ABA Section of Business Law
May/June 2001 (Volume 10, Number 5)
Sound Bites
Record-breaking Spring Meeting
The 26th annual Spring Meeting in Philadelphia (photo above) was a huge success - the record-breaking attendance exceeded 1,900. In addition to increased attendance, this meeting surpassed previous years for first-timers, law students and young lawyers. More than 55 substantive CLE programs and more than 200 committee and subcommittee events were held during this four-day event.
Several new initiatives were incorporated, including educational programs geared specifically toward law students, cosponsorship of three programs with the Minority In-house Counsel Group (of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession), a program highlighting successful lawyers and judges with disabilities and a challenge to the Philadelphia law firms to support their young associates' attendance and involvement at the Spring Meeting.
The "Young Lawyer Challenge" started with a pledge by the firm of Saul Ewing LLP that it would send eight young lawyers to the meeting. Other firms rose to the challenge, but by the time the votes were tallied, Saul Ewing was the leader and winner with a total of 14 young lawyers in attendance. Honorable mention goes to the firms of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, and Pepper Hamilton, LLP. Their participation helped attract a record number of young lawyer registrants.
Pro Bono winners
At the Spring Meeting Luncheon in Philadelphia, the Pro Bono Committee
recognized the contributions of Leonard C. Presberg of the Law Offices
of George N. Sparrow Jr., P.C., Fayetteville, Ga., and Paul, Weiss,
Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, New York City, as recipients of
the National Public Service Award.
This award, given to an individual and a firm/corporate law department, was created to recognize significant pro bono services rendered to the poor in a business context, and to recognize the work for the clients and the client groups represented.
Glass Cutter Award
At the Section Luncheon in Philadelphia, the 9th Annual Glass Cutter
Award was presented to Mary Beth Clary of Porter, Wright, Morris
& Arthur in Naples, Fla. This award recognizes a woman in the
Section who has achieved outstanding success in breaking through
barriers in the practice of business law. Mary Beth has given through
her commitment and efforts toward the advancement of women, minorities
and young lawyers in the Section, the ABA and the profession.
Spring Meeting materials
Check out the Section's home page at www.abanet.org/buslaw for a
list of available materials or call the Section office at 312/988-5588.
If you would like to purchase audiotapes of the CLE programs, call
Teach 'em Inc. at 1-800/776-5454.
Authors recognized
At the Spring Meeting, the Section recognized the authors of recently
published Section books. The following were honored at the Section
Luncheon:
- The ABCs of the UCC: (Revised) Article 9, Secured Transactions
Author: Russell A. Hakes
- Commercial Arbitration at Its Best: Successful Strategies for
Business Users
Editors: Thomas J. Stipanowich and Peter H. Kaskell
A joint publication with the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and
the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution
- Model Asset Purchase Agreement
Committee on Negotiated Acquisitions
- The Portable Bankruptcy Code & Rules, 2001 Edition
Editor: Sally McDonald Henry
- The Portable UCC, Third Edition
Editor: Corinne Cooper (includes Revised Article 9)
CLEO Scholars recognized
The Section of Business Law CLEO (Council on Legal Education Opportunity)
Scholarship Program honored its 2001 scholarship recipients at the
Spring Meeting Section Luncheon.
Congratulations to the scholars: Jaime Diaz, University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa; Angela L. Dixon, University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa; Esmeralda A. Murillo, Columbia University Law School, New York City; Cuong Quy Huynh, University of California Hastings College of Law, San Francisco; and Sabrina L. Williams, DePaul University, College of Law, Chicago.
Ambassadors named
The Business Law Ambassadors Program, now in its second year, was
established to offer outstanding business lawyers of color the chance
to gain leadership roles within the section, and to aid the section
in its outreach to other minority lawyers.
The 2001-2003 Ambassadors: Lillian G. Apodaca, Crider, Bingham &
Hurst, P.C., Albuquerque, N.M.; Hugo Chaviano, Cozen & O'Connor,
Chicago; Muzette Hill, Ford Motor Credit Co., Dearborn, Mich.; Patricia
Tsubokawa Reeves, Reeves & Ashley, LLP, Sacramento, Calif.;
and Willard K. Tom, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, Washington.
Fellows recognized
The Business Law Fellows Program, now in its third year, was created
to increase the participation of active Young Lawyers Division members
in the substantive work of the Section. Last fall, the program announced
its third class.
Congratulations to the 2000-2002 Fellows: LaRonda D. Barnes, Georgia Supreme Court, Atlanta; Joseph K. Beach, Merritt & Tenney, Atlanta; Patrick T. Clendenen, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, Boston; David A. Gemunder, Fowler White, Tampa, Fla.; and Dale M. Weppner, Danna McKitrick, St. Louis.
Register now for the Annual Meeting
If you haven't already, register now for the 2001 Annual Meeting
in Chicago. The Section of Business Law has a full schedule of programs
and events planned and will be headquartered at the Chicago Marriott
Hotel. For information on Section activities, check out www.abanet.org/buslaw.
To register, contact ITS at 1-847/940-2124 or register online at
http://www.abanet.org/annual/2001/
