WEST HARTFORD, CT, May 31, 2001 - The law firm of Cummings & Lockwood is pleased to announce the opening of a new office in West Hartford, Connecticut. This office will mark the firm's fifth office in Connecticut, expanding Cummings & Lockwood's reach to Stamford, Hartford, Greenwich, New Haven and West Hartford. Cummings & Lockwood also has three offices in Florida located in Naples, Bonita Springs and Palm Beach.

The decision to open the office was made to afford residents of West Hartford and the Farmington Valley the opportunity to take advantage of Cummings & Lockwood's expertise, resources and personalized service in trusts and estates, the firm's hallmark for over 90 years, within a few minutes from home.

"The move to West Hartford," according to William H. Narwold, Managing Partner of Cummings & Lockwood, "was largely influenced by the fact that so many of our clients and professional advisors with whom we work are located in West Hartford and the Farmington Valley. It makes sense for us to be more accessible to them." Narwold added that "On a personal level, as a resident of West Hartford, I am genuinely pleased to have a Cummings & Lockwood presence in this vibrant community."

The West Hartford office, located at 29 South Main Street in Town Center, will service clients in the areas of estate planning, trust administration and estate settlement. The office will be staffed by four attorneys, all previously resident in the firm's Hartford office. These attorneys are Paul L. Bourdeau, Gina S. Linstone, Robert B. Fawber and Kelley M. Galica Peck.

Mr. Bourdeau is a partner of Cummings & Lockwood and Chair of the Hartford Private Clients Group. He has been an estate tax attorney with Cummings & Lockwood since 1980 and advises clients in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement, taxation and charitable giving. Mr. Bourdeau received his B.A. from Yale University in 1977 and attended Boston University School of Law, where he received his J.D. with honors in 1980. He received his Master's degree in taxation in 1984 from New York University School of Law. Mr. Bourdeau is admitted to practice in Connecticut, Florida and Massachusetts. He resides in West Hartford, Connecticut, with his wife, Joanne, and their daughters, Caroline and Maria. Mr. Bourdeau and his family are members of the Hartford Golf Club and the Hartford Tennis Club.

Ms. Linstone joined Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group in Hartford in 1989 and became a partner in 1998. She is Chair of the West Hartford Private Clients Group. Ms. Linstone concentrates her practice in the areas of estate and tax planning, charitable planning and estate and trust administration. She received her B.A., cum laude, in 1986 from Northwestern University and her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1989. Ms. Linstone resides in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her husband, Jeff, and daughters, Emma, Abigail and Madeline.

Mr. Fawber joined Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group in Hartford in 1996 and serves as Counsel. His primary areas of practice include estate planning, estate settlement and residential real estate closings. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Fawber practiced real estate, estate planning, and general business law in the Hartford area from 1976 to 1996. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1975 and his B.A. from Trinity College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Fawber resides in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Ms. Peck joined Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group in Hartford in 1998 as an associate. She concentrates her practice in the areas of general estate planning and estate administration, as well as closely held business and succession planning. Ms. Peck received her B.S. from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, magna cum laude. After graduation, she worked as assistant to the chairman of the Connecticut Republican State Central Committee.  Ms. Peck received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Western New England School of Law in 1997, where she was a member of the Western New England Law Review and a recipient of the Catherine Bean Street Scholarship for Academic Excellence. She resides in Manchester, Connecticut, with her husband, Keith.