Silicon Valley Bank's Lois Fisher to Speak at Biotechnology Conference March 22

Seattle, WA -- March 22, 2001 - Lois Fisher, national practice leader of Silicon Valley Bank's Life Sciences practice, will be a featured speaker at Law Seminars International's Annual Seattle Biotechnology Conference. The conference will be held Thursday and Friday, March 22 -23, 2001, at the W Seattle Hotel at 1112 4th Avenue in Seattle.

Fisher will speak on March 22, on the subject of debt financing for emerging companies. Fisher's presentation will last 30-minutes with a brief Q&A session following.

The Biotechnology Conference addresses various developments in the biotech industry over the past year, as perceived by key experts. Since biotechnology and related public policy issues are no longer of concern only to academics and industry insiders, the impact of the Seattle Biotechnology Conference has become that much greater.

Fisher has extensive experience in the banking, medical device and venture capital industries. Prior to joining the Bank, Fisher worked in product management, product development and business development with two leading cardiovascular device companies. She also worked as an associate for a seed and early-stage venture capital firm.

Silicon Valley Bank serves emerging growth and middle market companies in targeted niches, focusing on technology and life sciences, while also addressing other specific industries in which it can provide a higher level of service and better manage credit through specialization and focus.

The Bank operates throughout the Silicon Valley: Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Sand Hill, the center of the venture capital community in California. Other regional offices within California include: Irvine, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Sonoma. Office locations outside of California include: Phoenix, Arizona; Boulder, Colorado; West Palm Beach, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Durham, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Northern Virginia; and Seattle, Washington.

SVB Contact: David Grandey, (408) 654-7289, dgrandey@svbank.com.