Rex Staples and Steve Hall Appointed to Top Legal Posts

WASHINGTON (July 26, 2004) — The North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. (NASAA) announced today that Rex A. Staples will be joining the organization as its General Counsel, effective September 7. He will report to NASAA Executive Director John H. Hanley.

Staples, 46, will join NASAA from the Washington State Securities Division, where he has held a succession of legal and management positions since 1994. Previously, he was a registered representative with Merrill Lynch, Great Western Savings and Murphy Favre in Seattle. Born in Arizona and raised in eastern Washington State, Staples received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Washington and a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law. He is also a former U.S. Marine, where he commanded a squad in the Corps’ elite reconnaissance unit from 1976-80.

“We are excited to have someone with Rex’s skill and experience guiding our outstanding legal department. Rex already has a decade’s worth of experience with NASAA, working on various project groups and initiatives, including playing a key role in last year’s analyst global settlement and serving as the attorney-in-charge for the U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray analyst investigation,” Hanley said.

NASAA also announced that Stephen W. Hall, 49, has been promoted, also effective September 7, to Deputy General Counsel, reporting to Staples. Hall joined NASAA in 2001, following nearly two decades as an attorney in Washington, D.C., where he held legal posts with two litigation firms and a private corporation. He began his career with the Enforcement Division of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Hall received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

“Steve has demonstrated a high level of dedication and expertise during his NASAA tenure, notably through his work as staff liaison to both the Enforcement Section and the on-going State/SEC Initiative,” Hanley said. “He has also been the primary author of several amicus briefs on NASAA’s behalf.”

NASAA is the oldest international organization devoted to investor protection. Its membership consists of the securities administrators in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico.

For More Information:
Bob Webster, Director of Communications
202-737-0900