CONTACTS: John Reid/Chris Gindlesperger
(202) 463-5682 / 888-249-NEWS

 

September 12, 2007

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC) celebrated its 30th anniversary on September 10, 2007 with a gala dinner at the historic U.S. Chamber of Commerce building.  Attendees of the dinner included representatives from some of the most prestigious law firms and corporations in the country.
 
“NCLC’s 30th Anniversary, coupled with the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Justice Lewis Powell, provided an excellent opportunity to gather our entire network of members, friends, supporters and advisers together in one place to celebrate NCLC’s storied history,” said Robin Conrad, executive vice president of NCLC.  “NCLC would not be where it is today without the support and legal counsel of so many of the attendees.”
 
Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, who will become the Acting U.S. Attorney General on September 17, 2007, delivered the keynote address.  Clement emphasized the role of the Solicitor General’s Office in presenting the arguments of the U.S. government before the Supreme Court, and the importance of amicus briefs in business cases.

 

NCLC presented the first Lewis F. Powell Award for Business Advocacy to Carter G. Phillips, managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Sidley Austin, LLP.  U.S. Supreme Court Justice Powell was instrumental in the creation of NCLC.  It was because of his 1971 memorandum that the organization was founded to advocate the concerns of American businesses before the judiciary.
 
Phillips was chosen for this honor because of his commitment to improving the litigation environment for the business community, and for his outstanding record of arguing a wide variety of business cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
 
"Except for the Solicitor General representing the United States, no single entity has more influence on what cases the Supreme Court decides and how it decides them than the National Chamber Litigation Center,” said Phillips after receiving the award.  “I am deeply humbled to receive this award and accept it on behalf of my firm.”
 
NCLC, the public policy law firm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is a membership organization that advocates fair treatment of business in the courts and before regulatory agencies. The U.S. Chamber is the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

 

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