Media Executive And Former White House Aide Named Senior Vice President

Los Angeles, CA, and New York, NY- Richard Socarides, a former White House Senior Advisor and AOL Time Warner executive who has held communications positions in the media sector and in politics, has been named to lead the Corporate Communications department at New Line Cinema. The announcement was made today by Russell Schwartz, President, Domestic Theatrical Marketing, New Line Cinema.

Socarides will serve as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, and will report to Christina Kounelias, Executive Vice President, Publicity and Promotions. He will be in charge of corporate press and communications strategy and will work from New Line's offices in both New York and Los Angeles.

"Richard brings a wealth of resources and relationships from his years in the corporate world and in politics to our communications and media relations operations," Schwartz said. "He will play a key role in helping to shape our profile and corporate identity during the most successful period in our history."

Kounelias added, "Richard's background in business, media and politics is a great complement to our entertainment operations. We're very happy to welcome him to the team."

Socarides said: "I am excited to be a part of such a creative and successful entertainment company. New Line has a long history of producing innovative motion pictures. That legacy will be strengthened in the coming months and years as the studio is poised to showcase one of its best slates ever."

From 1993 to 1999, Socarides worked as a White House advisor in a variety of senior positions, including as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Public Liaison. More recently, from 2001-2003, Socarides served as Vice President for Corporate Relations at AOL Time Warner and as Vice President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation, where he handled press and media relations. He has also served as a consultant to HBO.

In 2000, Socarides was Senior Vice President at Robinson Lehrer & Montgomery Strategic Communications. He has served as Deputy Director, Public Liaison for Clinton/Gore '96 and as Political Director and Senior Advisor for US Senator Tom Harkin. From 1979 to 1990, Socarides was an associate, and then a partner, at the New York law firm of Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent and Lehrer.