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Miami, Florida – June 3, 2008Rick Morgan — co-head of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney's Miami and Aventura offices and member of the firm's Board of Directors — was elected chair of Friends for Sylvester (FFS) at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. As chair, Morgan is charged with leading the Friends for Sylvester Board and its nearly 350 members.

Morgan succeeds Jon Alexiou, who served as chair of FFS for the last two years. Alexiou is retired as president of Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson campus.

"It’s an honor for me to be part of a group that has the desire to help in any way that we can, and that has incredible amounts of energy, passion and excitement when it comes to the cancer center and raising money to support this important research," Morgan said.

"My goal as chair is to bring the vision of the cancer center to the community. I believe in making life easier for those suffering with this insidious disease, and Friends for Sylvester can help through a commitment to supporting and growing the facility. I am proud to work with so many gifted, committed professionals and volunteers," he said.

Joan Scheiner, UM/Sylvester Board of Governors chair, said, "Rick has a wonderful history of involvement with UM/Sylvester and continues to work tirelessly as an advocate and ambassador for our cancer center. I have no doubt that he'll do a tremendous job in this new role."

Morgan and his wife, Patti, became Friends for Sylvester in December 2000. As FFS chair, he will sit on the UM/Sylvester Board of Governors. He served as co-chair of the 2005 inaugural Party in the Park and chair of the 2007 Party in the Park. The biennial event featured 11 patients modeling designer fashions as they graced the runway with the world-renowned doctors who escorted them through their treatment. The event raised more than $100,000 for cancer research.

About Morgan

At Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Morgan focuses his practice on a broad spectrum of complex litigation matters involving banking, construction-defect matters, restrictive covenants, fraud and unfair practice actions, and a variety of contract matters. He has litigated a variety of commercial contractual disputes including non-compete agreements, developer disputes and real property disputes.

Morgan also acts as counsel to a number of not-for-profit corporations for which he regularly provides corporate and business counsel as well as representation in connection with any litigation matters. His affiliations include Litigation, Business Law Sections of the American Bar Association, Dade County Bar Association and the Florida Bar Association. He earned his J.D., with honors, from St. Thomas University and B.A. degree, with honors, from PaceUniversity. Morgan also attended graduate school at Georgetown University in the School of Foreign Service.

About Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC has more than 550 attorneys and government relations professionals practicing throughout the United States, with multiple offices in Florida, California, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as offices in Delaware, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The firm encourages and supports participation by individual professionals in various community and charitable activities across the nation. Buchanan also provides pro bono legal services on an organized and regular basis.

About Friends for Sylvester

Friends for Sylvester is a group of active, involved community leaders committed to the ongoing search for a cancer cure. Consistent with UM/Sylvester’s mission, Friends for Sylvester strives to sustain the quality of life of those afflicted with cancer. Friends for Sylvester members act as ambassadors for UM/Sylvester and each pledge $10,000 to be paid over a maximum of 10 years. Friends for Sylvester began in 1998 and since then has raised more than $3 million for cancer research.

About UM/Sylvester

UM/Sylvester opened in 1992 to provide comprehensive cancer services and today serves as the hub for cancer-related research, diagnosis, and treatment at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. UM/Sylvester handles nearly 1,600 inpatient admissions annually, performs 2,700 surgical procedures, and treats more than 3,700 new cancer patients.

All UM/Sylvester physicians are on the faculty of the Miller School of Medicine, South Florida’s only academic medical center. In addition, UM/Sylvester physicians and scientists are engaged in more than 200 clinical trials and receive more than $36 million annually in research grants. UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach opened in 2003 to better meet the needs of residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A major expansion is currently under way, which will double the size of this facility by adding diagnostic imaging services, additional chemotherapy chairs, and expanded exam rooms. Deerfield Beach offers appointments with physicians from 12 of UM/Sylvester’s 15 Site Disease Groups, complementary therapies from the Courtelis Center, and education and outreach events.