JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Knight/Trimark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NITE) announced today that Knight Securities has hired Leonard J. Amoruso as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, and John McCarthy as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Regulatory Affairs Officer. Mr. Amoruso joins Knight after his tenure at the NASD Regulation, where he served as Deputy Director of the organization's New York office. Mr. McCarthy comes on board after serving as an Assistant Director in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

"Knight is constantly seeking ways to ensure that our compliance and regulatory capabilities accommodate our rapid growth and diversification. Len and John, who both possess proven legal experience in our core businesses, will help lead our efforts to stay on top of compliance and regulatory issues in the evolving U.S. marketplace," said Michael T. Dorsey, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Knight/Trimark Group. "These appointments are integral to Knight's vision to provide superior execution on all customer transactions."

At the NASD Regulation, Mr. Amoruso was the New York office's Deputy Director and Chief Prosecutor and was responsible for the oversight and prosecution of hundreds of disciplinary actions, including some of the largest cases every prosecuted by the NASD. New York is the largest district office of the NASD Regulation with a staff of more than 220 and regulatory jurisdiction over approximately 1,200 broker/dealers, including most national firms.

Mr. McCarthy was responsible for the SEC's inspection program of the surveillance programs conducted by self-regulatory organizations (SROs), electronic communication networks (ECNs) and alternative trading systems (ATSs). In this role, he specialized in monitoring for industry compliance with the SEC's order handling rules.

Knight/Trimark, headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, is the parent company of Knight Securities, Trimark Securities and Knight Financial Products (formerly Arbitrade, LLC). Knight/Trimark's subsidiaries make markets in equity securities listed on Nasdaq, the OTCBB of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and in options on individual equities, equity indices, fixed income instruments and certain commodities in the U.S. and Europe. The firm also maintains an asset management business for institutional investors and high net worth individuals through Knight Financial Products' Deephaven subsidiary.

As the number one destination for online trade executions, Knight/Trimark is the processing power behind the explosive growth in securities trading via the Internet. The firm was recently selected to Fortune's "e-50 Stock Index," an elite collection of companies that are shaping the new Internet-based economy. Currently, the four-year-old company employs more than 890 people worldwide with offices in Jersey City, NJ; Jericho, White Plains, Purchase and New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Minnetonka, MN; Santa Clara, CA; and London, England. SOURCE Knight/Trimark Securities Group, Inc.

CONTACT: Margaret Wyrwas, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations of Knight/Trimark Securities Group, Inc., 201-557-6954, mwyrwas@knight-sec.com; or Chuck Dohrenwend of EDELMAN WORLDWIDE,