(Washington, D.C.) October 12, 2005 — Vinson & Elkins LLP is pleased to announce that Mark Scott, widely recognized as the federal government’s leading legal expert on tax enforcement issues related to municipal bonds, has joined the law firm as a partner in its Washington office.

A 1983 graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law, Scott has been a lawyer at the Internal Revenue Service investigating, prosecuting and ruling on tax and municipal bond-related matters for more than fifteen years. He has been the Director of the IRS’ Office of Tax Exempt Bonds since its inception in 2000, where he examined municipal bond transactions, negotiated and oversaw resolutions of voluntary compliance requests, and analyzed compliance trends.

“Vinson & Elkins clients will greatly benefit from Mark’s expertise on matters of tax compliance and federal investigations involving tax-exempt financial markets,” says Monty Humble, a partner in V&E;’s Dallas office and immediate past president of the National Association of Bond Lawyers. “I expect Mark’s counsel will be in high demand from those with compliance issues, as well as from the great majority of participants in the municipal market who want to be certain that the transactions that they are involved in – as professionals, issuers, underwriters or buyers, comply with the law.”

Humble says Scott, who received an advanced degree in tax law from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1984, will have a national practice advising clients on compliance issues and will team up with Paul Maco, who was the federal government’s top expert on securities law related to municipal bonds, to work on troubled municipal bond transactions.

“When an opportunity comes along to work with not only talented attorneys, but my old friends Ray Hutchison, Ben Brooks, Steve Gerdes, Todd Greenwalt and Charlie Almond, it's just an opportunity that is too good to turn down,” Scott says of his decision to join V&E.; “I look forward to being one of the first private sector attorneys who can truly bridge the gap between federal tax controversy and traditional bond practice with significant experience in both arenas.”

Scott says he is especially excited to work as part of the V&E; Public Finance team that includes Paul Maco, a V&E; partner who joined the firm in 2000 after more than eight years as a lawyer at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the first Director of the SEC’s Office of Municipal Securities.
 
“Vinson & Elkins has long enjoyed a reputation for excellence in municipal finance, particularly the federal tax aspects,” says Todd Greenwalt, co-head of Vinson & Elkins Tax Section. “We have only strengthened it by having Mark, who is the government’s top tax lawyer on municipal bond enforcement matters, join Paul, who was the federal government’s top expert on securities law related to municipal bonds, as part of the team.”

For more information, please contact Monty Humble at 214.220.7746 or via e-mail at mhumble@velaw.com. Or you may contact Darrin Schlegel at 713.758.2171 or via e-mail at dschlegel@velaw.com.

Vinson & Elkins was established in 1917 and is one of the world's largest international law firms. The firm has about 700 lawyers practicing in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Dubai, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington D.C. Vinson & Elkins offers a wide range of legal services. Clients include public and private companies, financial institutions, municipalities, governments of sovereign nations, entrepreneurs, families and individuals.