Hallmark Announces Mark J. Morrison, Chief Financial Officer

Hallmark Announces Mark J. Morrison, Chief Financial Officer 


FORT WORTH, Texas, March 5  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hallmark Financial
Services, Inc.  ("the Company") today announced the appointment of Mark J.
Morrison as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company
effective March 22, 2004.  Mr. Morrison will be charged with managing and
executing all aspects of the financial growth of the Company.

Mr. Morrison joins the Company most recently from Associates Insurance Group in
Dallas, Texas, a subsidiary of Travelers Property Casualty, where he served as
President since January 2001.  Prior to that he served as Chief Financial
Officer of Associates First Capital Corporation's insurance operations, which
included AssociatesInsurance Group, Northland Insurance Group, American Equity
Insurance Group and Mendota Insurance Group.  Mr. Morrison also previously held
various accounting and financial management positions in the insurance industry
with Republic Insurance Group and Anthem Insurance Services.  He began his
professional career in 1982 in public accounting with Ernst & Young, LLP in
Indianapolis, Indiana, where he ended his tenure in 1991 as a Senior Manager of
Assurance Services serving the insurance practice.  Mr. Morrison holds a CPA
certification and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Accounting from
Indiana University (Bloomington).

Mark E. Schwarz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company stated, "We
are pleased to have Mark Morrison bringhis 22 years of experience in financial
management, administration and strategic planning to Hallmark Financial
Services.  Mark's experience includes 13 years in the property & casualty
insurance industry working in senior positions at Associates, Republic Insurance
Group and Anthem."

Mr. Morrison will be succeeding Scott K. Billings who has left the Company to
pursue other business interests.

Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. engages primarily in sale of property and
casualty insurance products.  The Company's business involves marketing and
underwriting of non-standard personal automobile insurance primarily in Texas,
Arizona and New Mexico, marketing commercial insurance primarily in Texas, New
Mexico, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, third partyclaims administration, and
other insurance related services.  The Company is headquartered in Fort Worth,
Texas and its common stock is listed on the American Stock Exchange under the
symbol "HAF.EC".

Forward-looking statements in this Release are made pursuant to the "safe
harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Investors
are cautioned that actual results may differ substantially from such
forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties including, but not limited to, continued acceptance of the
Company's products and services in the marketplace, competitive factors,
interest rate trends, the availability of financing, underwriting loss
experience and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic
report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

   For further information, please contact:
   Mark E. Schwarz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at 817.348.1600
   http://www.hallmarkgrp.com/

DATASOURCE: Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.



CONTACT:  Mark E. Schwarz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of

Hallmark Financial Services, Inc., [phone]



Web site:  http://www.hallmarkgrp.com/ 

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