2008 ANNUAL LEGAL REFORM SUMMIT

Former Congressman John Kasich and Former Senator John Breaux address the 2008 Legal Reform Summit

The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s 2008 Summit covered a variety of timely topics, including:

  • The Congressional landscape for legal reform post-election;
  • The public’s stake in preserving pre-dispute arbitration provisions in contracts;
  • Parameters of federal preemption;
  • The challenge of discovery abuse in federal and state court;
  • Foreign activities of the U.S. plaintiffs’ bar; and,
  • The role of criminal law in promoting compliance and rational enforcement

View the 2008 Agenda (pdf)

The Hon. Carlos M. Gutierrez, United States Secretary of Commerce, delivered the morning keynote address on the U.S. legal environment’s impact on foreign investment, where he released the Department of Commerce’s new study, “The U.S. Litigation Environment and Foreign Direct Investment: Supporting U.S. Competitiveness by Reducing Legal Costs and Uncertainty.” Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, delivered the luncheon keynote address on the future of legal reform.

The Preemption Defense in Tort ActionsTwo new pieces of ILR research were released at the summit:

In addition, we honored the recipients of ILR’s 2008 Legal Reform Awards during the luncheon:

  • Professor Michael Perino of St. John’s University School of Law for Outstanding Research
  • Retired Michigan Chamber of Commerce President Jim Barrett for Individual Achievement
  • Colorado Attorney General John Suthers for State Leadership

VIDEOS OF THE 2008 SUMMIT

VIDEO #1:

Welcome

  • Lisa A. Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

Morning Keynote: The U.S. Legal Environment and Foreign Investment

  • The Hon. Carlos M. Gutierrez, United States Secretary of Commerce

Introduced by: Lisa Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

VIDEO #2:

Responsible Accountability: The Role of Criminal Law in Promoting Compliance and Rational Enforcement in a Volatile Environment

  • Andrew Weissmann, Partner, Jenner & Block LLP
  • Sandy Saunders, Partner, Greenberg, Traurig, LLP
  • John W. Suthers, Attorney General of Colorado

Introduced and moderated by: Walter Dellinger, Partner, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

VIDEO #3:

Dangerous Liaisons: Foreign Adventures of the U.S. Plaintiffs’ Bar

  • Thomas F. Cullen Jr., Partner, Jones Day
  • Matthew Biben, Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, The Bank of New York Mellon
  • Theodore J. Boutrous, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Introduced and moderated by: Seth Goldschlager, Partner, Publicis Consultants

VIDEO #4:

Assault on Arbitration: Consumer Protection or Lawyer Boondoggle?

  • Peter B. Rutledge, Associate Professor of Law, University of Georgia School of Law
  • Daniel Flores, Chief Minority Counsel, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary
  • Theodore R. Kingsley, General Attorney, AT&T Services, Inc.

Introduced and moderated by: Andrew J. Pincus, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP

VIDEO #5:

Annual Legal Reform Awards Luncheon

Keynote Address:

  • Tom Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Introduced by: Lisa Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

2008 Legal Reform Awards

  • Research Award: Michael Perino, Dean George W. Matheson Professor of Law, St. John's University School of Law
  • State Leadership Award: John Suthers, Attorney General of Colorado
  • Individual Achievement Award: Jim Barrett, Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Presented by: Lisa Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

VIDEO #6:

Smackdown 2008: The Wrestling Match Over Federal Preemption

  • Alan Untereiner, Partner, Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber, LLP
  • Tom Goldstein, Partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP
  • Hon. Albert Wynn, Senior Advisor, Dickstein, Shapiro LLP

Introduced and moderated by: Thomas A. Gottschalk, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP

VIDEO #7:

Documents, Data & Depos: Are We Drowning in Discovery?

  • Hilary Lane, Vice President and Senior Counsel, NBC Universal
  • Rebecca Kourlis, Executive Director, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System
  • Rodney Bosco, Economist, Navigant Consulting

Introduced and moderated by: Linda Kelly, Vice President, Policy & Research, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

VIDEO #8:

Congressional Landscape Post Election 2008

  • Hon. John Kasich, Former Congressman from Ohio, Best-Selling Author and FOX News Contributor
  • Hon. John Breaux, Co- Founder of Breaux-Lott Leadership Group, Former United States Senator and Co-Chairman of President's Tax Reform Commission

Introduced and moderated by: Lisa Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

SPEAKERS AT THE 2008 SUMMIT

  • Matthew Biben, Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, The Bank of New York Mellon
  • Rodney Bosco, Economist, Navigant Consulting
  • Theodore J. Boutrous, Partner, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP
  • Hon. John Breaux, Co- Founder of Breaux-Lott Leadership Group, Former United States Senator and Co-Chairman of President's Tax Reform Commission
  • Walter Dellinger, Partner, O’Melveny & Myers
  • Tom Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Daniel Flores, Minority Counsel, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Seth Goldschlager, Partner, Publicis Consultants
  • Tom Goldstein, Partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
  • Thomas A. Gottschalk, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP
  • Hon. Carlos M. Gutierrez, United States Secretary of Commerce
  • Hon. John Kasich, Former Congressman from Ohio, Best-Selling Author and FOX News Contributor
  • Theodore R. Kingsley, General Attorney, AT&T Services, Inc.
  • Rebecca Kourlis, Executive Director, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System
  • Hilary Lane, Vice President and Senior Counsel, NBC Universal
  • Andrew J. Pincus, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
  • Bo Rutledge, Professor, University of Georgia
  • Sandy Saunders, Partner, Greenberg, Traurig
  • Ed Scott, Vice President & General Counsel, Chevron International Exploration and Production Company
  • John D. Suthers, Attorney General of Colorado
  • Alan Untereiner, Partner, Robbins, Russell
  • Andrew Weissmann, Partner, Jenner & Block
  • Hon. Albert Wynn, Senior Advisor, Dickstein, Shapiro LLP

SPONSORS