Thursday, August 17, 2006

William Newsom Joins Board of Directors

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/

Pay By Touch announced that the Honorable William Newsom, former Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeals at San Francisco, has joined the company's board of directors.

"Judge Newsom's exceptional legal and financial counsel makes him an excellent addition to our board of directors," said John Rogers, CEO of Pay By Touch. "His civic and socially-responsible interests are also in line with the values of Pay By Touch. We are delighted to have him serve the company."

"Pay By Touch has an experienced team in place to bring a unique product to market," said Judge Newsom. "I am pleased to be a part of this exciting endeavor."

Judge Newsom is president of Newsom Associates and trust administrator of the Gordon Getty Family Trust. He is also one of the original investors in Pay By Touch. He was appointed an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal at San Francisco in 1978, after which he was elected twice to twelve-year terms. His son, Gavin, is currently mayor of San Francisco.

Judge Newsom's early career as a lawyer included time spent working with Willick, Wheat, Geary, Adams, & Charles as well as with James Martin MacInnis and Getty Oil Italiana, where he served as in-house counsel for the corporation's office in Rome. His responsibilities to the Getty Family later included service as a Trustee for several of the family's trusts and foundations. The Getty Trust is one of Pay By Touch's largest investors.

Judge Newsom is a Trustee for the Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Legal Defense, the Sierra Club Foundation and the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund. He is also a Director of The Wildlife Conservancy and the Mountain Lion Foundation.