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THE 2011 BURTON AWARDS
12th Anniversary Program Specifics:
Burton Awards Twelfth Annual Awards Program and Gala: The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement, held in Association with the Library of Congress, is an academic, nonprofit, 501 (c) (3) foundation formed in 1999.
Date: Monday, June 13, 2011.
Burton Awards event begins: Coolidge Auditorium, 4:45 p.m. prompt.
Cocktail Reception: Great Hall, 7:00 p.m.
Gala/Dinner: Great Hall, Atrium Level, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00.
Featuring: Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Presentation to Justice Stephen Breyer.
Presentation of Reform in Law Award for the Restyled Federal Rules of Evidence to:
The United States Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on the Evidence Rules, accepted by Judge Robert Hinkle (Committee Chair)
The Judicial Conference's Standing Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, accepted by Judge Lee Rosenthal (Committee Chair)
Professor Joseph Kimble, Thomas Cooley Law School (Drafting Consultant)
Entertainment: Exclusive American engagement by European singing sensation Katherine Jenkins, 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Great Hall.
Nature of Burton Awards: The awards program is designed to reward major achievements in the law ranging from literary awards to the greatest reform in law. The awards are selected, generally, by professors from Harvard Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law School, the University of California at Irvine School of Law, among others. Judge Richard Posner (7th Circuit US Court of Appeals), Chief Judge Alex Kozinski (9th Circuit US Court of Appeals), U.S. Senator John Cornyn, U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Chairman Spencer Bachus, Judith Kaye (Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals) (retired), and Supreme Court Justice Carol Corrigan of California are honorary members on the Board of Directors.
Event Venue: Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium and Great Hall.
City/State/Zip: 10 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C.
Venue Phone Number: 917-376-8900
Venue FAX #: 516-625-3011
Address of Burton Awards: 110 Wall Street, 11th Floor New York, New York 10005-3198
Chairman: William Burton, Esq.
Title: Founder and Chairman
E-mail address: executivecommittee@burtonawards.com
Contact Person: Vanita Vishnubhakat
Title: Associate Director
Telephone: 212-672-1862
FAX Number: (516) 625-3011
Approximate size/description of the audience: 500 guests.
List of invited government officials, dignitaries, VIPS:
The dignitaries include many of America's managing partners and partners of the largest law firms in America, law school deans and professors from across the nation.
Is the event open to the press? Yes, but the press are not invited through any general outreach efforts. Therefore, members of the press have rarely been present.
What is the theme of the Burton Awards event? "For The Pursuit of Perfection"
What is the proper attire? Black Tie
Is this a fundraising event? No. Fundraising events in the Jefferson Building are not permitted.
Who are the hosts and the sponsor? The Library of Congress and the Burton Foundation.
About the Library Congress, Co-Host: The Library of Congress is the research Library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books. The Library of Congress was established by Congress in 1800, and was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th century. The Library's primary mission is researching inquiries made by members of Congress through the Congressional Research Service; although it is open to the public, only legislators, Supreme Court justices and other high-ranking government officials may check out books.
The Burton Foundation, Co-Host
The Burton Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and academic organization devoted to further promoting the performance and stature of the legal profession.
About the Chairman
The Founder and Chair of The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement is William C. Burton, Esq. a partner in the law firm of Sagat|Burton, LLP. He is a former New York State Assistant Attorney General, a former New York State Assistant Special Prosecutor, and is the author of the first legal thesaurus ever written for the legal profession, BURTON'S LEGAL THESAURUS, (4th edition), published by McGraw-Hill. He was presented the highest honor given by the second largest association of law professors in America, The Legal Writing Institute, for "significantly advancing the cause of legal writing in the profession of law."
The 2011 Legends in Law Winners
Frank J. Baltz, Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer
Clark Construction Group LLC
Nominated by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Pascal W. Di Fronzo, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
Autodesk, Inc.
Nominated by Morrison & Foerster LLP
Janet Langford Kelly, Senior Vice President
Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
ConocoPhillips Company
Nominated by Fulbright & Jaworski LLP
Thomas A. Russo, Executive Vice President
Legal, Compliance, Regulatory Affairs and Government Affairs & General Counsel
American International Group, Inc. (AIG)
Nominated by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
Larry D. Thompson
John Sibley Chair in Corporate and Business Law, University of Georgia School of Law
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary, PepsiCo Inc. (Retired)
Nominated by Dickstein Shapiro LLP
Michael Weiner, General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer
Ares Management LLC
Nominated by Proskauer Rose LLP
The 2011 Legal Writing Award Winners - Law Firm
Law Firm |
Author(s) |
Article Title |
Alston & Bird LLP |
Andrew T. Spence |
The Patent and Trademark Office Hosts the 2010 Business Method Partnership Meeting in the Wake of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Bilski v. Kappos |
Baker Hostetler LLP |
David B. Rivkin, Jr. |
Why the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy is Doomed |
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione LLP |
Jerome Gilson |
Naming Rights - And Wrongs, A Road Map to Protecting Personal Names |
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP |
E. Macey Russell |
Developing Great Minority Lawyers for the Next Generation |
Clifford Chance LLP |
William Blumenthal |
Thy Lamp Unto The World: International Convergence After the 2010 Guidelines |
Covington & Burling LLP |
John Vine |
ERISA Rights and Responsibilities |
DLA Piper LLP |
Deborah R. Meshulam Grayson D. Stratton |
Lessons from the Credit Crisis: Can Market Participants Bear the Risk? |
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC |
Roberta Jacobs-Meadway |
Developing Airtight Confidentiality Agreements |
Faegre & Benson LLP |
J. William Callison |
The L3C Illusion:Â Why Low-Profit Limited Liability Companies will not Stimulate Socially Optimal Private Foundation Investment in Entrepreneurial Ventures |
Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto LLP |
Brian L. Klock |
The JPML: An Alternate Route to a New Venue |
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP |
Thomas A. Hagemann |
The Sea and the Mirror: Some Reflections on Corporate Honest Services Fraud and the (Hypothetically) Innocent Corporation |
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP |
Ned H. Bassen |
Mandatory Retirement of Law Firm Partners |
Kaye Scholer LLP |
Michael Rogoff |
A Perfect Storm: Prosecutors’ Increasing Focus on Individual Liability In the Drug and Device Sectors and the Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine |
King & Spalding LLP |
Zachary Harmon |
Recent Trends in FCPA Enforcement: Third-Party Agents |
McDermott Will & Emery LLP |
Michael Kendall |
Managing the Budget of an International White-Collar Investigation |
Morrison & Foerster LLP |
Thomas A. Humphreys Anna T. Pinedo |
Is it a bird? A plane? Exploring contingent capital |
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP |
S. Christian Platt |
The Rise of False Patent Marking Suits |
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP |
Christopher R. Wall |
Weak Tea: The U.N. sanctions against Iran have been watered down to almost nothing. |
Proskauer Rose LLP |
Julie M. Allen |
Considering Liquidity Alternatives - What You Need to Know About the IPO Market Today and the Impact of Current Market Conditions on IPO Planning |
Reminger Co., LPA |
Laurie J. Avery |
Zippo and Internet Activity: The New Language of Personal Jurisdiction? |
Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP |
Peter E. Strand |
Assignor Estoppel: You Can't Bite the Hand That Fed You |
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP |
Jonathan K. Youngwood |
New Plausibility Standard Impacts Pleading in Employee Benefits Cases |
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP |
Michael K. Loucks |
For Drug and Device Company Executives: A Heads Up |
Steptoe & Johnson LLP |
Jeffrey M. Weiner |
Due Diligence in M&A Transactions: A Conceptual Framework |
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP |
Sergio J. Galvis |
Introducing Dodd-Frank |
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP |
Heath P. Tarbert |
Bank M&A in the Wake of Dodd-Frank |
White & Case LLP |
Daniel Levin |
U.S. Authorities Possess Tools, Motivation to Continue to Push the Envelope in Investigating and Prosecuting Financial Crimes |
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP |
Michael Mugmon |
Seeing Green |
Wiley Rein LLP |
James N. Czaban |
Panacea or Poison Pill? Making Sense of the New Biosimilars Law |
Winston & Strawn LLP |
Stephen R. Smerek |
The Long Arm of the Law: Morrison, Dodd-Frank, and the Extraterritorial Reach of U.S. Regulators |
The 2011 Legal Writing Award Winners - Law School
Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Daniel G. Orenstein
Shaken to the Core: Emerging Scientific Opinion and Post-Conviction Relief in Cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
Timothy J. Canney
Tax Gross-Ups: A Practical Guide to Arguing and Calculating Awards for Adverse Tax Consequences in Discrimination Suits
Columbia Law School
Tejas N. Narechania
An Offensive Weapon?: An Empirical Analysis of the "Sword" of State Sovereign Immunity in State-Owned Patents
Emory University School of Law
Adam McDonell Moline
Nineteenth Century Principles for Twenty-First Century Pleading
George Mason University School of Law
Peter Cockrell
Subprime Solutions to the Housing Crisis: Constitutional Problems with the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009
Notre Dame Law School
Meghan E. Sweeney
Defending the "Other" First Amendment Freedom: State Campaign Disclosure Laws and the Free Exercise of Religion
Seattle University School of Law
Colin Prince
Moral Foundation Theory and the Law
Syracuse University College of Law
Jessica R. Caterina
Glorious Bastards: The Legal and Civil Birthright of Adoptees to Access Their Medical Records in Search of Genetic Identity
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Sean E. Smith
Sealing Up the Problem of California's "One Strike and You're Out" Approach for Serious Juvenile Offenders
University of Iowa College of Law
Jacob E. Meusch
Equal Education Opportunity and the Pursuit of "Just Schools": The Des Moines Independent Community School District Rethinks Diversity and the Meaning of "Minority Student"
University of Minnesota Law, Mondale Hall
Eva Stensvad
Immunity for Vaccine Manufacturers: The Vaccine Act and Preemption of Design Defect Claims
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Bud W. Jerke
Cashing in on Capitol Hill: Insider Trading and the Use of Political Intelligence for Profit
University of Texas School of Law
Jamie E. France
A Proposed Solar Access Law for the State of Texas
The University of Tulsa College of Law
Megan Tomlinson Myers
Technology and Teen Sex: The Need for Legislative Action in Response to 'Sexting'
Vermont Law School
Benjamin M. Leoni
Resolving Disputes in the Northern Forest: Lessons From the Connecticut and Mossehead Lakes
The 2011 ALA Award Winners
BEST LAW FIRM ADVERTISEMENT:
Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith, PLC
Member name: A. Ray Lightell, Jr. CPA CLM
Zurich Classic of New Orleans Tournament Magazine
BEST LAW FIRM COMPENDIUM:
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Member Name: Anthony Arbisi
The Dodd-Frank Act Commentary and Insights
BEST LAW FIRM ENCYCLOPEDIC HANDBOOK:
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Authors: Anna T. Pinedo and James R. Tanenbaum
Covered Bonds Handbook, Volume 1 & 2
BEST LAW FIRM NEWSLETTER:
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Author: John F. Delaney and Gabriel E. Meister
Socially Aware: The Social Media Law Update (Vol. 2, Issue 1 Feb. 2011)
BEST LAW FIRM PROFILE:
Nolan Law Group
Member name: Leandra A. Montero
Nolan Law Group Brochure
BEST LAW FIRM PUBLICATION:
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Member name: Erica Tamblyn
Intellectual Property Year in Review
OUTSTANDING AUTHORITATIVE BOOK BY A PARTNER IN A LAW FIRM:
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Member name: David Strumeyer
Author: Stephen A. Radin
The Business Judgment Rule: Fiduciary Duties of Corporate Directors, Sixth Edition
Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education Award
Marjorie Dick Rombauer, Professor Emerita of Law, University of Washington
Reform in Law Award for the Restyled Federal Rules of Evidence
The United States Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on the Evidence Rules, accepted by Judge Robert Hinkle (Committee Chair)
The Judicial Conference's Standing Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, accepted by Judge Lee Rosenthal (Committee Chair)
Professor Joseph Kimble, Thomas Cooley Law School (Drafting Consultant)
The 2011 Public Service Award Winners
Will A. Gunn
General Counsel
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Edwin Smiley Kneedler
Deputy Solicitor General
Office of the Solicitor General
Elizabeth R. Wilcox
Attorney-Adviser
Office of the Legal Adviser
U.S. Department of State
The 2011 Public Interest Award Winner
Laura Stein
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
The Clorox Company
Previous Events
To view past events and winners, please click on one of the events below:
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