Fort James Files Secondary Offering Registration Statement

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Fort James Files Secondary Offering Registration Statement
    RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Fort James Corporation (NYSE: FJ)
announced today that it proposes to file a registration statement with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for a secondary offering of 11.25 million
common shares owned by First Plaza Group Trust and Morgan Stanley, Dean
Witter, Discover & Co. and certain of its affiliates.  First Plaza Group Trust
(a trust for the benefit of certain employee benefit plans of General Motors
Corporation and its subsidiaries) proposes to sell approximately 8.07 million
common shares, which represent all of the shares held by First Plaza Group
Trust.  Morgan Stanley proposes to sell 3.18 million of its Fort James common
shares in the offering and, if the underwriters' over-allotment option is
exercised, an additional 1.0 million shares.  If the offering is completed and
the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised, Morgan Stanley's
remaining Fort James holdings will represent approximately 1 percent of the
company's outstanding common stock.
    The shares being sold were originally acquired from Fort Howard
Corporation in 1988 and were exchanged for Fort James shares in the merger of
James River and Fort Howard in August 1997.  First Plaza Group Trust and
Morgan Stanley are selling their shares in accordance with their customary
portfolio management policies.
    The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus filed as part of a
registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
    Fort James is a leading international consumer products company, serving
consumers both at home and away-from-home with bathroom and facial tissue,
paper towels, napkins, and cups and plates.  The company's popular brands
include Quilted Northern, Brawny, Dixie, Vanity Fair, Mardi Gras, Green
Forest, Soft 'N Gentle and So-Dri in North America and Lotus, Tenderly,
Colhogar and Kittensoft in Europe. Fort James also produces folding cartons
for packaging food and pharmaceuticals and communications papers such as
printing, publishing and office copy paper.  The company has approximately
30,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada
and 10 European countries.
    A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.
These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to
the time the registration statement becomes effective.  This press release
shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy,
nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or
qualification under the securities laws of such state.
    Copies of today's news release, along with additional information on Fort
James, is available, at no charge, by calling (888) 526 3711.  You may also
access the company's web site at Internet address http://www.fortjames.com.
SOURCE Fort James Corporation
http://www.fortjames.com CONTACT:
Celeste Gunter, Financial, 804-649-4307; or
Richard B. Elder, Media, 804-343-4785, both of Fort James