Burton Awards Announces 2010 "Legends in Law" Winners

New York, New York: The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement, held in association with the Library of Congress, announced the five general counsels who have been named 2010 "Legends in Law." The eleventh anniversary program will be held at the Library of Congress on June 14, 2010.

The winning general counsels were chosen from nominations received from managing partners in the nation's largest 1,000 law firms. The following are the 2010 "Legends in Law" winners:

Amy Fliegelman Olli, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, CA Inc.
Nominated by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Linda F. Friedman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Astellas US LLC
Nominated by Morrison & Foerster LLP

Thomas L. Sager, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, EI du Pont de Nemours,
Nominated by Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Peter J. Beshar, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Marsh & McLennan Companies,
Nominated by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP

Susan E. Goldy, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
Nominated by Proskauer Rose LLP

The award-winners are general counsel in corporations with revenues of one billion dollars or more. The following criteria were used in making the selection: reputation in the legal profession; demonstrated competence in a specialized area of law; extensive background and experience; complexity and scope of matters handled; success in global or national issues; and exemplary leadership in law.

The Burton Awards program is a nonprofit academic effort which honors great accomplishments in the legal profession. In congratulating the "Legends in Law" award-winners Mr. Burton said: "The 2010 'Legends in Law' are truly outstanding and deserve this prominent honor. They met and surpassed the highest professional and academic standards, and set an example for all members of the legal profession to follow."

Honorary members of the Board of Directors include the following judicial scholars: Judge Richard Posner, US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit; Judge Alex Kozinski, US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit; United States Senator, John Cornyn, Justice Carol A. Corrigan, California Supreme Court; Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, New York Court of Appeals (retired) and Justice James D. Ward, California Court of Appeals (retired).

The guest speakers at the eleventh anniversary program include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg, Jeffrey Toobin, author of "The Nine," and prominent legal author Bryan Garner. Bill Press will be the Master of Ceremonies.

The 2010 Legal Writing Award Winners - Law Firm


Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Lynn C. Tyler
“Recent Supreme Court Decision Heightens Pleading Standards, Holds Out Hope for Reducing Discovery Costs”
 
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
 Stephanie J. Meltzer & Christopher E. Tierney
“Have Economic Times Expanded Reach of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act?”
 
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Sarah K. Solum
“Planning for New Revenue Recognition Standards”
 
Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
John B. Kennedy & Nathan C. Dee
“Testing the Roof: How an Economic Downturn Can Create Enhanced Risks to Corporate Information Security”
 
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Carl W. Hittinger & Jarod M. Bona
The Diminishing Role of the Private Attorney General in Antitrust and Securities Class Action Cases Aided by the Supreme Court”
 
Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP
Michael J. Remington & Philip J. Cardinale
“User-Generated Content, Online Fair Use and the DMCA's 'Good Faith' Requirement”
 
Duane Morris LLP
Stanley R. Kaminski & David I. Curkovic
“Content-Based Tax Exemptions and the First Amendment”
 
Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson, PA
Dean B. Thomson and William D. Thomson
“A Modest Proposal: Conflicting Judicial Decisions Should Mandate Insurance Coverage for the Insured Under the Ambiguity Doctrine”
 
Faegre & Benson LLP
Bridget M. Ahmann and Erin M. Verneris
“Name Brand Exposure for Generic Drug Use: Prescription for Liability”
 
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP
David M. Kelly and Lynn M. Jordan
“Twenty Years of Rogers v. Grimaldi: Balancing the Lanham Act with the First Amendment Rights of Creators of Artistic Works”
 
Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto
Donald J. Curry
Will The Supreme Court Push Back Again On The Patent Pendulum?”
Hunton & Williams LLP
Christopher Kuner 
“Onward Transfers of Personal Data Under the U.S. Safe Harbor Framework”
 
Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP
Peter J. Toren, Monica Bhattacharyya & Jamie McGloin-King
“The Intersection of Intellectual Property and Bankruptcy Law”
 
Keller Rohrback L.L.P.
Derek W. Loeser & Benjamin Gould
“The Continuing Applicability of Rule 23(b)(1) to ERISA Actions for Breach of Fiduciary Duty”
 
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
John E. Heintz, Marla H. Kanemitsu & Elizabeth Scanlan
“Insurance Coverage for Climate Change Suits: The Battle Has Begun”
 
Morrison & Foerster LLP  
Norman S. Rosenbaum, Alexandra Steinberg Barrage, and Jordan A. Wishnew
“SemCrude, Setoff, and the Collapsing Triangle: What Contract Parties Should Know”
 
Perkins Coie LLP
James F. Williams & Carmen G. Wong
“Taking a Case to Trial”
 
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Jay E. Silberg & Christopher F. Tierney
“Nuclear Waste is Piling Up”
 
Proskauer Rose LLP        
Edward Kornreich & Herschel Goldfield
“Medicare's Lesson for Health Insurance Reform”
 
Pryor Cashman LLP
William L. Charron           
“States Turn a Deaf Ear to the Constitution in an Effort to Promote 'Truth in Music'” 
 
Ropes & Gray
Randall W. Bodner, Christopher G. Green & Heather B. Sanborn
“SEC Penalties on Trial”
 
Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.  
Harvey L. Kaplan, Jon A. Strongman
“Developments in US Product Liability Law and the Issues Relevant to Foreign Manufacturers”
 
Sidley Austin LLP  
Edward R. McNicholas
“National Security Letters: Practical Advice For Understanding and Handling Exceptional Requests”
 
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Joyce Y. Xu         
“US Corporate and Regulatory Aspects of Equity Derivatives”
 
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP  
Lea Haber Kuck, Paul Mitchard, Timothy G. Nelson
“'Inexcusable' Gamesmanship Sinks Arbitration Pact” 
 
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Frank Aquila & Sergio Galvis
“Latin American Firms Pursue Global Status”
 
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP             
Michael B. Koffler
“Six Degrees of Separation: Principles to Guide the Regulation of Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers”
 
Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons LLP
John G. Browning
"When All That Twitters Is Not Told: Dangers of the Online Juror" 
 
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP  
Joseph Basile, Ronald Landen, Rose Constance
“Equitable (In)subordination - Considerations for Sponsors Lending to Portfolio Companies”
 
White & Case LLP
Bijal Vakil & Jennifer Gossain
“Get Out of the Way of Innovation!”

The 2010 Legal Writing Award Winners - Law School


City University of New York School of Law
Jonathan F. Harris 
Worker Unity and the Law: A Comparative Analysis of the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Hope for the NLRA's Future” 
 
Columbia Law School
Adam Carlis
The Illegality of Vertical Patrols”  
 
Emory University School of Law
Alex J. Whitman              
"Pinpoint Redistricting and the Minimization of Partisan Gerrymandering"
 
George Mason University School of Law
Joshua Newborn
An Analysis of Credible Threat Standing and Ex Parte Young for Second Amendment Litigation” 
 
Georgetown University Law Center
Mark D. Herman
The Liability of Clergy for the Acts of their Congregants” 
 
Marquette Law School
Benjamin Crouse            
Worksite Raids and Immigration Norms: A "Sticky" Problem” 
 
Southwestern Law School          
Thomas J. Miletic
One Step Forward. Two Steps Back: How California's 2008 Constitutional Amendment Changed the State's Eminent Domain Power” 
 
Stetson University College of Law          
Forrest J. Bass      
Calming the Storm: Public Access to Florida's Beaches in the Wake of Hurricane-Related Sand Loss” 
 
Syracuse University College of Law        
Gregory Eriksen 
Breaking Wind, Fixing Wind: Facilitating Wind Energy Development in New York State” 
 
Temple University Beasley School of Law
Nathaniel C. Guest 
Putting History on a Stone Foundation: Toward Legal Rights for Historic Property” 
 
The Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America
David Brewer 
A Cross in the Road: Salazar v. Buono and the Circuit Divide on the Establishment Clause Remedial Question” 
 
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Beatrice Skye Resendes 
The Extinct Distinction of Privity: When a Generic Drug Label Fails to Warn, the Drug's Pioneer Should Be Liable as Component Part Supplier of the Warning Label” 
 
University of Iowa College of Law
Matthew J. Donnelly 
A Newsworthiness Privilege for Republished Defamation of Public Figures” 
 
University of Pennsylvania Law School
John Hein 
Born in the U.S.A., But Not Natural Born: How Congressional Territorial Policy Bars Native-Born Puerto Ricans from the Presidency” 
 
William & Mary School of Law
Arpan Sura
An End-Run Around the Takings Clause? The Law and Economics of Bivens Actions for Property Rights Violations” 

The 2010 ALA Award Winners

BEST LAW FIRM PROFILE:
Clifford Law offices
Jaci Burdash - ALA Member
"Aviation Litigation"

BEST LAW FIRM NEWSLETTER:
Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass
Pamela Stafford - ALA Member
"Fall 2009 Volume 17, Issue 03"

BEST LAW FIRM PUBLICATION:
Patton Boggs, LLP
Marcie Cedor - ALA Member
"Capital Thinking"

BEST LAW FIRM ADVERTISEMENT:
Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard PLLC
Nancy Collins - ALA Member

BEST LAW FIRM COMPENDIUM CO-WINNERS:
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP
Erica S. Tamblyn - ALA Member
"The LSTA'S Complete Credit Agreement Guide"

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Sally A. Downing - ALA Member
"A Guide to the Laws, Regulations and Contracts of the Financial Crisis"

Contact the Burton Awards