reputation as one of the premier securities and antitrust class action law firms will be a tremendous asset for global investors and we look forward to much success in working with them.”

The unique relationship combines the capabilities of two respected leaders in investor protection law. Labaton Sucharow represents many of the most prestigious institutional investors including pension funds from 13 different states, funds managed by city, county and other municipalities, banks, hedge funds, unions and other financial institutions. TILP International is a division representing New York-and Miami-based law firm TILP PLLC and Dubai-based law firm TILP Limited.