THOMAS P. SULLIVAN, Partner Full Bio Chicago Office Office: (312) 923-2928 Fax: (312) 840-7328 Email: tsullivan@jenner.com

In the recently published Leading Lawyers Network Magazine-Business Edition, a number of Jenner & Block partners were ranked among the top business lawyers in Illinois.

Partners Anton R. Valukas and Jerold S. Solovy were named to its list of the "Top Ten Leading Business Lawyers in Illinois" and the "Top Ten Leading Commercial Litigators in Illinois."

Partner E. Lynn Grayson was recognized among the "Top Ten Leading Women Business Lawyers in Illinois."

Partners Harry J. Roper, Charles B. Sklarsky, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan and Anton R. Valukas were named "Top 100 Leading Business Lawyers in Illinois." 

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Susan C. Levy and Terri L. Mascherin were recognized among the "Top 100 Leading Women Business Lawyers in Illinois."

The listings, which are based on surveys of the attorneys' professional peers, are featured in the July 2010 Leading Lawyers Network Magazine-Business Edition. 

The publication’s eighth edition “recognizes over 12,000 private practice lawyers in 135 countries for their experience in specific areas of corporate and commercial law.” Who’s Who Legal utilizes a “rigorous process of client and peer assessment” to identify lawyers who are the “very best.” 

The following Jenner & Block partners were listed in the 2010 edition of the publication under the following practices:

Arbitration
Lawrence S. Schaner

Banking
Peter M. Gaines

Business Crime Defence
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Commercial Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy
Anton R. Valukas

Environment
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Insurance & Reinsurance
David M. Greenwald
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.
Jerold Oshinsky

Patents
Harry J. Roper

Thirty-seven Jenner & Block partners were recognized in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA.  In addition, the Firm was recognized in 19 of Chambers' state and national practice categories.

Chambers USA is a highly regarded and widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who have demonstrated “technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment” and other qualities valued by clients, according to their research.  Chambers’ rankings are based on thousands of interviews with clients and other attorneys.

Numerous Firm practices and partners were ranked at “Band 1,” Chambers’ highest level of recommendation, based on its assessment of marketplace commentary and “the volume, complexity and size of work” undertaken. 

“We’re honored that partners in both our litigation and transactional practices have been recognized by Chambers this year,” said Jenner & Block Managing Partner Susan C. Levy. “The rankings reflect our continuing focus on delivering exceptional results for our clients and fostering exceptional talent among our practices in all our offices.”

Below is a list of the Jenner & Block practices and partners who were recognized in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA.  The links reference the Chambers’ website, highlighting commentary on the Firm and the individual partners.

Practices

National

• Corporate/M&A (Highly Regarded) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/41266#org_3580
• Government: Government Contracts http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37059#org_70255International
• Arbitration http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37069#org_3580
  

District of Columbia

• Insurance: Policyholder http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36475#org_70255
• Media & Entertainment http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36484#org_70255Telecom,
• Broadcast & Satellite:Regulatory
• http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36499#org_70255

Illinois

• Antitrust   http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36542#org_3580
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36547#org_3580
• Communications  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36548#org_3580
• Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Highly Regarded) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36550#org_3580
• Energy & Natural Resources http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36553#org_3580
• Environment (Band 1)  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36556#org_3580
• Insurance: Dispute Resolution http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36561#org_3580
• Intellectual Property http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36564#org_3580
• Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
• Litigation: White Collar Crime (Band 1) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36569#org_3580
• Media & Entertainment: Litigation (Band 1)  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36570#org_3580
• Real Estate http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36572#org_3580

New York

• Corporate/M&A (Highly Regarded) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36781#org_119407

Individual Partners

• Andrew Bart, Media & Entertainment: Media Litigation (New York) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36814#per_281477
  
  
• David A. Churchill, Government: Government Contracts (National) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37059#org_70255
  
  
• Jeffrey D. Colman, Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Jay W. DeVecchio, Government: Government Contracts (National) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37059#org_70255
  
  
• Christopher C. Dickinson, Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36561#org_3580
  
  
• Samuel L. Feder, Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory (District of Columbia) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36499#org_70255
  
  
• Bill S. Forcade, Environment: Litigation (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36557#per_159302
  
  
• Lee Freeman, Antitrust (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36542#org_3580
  
  
• Chris Gair, Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Robert L. Graham, Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36558#per_177217
  
  
• E. Lynn Grayson, Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36558#per_197127
  
  
• Joseph P. Gromacki, Corporate/M&A (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36550#per_196659
  
  
• John R. Harrington, Communications (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36548#org_3580
  
  
• Matthew L. Jacobs, Insurance: Policy Holder (District of Columbia)http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36475#org_70255
  
  
• Tobias L. Knapp, Corporate/M&A (New York)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36780#per_593673
  
  
• Vincent Lazar, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36547#per_271079
  
  
• Bradford P. Lyerla, Intellectual Property (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36564#per_510886
  
  
• Lorelie S. Masters, Insurance: Policy Holder (District of Columbia) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36475#org_70255
  
  
• John H. Mathias, Jr., Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36561#org_3580
  
  
• Daniel Murray, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36547#org_3580
  
  
• Thomas C. Newkirk, Securities: Regulation: Enforcement (National) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/40611#per_330037
  
  
• Jerold Oshinsky, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policy Holder (National)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37065#per_170741
  
  
• Jerold Oshinsky, Insurance: Policy Holder (California)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37194#per_170741
  
  
• Ronald R. Peterson, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36547#org_3580
  
  
• Donald I. Resnick, Real Estate (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36572#org_3580
  
  
• Harry J. Roper, Intellectual Property (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36564#org_3580
  
  
• David P. Sanders, Media & Entertainment: Litigation (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36570#org_3580
  
  
• Lawrence Schaner, International Arbitration (National)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37069#org_3580
  
  
• Steven M. Siros, Environment: Litigation (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36557#per_159302
  
  
• Charles B. Sklarsky, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Charles B. Sklarsky, Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Paul M. Smith, Media & Entertainment (District of Columbia) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36484#org_70255
  
  
• Paul M. Smith, Appellate Law (National)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37028#per_172296
  
  
• Paul M. Smith, First Amendment Litigation (National)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37054#per_172296
  
  
• Jerold S. Solovy, Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Catherine L. Steege, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36547#per_271079
  
  
• Thomas P. Sullivan, Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Thomas P. Sullivan, Litigation: Trial Lawyers (National) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37088#per_158528
  
  
• Michael S. Terrien, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36547#org_3580
  
  
• Anton R. Valukas, Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36568#org_3580
  
  
• Anton R. Valukas, Litigation: Trial Lawyers (National)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37088#per_158528
  
  
• Anton R. Valukas, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois) http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36569#org_3580
  
  
• James A. Vroman, Environment: Litigation (Illinois)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/36558#per_197127
  
  
• Richard F. Ziegler, International Arbitration (National)
  http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Usa/Editorial/37069#org_3580

Thirty-seven Jenner & Block attorneys, a record number for the Firm, will be recognized in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA.

Chambers USA is a prestigious and widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who have demonstrated “technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment” and other qualities valued by clients, according to their research.  Chambers’ rankings are based on thousands of interviews with clients and other attorneys and rely heavily on unprompted testimonials.  The 2010 edition of the directory recognizing the Firm partners will be published later this year.

Below is a list of the Jenner & Block attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication, as well as the Chambers category they will appear in:

Andrew Bart - Media & Entertainment: Copyright & Contract Disputes (New York)

David Churchill - Government: Government Contracts (National) 

Jeffrey Colman - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)
 
W. Jay DeVecchio - Government: Government Contracts (National) 
 
Christopher Dickinson - Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois)

Sam Feder - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory (District of Columbia)  
 
Bill Forcade - Environment: Litigation (Illinois)   
 
Lee Freeman - Antitrust (Illinois)  
 
Chris Gair - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)   
 
Robert Graham - Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois)   
 
E. Lynn Grayson  - Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois)
 
Joseph Gromacki - Corporate/M&A (Illinois)
 
John Harrington - Communications (Illinois)    
 
Matthew Jacobs - Insurance: Policyholder (District of Columbia)

Tobias Knapp - Corporate/M&A (New York)
 
Vincent Lazar - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois

Lorelie Masters - Insurance: Policyholder (District of Columbia)
 
John Mathias - Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois)    
 
Daniel Murray - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois

Thomas Newkirk - Securities: Regulation: Enforcement (National)

Jerold Oshinsky - Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (National); Policyholder (California) 

Ronald Peterson - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)  
 
Donald Resnick - Real Estate (Illinois)  
 
Harry Roper  - Intellectual Property (Illinois)  
 
David Sanders - Media & Entertainment: Litigation (Illinois)
 
Lawrence Schaner - International Arbitration (National

Steven Siros - Environment: Litigation (Illinois)   
 
Charles Sklarsky - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)   
 
Paul Smith - Appellate Law (National); First Amendment Litigation (National); Media & Entertainment (District of Columbia) 
 
Jerold Solovy - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)   
 
Catherine Steege - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 
 
Thomas Sullivan - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); Trial Lawyers (National)

Michael Terrien - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)  
 
Anton Valukas - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); Trial Lawyers (National); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)
 
James Vroman - Environment: Litigation (Illinois)

Richard Ziegler - International Arbitration (National)

Sixty-eight Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers in its annual guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state.

Published in the February 2010 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list recognizes attorneys through a comprehensive, peer-reviewed based evaluation process, which includes surveying thousands of attorneys and asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Ronald R. Peterson, Charles B. Sklarsky, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan, Howard S. Suskin and Anton R. Valukas are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2010,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process. Mr. Valukas  is also listed in the magazine’s “The Top 10” attorneys overall.

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Linda L. Listrom, Terri L. Mascherin and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2010” for the highest point totals.

Partners Gregory M. Boyle, John F. Cox, Jason J. Green, Suzanne J. Prysak, Joseph A. Saltiel, Sally K. Sears Coder, John R. Storino along with Associates Matthew R. Devine, Olivia T. Luk, Shana A. Shifrin, Marc D. Sokol and Staff Attorney Shyni R. Varghese were among the magazine’s “2010 Illinois Rising Stars,” which noted the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners recognized by Super Lawyers includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Antitrust Litigation
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.

Appellate
Barry Levenstam

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Vincent E. Lazar
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
R. Douglas Rees
Eric A. Sacks
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Richard P. Steinken
Anton R. Valukas

Communications
John R. Harrington

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense
Chris C. Gair

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Gabriel A. Fuentes
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan

Employee Benefits/ERISA
Matthew J. Renaud
William L. Scogland

Employment & Labor
Carla J. Rozycki

Environmental
Robert L. Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman   

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment/Media/Advertising
David P. Sanders

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
David Jiménez-Ekman
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property
Reginald J. Hill

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Richard J. Gray
Donald R. Harris
Harry J. Roper
Steven R. Trybus

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki
Thaddeus J. Malik
Thomas A. Monson

Personal Injury Defense: Products
Philip L. Harris

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Securities Litigation
C. John Koch
Ronald L. Marmer
J. Kevin McCall
Howard S. Suskin

Tax
John J. Buttita
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball
Gail H. Morse

Thirty-three Jenner & Block Partners were recently selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  The Firm was also ranked #1 in Illinois and Chicago in the categories of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and Education Law.   In addition, the Firm was ranked #1 in Chicago in the Collaborative Law and Family Law categories. 

This year’s The Best Lawyers in America list marks the 27th edition.  The list is compiled based on more than 2.8 million evaluations of lawyers by other leading attorneys from around the country in the same or a related practice area.

The 33 Jenner & Block partners selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition are:

Appellate Law
James T. Malysiak
Paul M. Smith

Antitrust Law
John F. Kinney

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Lee A Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative (Family Law)
James Feldman

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Education Law
Lisa T. Scruggs

Environmental Law
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
Christopher C. Dickinson
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.
Jerold Oshinsky

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

International Arbitration
Lawrence S. Schaner

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Thirty Jenner & Block attorneys, a record number for the Firm, were recently recognized in the 2009 edition of Chambers USA.

Chambers USA is a prestigious and widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who have demonstrated "technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment" and other qualities valued by clients, according to their research.  Chambers’ 2009 rankings are based on over 14,000 interviews with clients and other attorneys, and rely heavily on unprompted testimonials. 

The below links reference Chambers' commentary on Jenner & Block's practices and partners that were featured in the publication. Also, below is a list of the attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication.

National

• Appellate Law
• Government: Government Contracts
• International Arbitration
  

District of Columbia

• Insurance: Policy Holder
• Media & Entertainment
• Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory
  

Illinois

• Antitrust
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Communications
• Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
• Environment
• Insurance: Coverage Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation: General Commercial
• Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
• Media & Entertainment: Litigation
• Real Estate

The partners listed below were recognized by Chambers as among the leading practitioners in their practices areas: 

Andrew Bart - Media & Entertainment: Copyright & Contract Disputes (New York)

David Churchill  - Government: Government Contracts (National)

Jeffrey Colman  -  Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)

W. Jay DeVecchio - Government: Government Contracts (National)
 
Christopher Dickinson - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (Illinois) 
 
Bill Forcade - Environment: Litigation (Illinois)  
 
Lee Freeman - Antitrust (Illinois) 
 
Chris Gair - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)  
 
Robert Graham - Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois)  
 
E. Lynn Grayson  - Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois)
 
Joseph Gromacki - Corporate/M&A (Illinois)
 
John Harrington - Communications (Illinois)   
 
Matthew Jacobs - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (District of Columbia)
 
Vincent Lazar  - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)  
 
Lorelie Masters - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (District of Columbia)
 
John Mathias  - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (Illinois)   
 
Daniel Murray - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 

Jerold Oshinsky - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (District of Columbia) (National)

Ronald Peterson  -  Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 
 
Donald Resnick - Real Estate (Illinois) 
 
Harry Roper  - Intellectual Property (Illinois) 
 
David Sanders - Media & Entertainment (Illinois)
 
Lawrence Schaner - International Arbitration (National)   
   
Charles Sklarsky - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)  
 
Paul Smith - Appellate Law (National); First Amendment Litigation (National); Media & Entertainment (District of Columbia)
 
Jerold Solovy - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)  

Catherine Steege - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 

Thomas Sullivan - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); Trial Lawyers (National) 
 
Anton Valukas - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); Trial Lawyers (National); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)
 
James Vroman - Environment: Litigation (Illinois) 

Jenner & Block Partners Thomas P. Sullivan, Anton R. Valukas and James H. Feldman were honored at the Best Lawyers 25th Anniversary Event in Atlanta, April 23 - 25, 2009. The event celebrated the careers of the 1,397 lawyers who have been listed in the publication since its inception in 1983, honoring the attorneys’ work and dedication to their profession and communities.

“We are so pleased to honor James H. Feldman, Thomas P. Sullivan and Anton R. Valukas as three of the lawyers who have been with us from the start,” said Steven Naifeh, President and founder of Best Lawyers, in a statement, adding that the honorees “contributed in an exceptional way to the legal profession,” and “played important civil roles in their communities.”

Mr. Sullivan, a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department, is a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and has written and spoken extensively on civil and criminal trials and appeals and criminal justice reform. Mr. Sullivan has practiced law for over 50 years and continues to represent several major companies in civil suits and serve as an arbitrator in other matters.

Mr. Valukas is the Chairman of the Firm and is a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department.  A former United States Attorney, he specializes in major civil and white collar criminal litigation, representing individuals and leading corporations in contested proceedings throughout the nation.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and serves as a member of the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules.

Mr. Feldman is a member of the Firm's Litigation Department and Chair of the Firm’s Family Law Practice.  A family law practitioner at Jenner & Block for more than thirty years, he is a Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois.  

Published annually, The Best Lawyers in America listing is the oldest lawyer-rating publication in the United States. The listing is based on detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas. The guide includes attorneys in 78 specialties, covering all 50 states and Washington, DC.

Nine Jenner & Block attorneys were recognized by Leading Lawyers Network among the “Top 100 Leading Business Lawyers in Illinois.” 

Partners Lee A. Freeman, Jr., E. Lynn Grayson, Craig C. Martin, Harry J. Roper, Charles B. Sklarsky, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan, Barry Sullivan, and Anton R. Valukas were named to the list.

Messrs. Solovy and Valukas were also recognized among the “Top Ten Leading Business Lawyers in Illinois” and the “Top Ten Leading Business Litigators in Illinois.” Jenner & Block is the only law firm that had two attorneys included on these lists.

In addition, Ms. Grayson was recognized among the “Top Ten Leading Women Business Lawyers in Illinois.” 

The listings, featured in the January 2009 Leading Lawyers Network Magazine—Business Edition, were determined based on recommendations by the attorneys’ professional peers.  The selection process included a verification of the lawyers’ ethical standings and a final review by the 332-member Leading Lawyers Network Advisory Board, comprised of those Leading Lawyers who received the highest number of votes for their area(s) of law and/or their region of the state.

Leading Lawyers Network Magazine is published four times a year by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company.  The magazine’s January 2009 Business Edition also featured full-length profiles of Mr. Martin, Partner Terri L. Mascherin and Partner Lise T. Spacapan.

Click here to view the Leading Business Lawyers Lists.

Click here to view Mr. Martin’s Leading Lawyers profile.

Click here to view Ms. Mascherin’s Leading Lawyers profile.

Click here to view Ms. Spacapan’s Leading Lawyers profile. 

Seventy-two Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers in its annual guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state.

Published in the February 2009 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list recognizes attorneys through a comprehensive, peer-reviewed based evaluation process, which includes surveying thousands of attorneys and asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.

Partners Joseph G. Bisceglia, Ronald R. Peterson, Charles Sklarsky, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan, Howard S. Suskin and Anton R. Valukas are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2009,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process. Mr. Solovy is also listed in the magazine’s “The Top 10” attorneys overall.

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Linda L. Listrom, Terri L. Mascherin and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2009” for the highest point totals.

Partners John F. Cox, Jeffrey A. Koppy, Anthony C. Porcelli, Suzanne J. Prysak, John R. Storino and Christopher P. Tompkins along with Associates Irina Y. Dmitrieva, Sean C. Herring, Olivia T. Luk, Shana A. Shifrin, Marc D. Sokol, Sara E. Tonnies and Shyni R. Varghese were among the magazine’s “2009 Illinois Rising Stars,” which noted the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners recognized by Super Lawyers includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Appellate
Barry Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Vincent E. Lazar
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Michael T. Brody
Patricia A. Bronte
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
Joel T. Pelz
Douglas R. Rees
Eric A. Sacks
David P. Sanders
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Richard P. Steinken
Anton R. Valukas

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan

Employee Benefits/ERISA
Matthew J. Renaud
William L. Scogland

Environmental
Robert L. Graham 
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade
Gabrielle Sigel

Estate Planning & Probate
John J. Buttita

Family Law
James H. Feldman

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Daniel J. Hurtado
David E. Jimenez-Ekman
Thomas J. McCarthy
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property
Reginald J. Hill

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Richard J. Gray
Donald R. Harris
Harry J. Roper
Steven R. Trybus

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki
Thaddeus J. Malik
Thomas A. Monson

Personal Injury Defense: Products
Philip L. Harris
Lise T. Spacapan

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
J. Kevin McCall
Howard S. Suskin

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball
Gail H. Morse

Utilities
John R. Harrington

Thirty Jenner & Block Partners were recently designated for inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. The Firm was also recognized as the number one law firm in Chicago and the State of Illinois with the most attorneys featured in the categories of "Bet-the-Company Litigation,” “Education Law,” and “Collaborative Law: Family Law." In addition, the Firm was named top law firm in Chicago in the "White-Collar Criminal Defense" category.

Published annually, the 2009 edition marks the 26th year of The Best Lawyers in America listing.  This edition of Best Lawyers is based on over 1.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas.

The 30 Jenner & Block partners included in the 2009 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative Law: Family Law
James H. Feldman

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarksy
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Education Law
Lisa Scruggs

Environmental Law
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Twenty Jenner & Block partners received recognition in Who’s Who Legal: Illinois as among the top lawyers in their specialties.

In the publication’s second edition, Who’s Who Legal: Illinois states they have “identified over 600 of the state’s finest practitioners in 23 practice areas who are leaders in their chosen field of law." The nominees were selected based upon a comprehensive, independent survey of both general counsel and lawyers in private practice worldwide.

"Jenner & Block's continuing success is reflected in the consistently positive feedback we received recognizing the firm's individual and collective talent," says Editor in Chief Callum Campbell.

This year, Who's Who Legal was named Strategic Research Partner of the ABA Section of International Law in addition to its position as Official Research Partner of the International Bar Association.

The following Jenner & Block partners were listed in the 2008 edition of the publication under the following specialties:

Banking: Peter M. Gaines

Business Crime: Charles B. Sklarsky, Thomas P. Sullivan, Anton R. Valukas

Capital Markets: Joseph P. Gromacki

Commercial Arbitration: Robert L. Byman, Lawrence S. Schaner, Thomas P. Sullivan

Commercial Litigation: Robert L. Byman, Lee A. Freeman Jr, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan, Anton R. Valukas

Competition: Lee A. Freeman Jr.

Corporate Tax: Arnold S. Harrison, Christian E. Kimball

Environment: Bill S. Forcade, Robert L. Graham, E. Lynn Grayson, James A. Vroman

Insurance & Reinsurance: Christopher C. Dickinson, Lorelie S. Masters, John H. Mathias Jr., Joel T. Pelz

Management Labour and Employment: William L. Scogland

Mergers and Acquisitions: Joseph P. Gromacki


Please click here to view the Firm's profile on the Who's Who Legal website.

Jenner & Block was recently honored at the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago’s 17th annual “Bill of Rights in Action Awards Benefit,” for the Firm’s representation of clients incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay.

Jenner & Block was among the honorees given the Bill of Rights award for “their professional commitment and community involvement,” providing, “exemplary models of citizenship for our nation’s young people.”
 
“These individuals understood the importance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and have acted on it to represent clients incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay,” said CRFC’s Executive Director Carolyn Pereia, at the event. “They’re role models.”
 
Several Jenner & Block team members were recognized for their pro bono representation of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, including Partners Gregory M. Boyle, David J. Bradford, Patricia A. Bronte, Jeffrey D. Colman, Robert L. Graham, Thomas P. Sullivan, Associates Sarah E. Crane, Matthew R. Devine, Jason J. Green, Sapna G. Lalmalani, Kyle A. Palazzolo, Eric J. Schwab, Douglas A. Sondgeroth, Wade A. Thomson, Andrew W. Vail, Shyni R. Varghese, Bilal Zaheer, Project Assistants Mary Kate Brunell, Menna Khalil, and Paralegals Kevin Doolan and Marcus Rodriguez.  Mr. Colman also spoke at the event, discussing his experience visiting the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
 
Jenner & Block attorneys continue to represent six prisoners being held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba who are challenging the legality of their prolonged detention.  The Firm has been increasingly active in these matters in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 12 decision in Boumediene v. Bush, in which the Court ruled that prisoners have a constitutional right to challenge their detention before a federal court.  Over the past several years, 13 of the Firm’s clients who were held at the facility have been released.
 
The Constitutional Rights Foundation is a national leader in design and implementation of law-related and civic education programs. Students and teachers in elementary, middle and high schools work with the CRFC to assist them in discovering ways in which the democratic principles that underpin our constitutional heritage can be understood and practiced. This year, the benefit was held to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Partners Jeffrey D. Colman, Thomas P. Sullivan and Robert T. Markowski are on the CRFC Board of Directors.

Pictured (from left to right): Mr. Colman, Mr. Thomson, Mr. Vail, Ms. Bronte, Mr. Bradford, Ms. Crane, Mr. Schwab, and Ms. Lalmalani at the Awards Benefit.

Twenty-nine Jenner & Block partners and many of the Firm’s practice areas were recently featured in the 2008 edition of Chambers USA.

Chambers is a widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who according to their research have demonstrated “technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment” and other qualities valued by clients.  Chambers’ 2007 rankings are based on over 14,000 interviews with clients and other attorneys, and rely heavily on unprompted testimonials.

The below links reference Chambers’ commentary on Jenner & Block’s practices and partners that were featured in the publication. Also below is a list of the attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication, listed by practice area.

In March 2009, Chambers USA released the names of the Jenner & Block attorneys selected for the 2009 edition. Please click here for more information.

National

• Appellate Law
• Government Contracts

District of Columbia

• Insurance: Policy Holder
• Litigation: Appellate
• Media & Entertainment
• Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory

Illinois

• Antitrust
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Communications
• Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
• Environment
• Insurance: Coverage Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation: General Commercial
• Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
• Media & Entertainment: Litigation
• Real Estate

New York

• Media & Entertainment: Theater, Film, Television & Music

The partners listed below were recognized by Chambers as among the leading practitioners in the following practice areas:

Antitrust: Lee A. Freeman, Jr.

Bankruptcy: Ronald R. Peterson, Catherine L. Steege

Corporate/M&A:  Joseph P. Gromacki

Environment: Bill S. Forcade, Robert L. Graham, E. Lynn Grayson, James A. Vroman

First Amendment Litigation: Paul M. Smith

Government Contracts: David A. Churchill, W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance: Christopher C. Dickinson, Matthew L. Jacobs, Lorelie S. Masters, John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property: Harry J. Roper

Litigation: Charles B. Sklarsky, Jeffrey D. Colman, Chris C. Gair, Paul M. Smith, Jerold S. Solovy, Barry Sullivan, Thomas P. Sullivan, Anton R. Valukas, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Media & Entertainment: David P. Sanders, Thomas J. Perrelli, Paul M. Smith

Real Estate: Donald I. Resnick

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite/Communications: John R. Harrington, Mark D. Schneider, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

White-Collar Criminal Defense & Government Investigations: Charles B. Sklarsky, Anton R. Valukas

Jenner & Block represented Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan, in its just-announced agreement with Abbott Laboratories to conclude the two companies’ long-standing TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. joint venture. TAP is widely viewed as one of the most successful joint ventures in the history of American business.  The transaction was announced on March 19, 2008.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will equally divide the value of the joint venture, which was started in 1977.  According to a company statement, Abbott will receive rights to the cancer drug Lupron, while Takeda will receive rights to Prevacid, an antacid widely used to treat heartburn and other acid reflux diseases. Both pharmaceuticals were invented by Takeda and licensed to TAP.  Sales of Lupron and Prevacid accounted for $3.1 billion in revenues for the joint venture in 2007.

Following the completion of the transaction, Takeda plans to integrate TAP into two of its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiaries, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. and Takeda Global Research and Development Center, Inc.  The Lupron franchise will become part of Abbott's U.S. pharmaceutical business.

Jenner & Block assisted Takeda in all aspects of structuring, negotiating and documenting the transactions.  The Jenner & Block team was led by Partner Donald E. Batterson, a member of the Firm’s Corporate Practice.  In addition to Mr. Batterson, the core team representing Takeda included Partner Paul F. Jock II and Associates Thomas R. Failor, Marc E. Harrison and Erik R. Daly.  Many other Jenner & Block attorneys assisted in the transaction, including Partner Joseph P. Gromacki, Chair of the Firm’s Corporate Practice; Partners Thomas P. Sullivan, Robert R. Stauffer, John F. Kinney, and Edward F. Malone, members of the Firm’s Litigation Department; Partner S. Tony Ling, a member of the Firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice; Of Counsel Darren M. Mungerson, a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department; Partners Elizabeth A. Davidson and Adam Petravicius, members of the Firm’s Corporate Practice; and Partner Everett S. Ward, a member of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice.  Partners Arnold S. Harrison and Barbara M. Flom also provided tax-related advice.

Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan is featured in a cover profile story in the 2008 edition of Illinois Super Lawyers & Rising Stars magazine, which honors Mr. Sullivan’s “prolific legal career” and unfaltering commitment to fairness and justice.

Mr. Sullivan has practiced law for over 50 years and continues to represent several major companies in civil suits and serve as an arbitrator in other matters.  In his only time practicing law outside of Jenner & Block, Mr. Sullivan served for four years as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 1977-1981.

“Tom Sullivan has had the most admirable career of any lawyer I know,” said attorney and bestselling author Scott Turow, whom Mr. Sullivan hired as an assistant U.S. attorney in 1978. “As the U.S. Attorney who essentially brought me up as a lawyer, he was the most distinguished, dispassionate, fairest and most dedicated public servant I have ever encountered.” 

Rather than fixate on the emotional and political ramifications of his cases, the article says, Mr. Sullivan focuses on taking principled stands and arguing issues of law.  “I have found over the years that bleeding hearts are dangerous,” he told Illinois Super Lawyers.  “I like to take a more measured view of things.”

The article describes Mr. Sullivan’s work with Jenner & Block Partner Chester T. Kamin and the late Albert E. Jenner, Jr. to represent clients in a historic confrontation and extended civil and criminal litigation with the United States House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities.  Their successful efforts defending Dr. Jeremiah Stamler before the House Un-American Activities Committee “curtailed the committee’s ability to harass citizens and ultimately helped lead to the abolition of the committee in 1975.”

In addition, the article notes that as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Sullivan conceived and implemented the “Greylord” investigation of the Cook County court system, which uncovered widespread corruption and resulted in numerous indictments and convictions of public officials. 

The article also highlights Mr. Sullivan’s representation of indigent persons fighting for fair housing, minorities in voting rights actions seeking fair redistricting processes, as well as individuals on Death Row. 

“A person, no matter how awful he is, or how awful the crime he is accused of committing, is entitled to the full panoply of the law and the Constitution,” said Mr. Sullivan.

Mr. Sullivan served as co-chair of the Illinois Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment, whose report was widely considered to be an influencing factor in the Governor’s historic decision to grant clemency or pardon all of the individuals on the state’s death row, and led to sweeping reforms of Illinois’ death penalty legislation.  He currently serves as chair of the General Assembly's Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee.

He is encouraging police departments to record custodial interrogations in all homicide cases.  Mr. Sullivan published “Police Experiences with Recording Custodial Interrogations” (available online at http://www.jenner.com/policestudy), a nationwide study dealing with the practice of recording interviews of criminal suspects in custody in police stations, to help educate the public about the issue.

The article says that Mr. Sullivan’s work on the interrogation issue and capital punishment reforms, which he includes among the highlights of his career, helped inspire him to represent several prisoners being held without charges at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in challenging the legality of their detention.  In recent years, he has traveled to the base five times, written passionately on due process in op-ed pieces and for law publications, and testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing on the Military Commissions Act of 2006’s controversial provision stripping habeas corpus rights from detainees.

Mr. Sullivan is among more than sixty-five Jenner & Block attorneys recognized as “Illinois Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics in its fourth annual peer review guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state. Mr. Sullivan is listed among the “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process.  He is specifically recognized in the areas of Business Litigation and White Collar Criminal Defense.

Please click here for full text of article.

Sixty-six Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers in its fourth annual guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state.

Published in the­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ January 2007 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list recognizes attorneys through a comprehensive, peer-review-based evaluation process, which includes surveying thousands of attorneys and asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.

Chairman of the Firm Anton R. Valukas, Chairman Emeritus of the Firm Jerold S. Solovy, and Partners Donald R. Harris, William D. Heinz, Charles B. Sklarsky, Thomas P. Sullivan, and Howard S. Suskin are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2008,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process. Mr. Valukas is also listed in the magazine’s “The Top 10” attorneys overall. 

Partners Patricia A. Bronte, Linda L. Listrom, Terri L. Mascherin, and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2008” for the highest point totals.

Partners John F. Cox, Jeffrey A. Koppy, Anthony C. Porcelli, Suzanne J. Prysak and Michael T. Wolf along with Associate Shana A. Shifrin were among the magazine’s “2008 Illinois Rising Stars,” which noted the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.

Additionally, this issue of Illinois Super Lawyers featured Partner Thomas P. Sullivan in a cover profile story honoring his “prolific legal career” and unfaltering commitment to fairness and justice. 

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners recognized by Super Lawyers includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Appellate
Barry Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Michael T. Brody
Patricia L. Bronte
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Edward F. Malone
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
James A. McKenna
David P. Sanders
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Anton R. Valukas

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan

Employee Benefits/ ERISA
William L. Scogland

Environmental
Robert L. Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
Gabrielle Sigel
James Vroman

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment/Media/Advertising
Debbie L. Berman

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Daniel J. Hurtado
Thomas J. McCarthy
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property
Reginald J. Hill

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Donald R. Harris
Raymond N. Nimrod
Harry J. Roper
C. Steven Tomashefsky

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick
Everett S. Ward

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
J. Kevin McCall
Thomas J. McCarthy
Howard S. Suskin

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball

Rising Stars

Business Litigation
Jeffrey A. Koppy
Suzanne J. Prysak

General Litigation
Anthony C. Porcelli
Shana A. Shifrin

Mergers & Acquisitions
John F. Cox
Michael T. Wolf

The Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University Law School presented its 2007 Jenner & Block Award to Illinois Appellate Defender Theodore A. Gottfried at the organization’s annual benefit held on October 24 at the Park West in Chicago.  Sponsored by Jenner & Block, the event hosted 600 guests and featured a keynote discussion with noted authors and death penalty commentators John Grisham and Scott Turow. 

The Jenner & Block Award recognized Mr. Gottfried’s lifetime achievement and dedication to improving the accuracy and fairness of the criminal justice system.  Mr. Gottfried’s pioneering efforts helped to create the Office of State Appellate Defender in 1972, and he has served as the State Appellate Defender since its inception.  He will retire on December 31.  

“Ted’s leadership and relentless commitment to delivering high quality representation to the poor has made a tremendous impact on criminal justice in Illinois,” said Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan, Chairman of the Center for Wrongful Convictions' Advisory Board.  Mr. Gottfried served with Mr. Sullivan on the Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment and the General Assembly Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee.

Jenner & Block has been a longtime supporter of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, which works to identify and rectify wrongful convictions and other serious miscarriages of justice through representation, research, and community services.  In their discussion at the event, Messrs. Grisham and Turow praised the Center for revealing the imperfections of the criminal justice system.  “The Center not only saves the lives of the inmates it exonerates.  It also educates Americans,” said Mr. Turow.

In addition to Mr. Sullivan, Jenner & Block Partners Robert L. Graham and Terri L. Mascherin are members of the Center on Wrongful Conviction’s Advisory Board.  Jenner & Block Associate Andrew W. Vail is also active with the Center's Advisory Board.

Pictured, Above: Center on Wrongful Convictions Senior Staff Attorney Karen Daniel presents Mr. Gottfried with the Jenner & Block Award 

Pictured, Below (from left to right): Jenner & Block Associates Jennifer L. Dlugosz, Robert E. Downey, Catharine L. Du Bois, Carrie A. Fino, and J. Andrew Hirth with Mr. Turow at a private reception preceding the benefit 

Jenner & Block Chairman Emeritus Jerold S. Solovy and Partner Thomas P. Sullivan received The American Lawyer’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award at an October 24 reception in New York.  

The American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes lawyers who have made important contributions to public life while building outstanding private or public-interest practices. According to The American Lawyer, the awardees are “exemplars-lawyers who breathed life into the legal profession's abstract values of client service and public service.”

“Throughout their more than 50 years of practice, Mr. Solovy and Mr. Sullivan have distinguished themselves as prominent litigators, civic leaders and proponents of justice,” said Jenner & Block Chairman Anton R. Valukas. “Their extensive legal, intellectual and social contributions have made a lasting impression on the profession of law, and their tireless efforts continue to impact and improve the manner in which our legal system protects and advances individuals’ civil rights, civil liberties and human rights.”

“Jerry and Tom have made legendary contributions to the Firm, our clients, and our community,” said Gregory S. Gallopoulos, Jenner & Block’s Managing Partner.  “Their wide-ranging achievements demonstrate the integrity, nobility and humility that set them apart as exemplary attorneys.”

Because Mr. Sullivan was out of the country during The American Lawyer’s awards reception, Mr. Solovy accepted Mr. Sullivan’s Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf. “While successfully representing some of the most powerful corporations and individuals in the nation, Tom has demonstrated an unfaltering commitment to the poor and disenfranchised, and distinguished himself as a consistent voice for honesty and integrity in the nation’s justice system,” said Mr. Solovy.

“The legal profession is indeed a noble profession, and I am proud to be part of that profession,” Mr. Solovy continued.  “This ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award symbolizes not the end of our careers, but rather a new beginning in facing the many exciting and interesting challenges that may lie in the path ahead of us.”

Please click here to view The American Lawyer’s profile on Mr. Solovy and Mr. Sullivan.

Jerold S. Solovy

Mr. Solovy, a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee, is widely regarded as one of the preeminent appellate and trial lawyers in the country, having regularly been cited in The National Law Journal as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America, most recently in 2006.  Mr. Solovy has been repeatedly recognized for his career-long commitment to the highest ideals of the profession.  In 2005, he received the American Bar Association Section of Litigation’s prestigious John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award.

Mr. Solovy has extensive experience in successfully handling high stakes litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels.  Most recently, Mr. Solovy successfully served as co-lead counsel for Coleman (Parent) Holdings in its fraud suit against securities firm Morgan Stanley, No. 2003 CA 005045 AI (Fla. Cir. Ct. Dec. 8, 2004).  In May of 2005, the Florida jury unanimously awarded $604.33 million in compensatory damages and $850 million in punitive damages to CPH.  The Court entered final judgment, including prejudgment interest, in the amount of $1.58 billion against Morgan Stanley for aiding and conspiring with Sunbeam Corp. to defraud CPH into selling CPH’s interest in The Coleman Co. Inc. to Sunbeam, a client of Morgan Stanley.  This verdict was named by Lawyers Weekly USA and The National Law Journal as their top jury verdict of 2005.  In 2007, an appeals court reversed the verdict in a 2-1 decision, and the matter is currently pending before the Florida Supreme Court.

Mr. Solovy has argued five cases before the United States Supreme Court, including two matters for business interests and three for pro bono clients. 

In Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp., 463 U.S. 60 (1983), Mr. Solovy helped set an important precedent involving commercial speech.  In 1865, a crusader named Anthony Comstock pushed a bill through a lame-duck Congress which prevented manufacturers of contraceptive devices from sending unsolicited advertisements through the mail.  In 1983, on behalf of his client, Youngs Drug, Jerry argued the law was an unconstitutional regulation of commercial speech.  The slightly modified Comstock Act had remained in force for more than a century until the statute was successfully challenged before the Supreme Court.

In Lexecon, Inc. v. Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes and Lerach, 523 U.S. 26 (1998), Mr. Solovy represented the Milberg Weiss firm before the Court which was considering whether a federal district court conducting “pretrial proceedings” under 28 USC section 1407(a) may invoke section 1404(a) to assign a transferred case to itself for trial.  Ultimately, the Court ruled that a district court conducting such pretrial proceedings has no authority to assign a transferred case to itself for trial.

Mr. Solovy’s pro bono cases before the Court include Kirby v. Illinois, 406 U.S. 682 (1972), regarding whether an indigent person is entitled to appointment of counsel for the purpose of conducting a pre-indictment lineup; Ralston v. Robinson, 454 U.S. 201 (1981), involving the efficacy of sentencing of a juvenile offender to an adult sentence; and Reed v. Farley, 512 U.S. 339 (1994), regarding whether an accused’s federal right to a speedy trial is violated when the state court fails to observe a 120-day speedy trial rule because no objection was raised at the time the trial date is set. 

In addition, working with Mr. Sullivan and Albert E. Jenner, Jr. in one of Jenner & Block’s most significant pro bono efforts, in Witherspoon v. State of Illinois, 391 U.S. 510 (1968), Mr. Solovy helped to stop a planned state execution of the Firm’s client on constitutional grounds just a few weeks before the sentence was scheduled to be carried out.  After the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1968 ruling in the case, an estimated 350 people on Death Row across the country were re-sentenced.  Mr. Witherspoon won his freedom in 1978 from a parole board, and he went on to become a respected advocate for reform of the criminal justice system before his death in 1990.

Among his public service accomplishments, Mr. Solovy has long been recognized as an enduring leader in the movement for court reform in Chicago and Illinois.  As Chairperson of the Special Commission on the Administration of Justice in Cook County, Mr. Solovy spent countless hours holding public hearings regarding proposed improvements of the Cook County Criminal Courts.  According to a recent Chicago Tribune editorial, the 50-member commission did “astonishing, ground-breaking work.” 

The “Solovy Commission” made some 200 reform proposals, including the merit selection of judges, and by 1988, it had issued numerous reports addressing the disclosure rules pertaining to the judicial selection process and the financial interests of judges.

The recommendations of the Commission resulted in sweeping changes in the offices of Public Defender, Adult Probation and the Circuit Court’s Psychiatric Institute.  In addition, Mr. Solovy’s continued leadership on a second Cook County commission resulted in significant improvements in case management in the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

In 1992, Mr. Solovy was designated Chairman of the Illinois Supreme Court Special Commission on the Administration of Justice.  Now known as the “Solovy Commission II,” the panel made scores of forward-looking recommendations, focusing especially on improvements to the state court system’s administration.

In these leadership capacities, Mr. Solovy “conveyed a clear vision that the courts should be a source of pride not a well of corruption,” said the Chicago Tribune.  According to the article, his fight to bring integrity back to the Cook County court system “will stand as his legacy.”

Mr. Solovy has received numerous awards for his public service and contributions to the profession.  Mr. Solovy is also the recipient of The Decalogue Society of Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), The American Inns of Court Professionalism Award (Outstanding Service to Clients and Community) (2004), and The Illinois Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Award for Excellence (2003).  In 2002, Jerry received The Jewish Theological Seminary’s Judge Simon H. Rifkind Award and in 2001 he was chosen as the recipient of the Laureate Award bestowed by The Illinois State Bar Association’s Academy of Illinois Lawyers for “demonstrated commitment to the highest principles of the legal profession through a pervasive record of service to the law, the profession, and the public.”

Thomas P. Sullivan

The American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors Mr. Sullivan for his exceptional service to clients, his public service and pro bono advocacy and his devotion to improving our system of justice. 

Mr. Sullivan has practiced law for over 50 years and continues to represent several major companies in civil suits and serves as an arbitrator in other matters.  In his only time practicing law outside of Jenner & Block, Mr. Sullivan served for four years as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 1977-1981.

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Sullivan conceived and implemented the “Greylord” investigation of the Cook County court system, which uncovered widespread corruption and resulted in numerous indictments and convictions of public officials. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Sullivan has devoted thousands of hours to the representation of men on Death Row, indigent persons fighting for fair housing, and minorities in voting rights actions seeking fair redistricting processes.  In 2004, Chicago Lawyer magazine noted that Mr. Sullivan “has participated in some of the most important cases and issues in Chicago’s legal history.”  A dedicated advocate of the constitutional rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees, Mr. Sullivan continues in his pursuit of justice today.

Together with the late John C. Stifler, Mr. Sullivan represented the Contract Buyers League for a decade beginning in 1965.  They challenged the practices of home sellers and lending institutions that allegedly discriminated against African-American buyers on the south and west sides of Chicago through long term contracts with onerous payment and forfeiture provisions.  The cases eventually yielded millions of dollars of savings for hundreds of families by conversion of the contracts to conventional mortgage financing.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Sullivan worked with Albert E. Jenner, Jr. to represent clients in a historic confrontation and extended civil and criminal litigation with the United States House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities.  Mr. Sullivan’s efforts defending Dr. Jeremiah Stamler before the House Un-American Activities Committee played an important role in the abolition of this controversial committee.

Mr. Sullivan served a two-year term as an Independent Monitor for the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and its tenant organizations for Phase II of the CHA’s closely-watched “Plan for Transformation,” 10-year plan involving the redevelopment of or rehabilitation of more than 20,000 public housing units.  Mr. Sullivan was appointed to this position in 2001 by the CHA and the Central Advisory Council to supervise, report, and offer advice on the relocation process, with a focus on compassion and fairness toward the residents.

Mr. Sullivan also served as Co-chair of the Illinois Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment, whose report was widely considered to be an influencing factor in the Governor’s historic decision to grant clemency or pardon all of the individuals on the state’s death row, and led to sweeping reforms of Illinois’ death penalty legislation.

Mr. Sullivan is a prolific speaker and a widely-published author on the need for police departments to consider the benefits of video-taping interrogations, especially in serious felony matters.  He published “Police Experiences with Recording Custodial Interrogations,” a nationwide study dealing with the practice of recording interviews of criminal suspects in custody in police stations. The report is available online at http://www.jenner.com/policestudy.

Among his most recent pro bono efforts, Mr. Sullivan has dedicated numerous hours to representing several prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are challenging the legality of their detention.  Last year, Mr. Sullivan testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing on the Military Commissions Act of 2006’s controversial provision stripping habeas corpus rights from detainees.

Mr. Sullivan is a frequent author and lecturer on trial and appellate practice and has taught at Loyola University Law School and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He serves as Chairman of Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions Advisory Board, and is a past member of the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a Laureate of the ISBA Academy of Illinois Lawyers.

Mr. Sullivan has received a number of awards for his public service, including, most recently, the 2007 Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice’s Commitment to Justice Award.  In addition, he was honored in 2003 with the Northwestern University School of Law Center on Wrongful Convictions’ Award “for his unwavering commitment to fairness and justice;” the 2003 American Bar Association Section of Litigation’s John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award; and the 2000 Chicago Bar Association’s Justice John Paul Stevens Award.  




Pictured Above (front row, from left to right):  Mr. Solovy and Mr. Valukas at The American Lawyer Awards Reception with Barbara E. Daniele, Senior Vice President & General Counsel of General Electric Commercial Finance; Robin Sparkman, Editor-in-Chief, Corporate Counsel magazine; Brackett B. Denniston, III, Senior Vice President & General Counsel of General Electric; Janine M. Dascenzo, Managing Counsel, Legal Operation at General Electric; and other members of the General Electric legal team.  General Electric was honored with The American Lawyer’s 2007 Best Corporate Department Award.  At the reception, Mr. Solovy acknowledged the company's achievements.  “Brackett Denniston and the men and women of GE’s Legal Department have made mighty strides in encouraging lawyers across the country to engage in pro bono work and to partner up with corporate America as a powerful team to serve the needy,” he said.

Pictured Middle: Mr. Solovy speaks at the event on behalf of Mr. Sullivan, who was out of the country during the reception.  “It has been an incredible privilege and pleasure for me to practice law with Tom,” said Mr. Solovy.  “He is, for me, a partner, a friend, a role model and a hero.”   

Pictured Below (from left to right):  Court TV News Anchor Jack Ford, who hosted The American Lawyer reception, presents Mr. Solovy with his Lifetime Achievement Award.

Over two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were recently designated for inclusion in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  The Firm was also recognized as ranking #1 in Chicago and the State of Illinois with the most attorneys featured for the "Bet-the-Company Litigation" and "White-Collar Criminal Defense" categories.

Published biennially, the 2008 edition marks the 25th year of The Best Lawyers in America listing.  This edition of Best Lawyers is based on over 1.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas.

The 28 Jenner & Block partners included in the 2008 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative Law: Family Law
James H. Feldman

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Environmental Law
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas


The Best Lawyers in America is copyrighted by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.

Twenty-nine Jenner & Block Partners and many of the Firm’s practice areas were recently featured in the 2007 edition of Chambers USA, a widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who according to their research have demonstrated “technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment” and other qualities valued by clients.  Chambers’ 2007 rankings are based on over 14,000 interviews with clients and other attorneys. 

Below is a summary of Chambers’ commentary on the Firm’s practices that were featured in the publication, including the geographic area in which Chambers chose to highlight that practice.  Also below is a list of the attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication, listed by practice area.

Antitrust (Illinois): Chambers praised Jenner & Block’s “significant” antitrust practice, reporting that clients have experienced the practice’s strengths in a number of areas.  It also noted efforts to “broaden” the practice – after Chambers went to press, for instance, Jenner & Block bolstered its antitrust practice with the addition of six attorneys who recently practiced as Freeman, Freeman & Salzman, an antitrust and complex litigation boutique Chambers praised as “superb.”

Appellate (National & Washington, DC):  Chambers reported that Jenner & Block’s Appellate & Supreme Court Practice is “seasoned” and “robust,” and is widely acknowledged for its “ubiquity,” with sources reporting that its attorneys are regularly seen “arguing cases up and down the country.” The practice’s attorneys “can really make a brief sing” the publication said.

The Firm’s appellate attorneys from its Washington, DC office were also recognized as “incredibly astute lawyers,” who are “very good at dealing with people” and “both understand and articulate the law in order to make incredibly compelling arguments.”

Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois): The Firm’s Bankruptcy, Workouts and Corporate Restructuring Practice is known “as one of the stronger players in Illinois,” Chambers said.  The directory noted it’s a “top firm with a lot of credibility” in this area.

Communications & Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory (Illinois & Washington, DC):  The attorneys in the Firm’s Telecommunications Practice generate “high-quality work, are always efficient and have good client interaction skills,” Chambers said, adding that the practice continues to be highly rated for its “litigation expertise in particular, both in courts and regulatory agencies.”

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Illinois):  Jenner & Block's Corporate, M&A and Private Equity Practices were recognized by Chambers as being among the best in Chicago. 

Environment (Illinois):  Jenner & Block’s Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law Practice was praised as being a “premier, top-drawer” practice that “is just spectacular in every regard” and “continues to develop in strength and size.”  Chambers also said the practice was singled out for its “strong ethics” and hailed for its “diverse workforce and pro bono work.”

Government Contracts (National): Chambers praised Jenner & Block’s “strong and growing” Government Contracts Practice, adding that it has been hired for “bet-the-company matters.”  “They treat us like their most important client, which very few firms do,” one commentator told Chambers.

Insurance Coverage Litigation (Illinois): The Firm’s “exceptional” Insurance Litigation & Counseling Practice is “clearly synonymous with excellence,” Chambers reported.  The directory added that commentators say “they are at the top of their game in the insurance field” both within Illinois and other jurisdictions.

Intellectual Property (Illinois): Chambers said Jenner & Block is a “go-to firm for patent litigation,” that regularly handles “bet-the-company” matters and added that the Firm’s “prosecution capabilities are becoming increasingly recognized.”

Litigation: General Commercial & White Collar Crime and Government Investigations  (Illinois):  Clients continued to praise the Firm’s “historically strong” Litigation Department, telling Chambers that “in a nut-crunching case, you know Jenner & Block will be there,” and meanwhile noted its  “universally admired pro bono practice.”  In addition, Chambers highlighted Jenner & Block’s White Collar Criminal Defense and Counseling Practice saying that it “more than holds its own.”

Media & Entertainment (Illinois & Washington, DC): Chambers reported that its research shows attorneys consider the Firm’s Media & First Amendment Practice in both its Chicago and Washington offices to have “creative problem solvers” who possess “a vast amount of knowledge and experience” in the media field.  Its attorneys, Chambers said, are “highly recommended, well-respected and high-quality,” and have “a hand in everything,” from First Amendment work to its “unique niche” in the video games arena.

Real Estate (Illinois):  Chambers noted that the Firm’s Real Estate Practice has “impressive local knowledge” that leads to a “significant amount of repeat business.”

Tax (Illinois): Jenner & Block's Tax and Tax Controversy Practices were recognized by Chambers as being among the best in Chicago, handling tax matters in M&A, spin-offs, financing and real estate transactions, as well as representing clients in audits and IRS appeals.

In addition, the partners listed below were ranked among the leading Chicago and DC practitioners in the following practice areas:

Antitrust
Lee Freeman

Bankruptcy
Ronald Peterson

Corporate/ M&A
Joseph Gromacki

Environment
Bill Forcade
Robert Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
James Vroman 

First Amendment Litigation
Paul Smith

Government Contracts
David Churchill
W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance
Christopher Dickinson
Matthew Jacobs
Lorelie Masters
John Mathias

Intellectual Property 
Harry Roper

Litigation
Charles Sklarsky
Paul Smith
Jerold Solovy 
Barry Sullivan
Thomas Sullivan
Anton Valukas
Donald Verrilli

Media & Entertainment
Debbie Berman
David Sanders
Thomas Perrelli
Paul Smith

Real Estate
Donald Resnick

Tax
Christian Kimball

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Michael DeSanctis
John Harrington
Mark Schneider
Donald Verrilli

White Collar Criminal Defense and Counseling
Charles Sklarsky
Anton Valukas

On June 1, 2007 Jenner & Block was honored with the Midwest Light of Human Rights Corporate Award by the Heartland Alliance and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) for its work in handling pro bono and human rights cases.

The NIJC stated that the Firm "has ensured the protection of asylees and people whose civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are threatened," calling the Firm's work "impressive" and "outstanding."

The Midwest Light of Human Rights Award Ceremony was held at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago drawing over 600 attendees "to honor individuals and organizations that have made outstanding achievements in the human rights field and to promote, protect, and advance human rights throughout the world."

Kisuule Magala Katende, a journalist from Uganda who had obtained asylum in the U.S. in July 2006 with the help of the Firm’s attorneys after being persecuted in his home country, presented the award to Jenner & Block at the ceremony. “Without the help of Jenner & Block, I would definitely not be here today,” said Mr. Katende.

In conferring the award, the NIJC praised the Firm’s “leadership in opposing the arbitrary detention of noncitizens” and cited among the Firm’s accomplishments over the past year the representation of 17 victims of human rights violations in immigration matters, including its role in a key case before the Seventh Circuit; advocacy for the rule of law as it applies to detainees; the representation of Guatanamo Bay detainees; and the Firm’s attorneys providing Congressional testimony on due process for detainees and access to human rights protections for victims of trafficking.

Partner Barry Levenstam, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee, accepted the award on behalf of the Firm. The Jenner & Block attorneys who successfully represented asylum seekers and other immigrants over the last year included: Associate Denise K. Bowler, Partner Donald R. Cassling, Partner Ronald M. Daignault, Associate Matthew R. DiPentima, Associate Aaron M. Forester, Partner Richard J. Gray, Associate Peter H. Hanna, Partner Bryan D. King, Associate Erin N. Linder, Associate Kathryn E. Loncarich, Partner James A. McKenna, Associate John K. Min, Associate Keith V. Porapaiboon, Associate Mitchell K. Rovner, Associate Abraham N. Saiger, Partner Lawrence S. Schaner, Partner Kenyanna M. Scott, Partner Gianni P. Servodidio, Partner Shelley Smith, Partner Barry Sullivan, Associate Shehla F. Syed, Associate Wade A. Thomson, Partner Charlotte L. Wager, Associate Bilal Zaheer.

The attorneys representing Guantanamo detainees include Partner David J. Bradford, Partner Patricia A. Bronte, Partner Jeffrey D. Colman, Partner Michael B. DeSanctis, Associate Matthew R. Devine, Partner Marc A. Goldman, Partner Robert L. Graham, Associate Jason J. Green, Partner Andrew A. Jacobson, Associate Maya D. Nath, Associate Douglas Sondgeroth, Partner Thomas P. Sullivan, Associate Wade A. Thomson, Associate Andrew W. Vail, and Associate Elton Y. Wong.

The award ceremony also honored other organizations and individuals who are “working to improve human rights across the world” including the Tibetan Alliance, a volunteer organization that provides services aimed at enabling the Tibetan community to meet their needs and achieve their economic, social, cultural and political goals, and Carlos M. Sada, Minister for Congressional Affairs at the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC.

Joseph Margulies, a human rights lawyer and lead counsel in the 2004 Supreme Court case ruling that detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have the right to challenge their detention in U.S. Court, was the keynote speaker and Illinois Senator Richard Durbin was a guest speaker at the ceremony.

Pictured:

Top: Mr. Katende, Mr. Levenstam, and Rev. Dr. Sid L. Mohn, President of the Heartland Alliance

Middle: Mr. Levenstam, Director of the National Immigrant Justice Center Mary McCarthy, and Mr. Schaner

Bottom: Summer Associate Rachel Loftspring, Mr. Levenstam, Summer Associate Michele Slachetka, Partner James A. McKenna, Mr. Schaner, Summer Associate Molly Penn, Mr. Katende, Associate Wade A. Thomson, Associate Matthew R. DiPentima, Associate Reena R. Bajowala, Summer Associate Andrew Kennedy, and Summer Associate Sarah Terman

Over two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were recently designated for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2007 (Copyright 2006 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

Published biennially, the 2007 edition is the thirteenth edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 1983.  This edition of Best Lawyers is based on over 1.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas. Because lawyers are selected by their professional peers and are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a significant honor.

The 26 Jenner & Block partners included in the 2007 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith 
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative Law: Family Law
James H. Feldman

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Corporate Law 
Jill Sugar Factor  

Environmental Law
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Carter H. Klein
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas
 

Over 50 elementary school students recently visited Jenner & Block’s Chicago office to participate in two mock trials as part of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago’s (CRFC) Lawyers in the Classroom program.  Partner Thomas P. Sullivan and Associates Robert J. Blazejowski and Andrew W. Vail led the Bell Elementary School 8th graders through the stages of a fictional criminal trial.

Mr. Sullivan, who presided over the mock trial as judge, advised the students on procedural form in the courtroom emphasizing that it’s important to speak clearly and organize one’s comments to effectively communicate with the judge and jury. 

Mr. Blazejowski and Mr. Vail, who had been working with the students at their school for weeks in preparation for the mock trials, helped guide the prosecution and defense teams through witness examinations, objections and closing arguments.

The CRFC is a nonprofit organization that provides law-related education to Chicago-area students in order for them to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to serve their communities and nation as active, responsible citizens.  The organization’s Lawyers in the Classroom program pairs attorneys with elementary school classes to help the students understand the U.S. Constitution and legal system.

Pictured (top): Mr. Sullivan explains to the student “prosecutor” the process of entering in an exhibit.

Pictured (middle): Mr. Vail considers a student’s examination questions.

Pictured (bottom): Mr. Blazejowski reviews trial strategy with his student team.

Twenty-eight Jenner & Block Partners recently were included in the 2006 edition of the Chambers USA directory, recognizing leadership and experience in a variety of practice areas.

Based upon over 10,000 interviews with attorneys and clients, the Chambers’ listing assesses, among other qualities, technical legal ability, client service and commitment.

The partners listed below have been ranked among the leading Chicago and DC practitioners in the following practice areas:

Bankruptcy       
Ronald R. Peterson

Corporate/ M&A     
Joseph P. Gromacki     
Robert S. Osborne

Environment      
Bill S. Forcade      
Robert L. Graham     
E. Lynn Grayson     
James A. Vroman

Government Contracts    
David A. Churchill     
W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance      
Christopher C. Dickinson    
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property     
Harry J. Roper

Litigation
Charles B. Sklarsky 
Paul M. Smith  
Jerold S. Solovy  
Barry Sullivan 
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Media & Entertainment
Debbie L. Berman
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Tax
Christian E. Kimball

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Michael B. DeSanctis
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Chester T. Kamin
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Partner Thomas P. Sullivan was among a distinguished group of business, community and academic leaders who received honorary degrees at the University of Notre Dame’s 161st Commencement exercises May 21.

Mr. Sullivan was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree as was the principal speaker at the ceremonies, Mary McAleese, the president of Ireland. He follows in the footsteps of Albert E. Jenner, Jr., who also received an honorary law degree from Notre Dame in 1975.

In its honorary degree citation, Notre Dame observed that Mr. Sullivan “immeasurably strengthened our nation’s justice system” through his “unflagging advocacy for all human life through pro bono work to abolish the death penalty” and by giving “a voice to indigent defendants, the poor and the disenfranchised.”  The University also noted Mr. Sullivan's focus on death penalty reform through his work as co-chair of the Illinois Commission on Capital Punishment, which resulted in the blanket commutation of death sentences in the state.

Other than serving for four years as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois (1977-1981), Mr. Sullivan has spent his 50 year legal career at Jenner & Block.

His many honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Legal Assistance Foundation, the John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association’s Justice John Paul Stevens Award. In 2004, Mr. Sullivan was named “Person of the Year” by Chicago Lawyer magazine.

Also receiving honorary law degrees from the University were Landrum R. Bolling, a longtime leader in higher education; Kevin Cahill, internationally renown expert on tropical medicine; Anthony F. Earley, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Chief Operating Officer and President of DTE Energy Company; Norman C. Francis, President of Xavier University; Gil Loescher, an Emeritus Professor of political science at Notre Dame who is the sole survivor of the August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad; Francis C. Oakley, the President Emeritus of Williams College; Karen Rauenhorst, a Minneapolis community leader and philanthropist; John F. “Jack” Sandner, the retired chair of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; Michael J. Sheehan, the Archbishop of the Diocese of Santa Fe, NM; and Matthew V. Storin, a highly-regarded journalist and graduate of Notre Dame.  Harper Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

Pictured: Mr. Sullivan is congratulated by Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., (left) and Chair of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees Patrick McCartan (right).

Jenner & Block was honored October 29 with the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s coveted “Legal Service Award,” based on the Firm’s tradition of pro bono work for those facing the death penalty.

“I am proud to accept this award on behalf of the dozens of Jenner & Block attorneys who have worked tirelessly over the years on behalf of capital defendants," said Partner Scott T. Schutte, who accepted the award at a ceremony in Austin, Texas on behalf of the Firm.

Among the achievements in death penalty-related cases recognized by the award was Mr. Schutte’s work in 2004 as lead attorney in a case involving Texas death row inmate Mauro Barraza, who was sentenced to death for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old.  Mr. Schutte, along with Associate Shana A. Shifrin, persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to stay Mr. Barraza’s execution, just hours before it was to take place, pending the High Court’s decision in Roper v. Simmons.  The Court decided the Roper case in March 2005, ruling that it is unconstitutional to execute juvenile criminals, and Mr. Barraza was permanently removed from death row.

The award also recognized the work of Partner Terri L. Mascherin, who, in January 2004, helped convince the Illinois Supreme Court to deny the Illinois Attorney General’s challenge to former Governor George Ryan’s historic blanket clemency order to all of those on Illinois’ Death Row, thereby leaving intact the traditional right of the state’s chief executive to grant clemency to death row inmates.  Ms. Mascherin argued the case, Madigan v. Snyder, before the Justices on behalf of long-time pro bono client Willie Thompkins, Jr. and several other inmates.  Ms. Mascherin formerly served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Death Penalty Representation Project, and she currently heads its Steering Committee.

In addition, the NCADP award recognized Partner Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.’s representation of former Maryland Death Row inmate Kevin Wiggins, who was convicted of a 1988 murder and sentenced to death by a Baltimore County jury.  A Jenner & Block team, led by Mr. Verrilli, took his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to win him a new sentencing hearing.  In 2003, the Court ruled in Wiggins v. Smith that Mr. Wiggins had received ineffective assistance of counsel at his original trial when his attorney at the time did not reveal powerful mitigating evidence of childhood abuse that may have swayed a jury against sentencing Mr. Wiggins to death.  Mr. Verrilli later led a Jenner & Block team that negotiated a favorable plea agreement between Mr. Wiggins and the state of Maryland that sent Mr. Wiggins to a state facility for mental health treatment and rehabilitation services, but allowed him to apply for parole immediately.

Also contributing to the Firm winning the award was Partner Thomas P. Sullivan, who serves as Chair of the Illinois Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee and is former Co-Chair of Illinois Governor George Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment.  The Commission’s report was widely considered to be an influencing factor in the then-Governor’s historic decision in 2003 to grant clemency or pardon all of the individuals on the state’s Death Row.

The NCADP award was presented to the Firm by Robin M. Maher, Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project.

Pictured (left to right):  Diann Rust-Tierney, Executive Director of NCADP, Mr. Schutte and Ms. Maher at the award ceremony.

Nearly two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2006 (Copyright 2005 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

The 2006 edition is the twelfth edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become regarded as a well-respected guide to legal excellence in the United States.  Because Best Lawyers is based on an in depth peer-review survey in which 18,000 leading attorneys throughout the country are given an opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a significant honor.

The Jenner & Block Partners included in the 2006 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
Robert S. Osborne

Environmental Law
E. Lynn Grayson

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF) honored Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his career-long pro bono accomplishments and efforts to improve the administration of justice.

The organization highlighted his achievements at its annual awards luncheon, including his former roles as Independent Monitor of Chicago Housing Authority relocation project and as Co-Chair of Illinois Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment.  Currently, he serves as Chair of the Illinois Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee and of the Advisory Board of Northwestern University Law School’s Center on Wrongful Convictions.  

Mr. Sullivan was also named Chicago Lawyer’s 2004 Person of the Year, and has received awards from the American and Illinois Bar Associations, American Judicature Society, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago, Illinois Public Defender Association, and Loyola University.  He also received the Justice John Paul Stevens and Albert E. Jenner awards.  

The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF), a not-for-profit corporation, is the principal provider in Chicago and suburban Cook County of free civil legal services to individuals and families unable to afford legal counsel. 

Two Jenner & Block Partners will receive prestigious public service awards and several others will speak on cutting-edge issues during this week’s American Bar Association National Convention held in Chicago.

Jerold S. Solovy, Chairman of the Firm, will be honored at a special luncheon with the ABA’s John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award in recognition of his lifelong commitment and contributions to the quality of justice in the community.  Mr. Solovy is the second Jenner & Block Partner to receive the award – Thomas P. Sullivan was so honored in 2003. 

In addition, Partner Lorelie S. Masters will be presented by the National Association of Women Lawyers, affiliated with the ABA organization, with its Service Award, in honor of her efforts to further NAWL’s mission of focusing on the interests of women lawyers and women's rights.  Former Jenner & Block Associate Jessie K. Liu will also receive NAWL’s Service Award.  Meanwhile, Jenner & Block Partner Stephanie A. Scharf and 2004-05 President of NAWL will be honored at the luncheon for her efforts in spearheading the organization during the past year.

Among the several Jenner & Block attorneys to speak at the Convention are Partner Barry Sullivan, who will moderate a Presidential CLE program entitled, “The Global War on Terror: Conflict or Compatibility with the U.S. Bill of Rights and International Rule of Law?”  Mr. Sullivan and a panel of professors and legal authorities will discuss the response of the U.S. and other countries to terrorism. 

Mr. Solovy and a group of panelists will share tactics and practical advice for winning commercial cases at a session entitled, “Advice from the Experts:  Successful Strategies for Winning Commercial Cases,” and Partner Kevin B. Duckworth will address diversity in the products liability practice at the Products Liability Committee Business and Substantive Meeting.

Also serving as panelists are Partners Philip L. Harris, who will discuss innovations in jury trials; and David M. Greenwald, who will address attorney-client privilege, work product immunity, and confidentiality.

Here are some more details on Jenner & Block’s presentations and other highlights at the ABA Convention:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Chicago Marriott, Chicago Ballroom F/G, 5th floor)
Jenner & Block Partner Philip L. Harris will serve as a panelist at a session entitled, “New Developments in Jury Trials,” which will discuss innovations to enhance jury comprehension, new ABA jury standards, high-tech demonstrative evidence for juries, empirical studies on jury deliberations, and increasing citizen participation on jury service.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. (Fairmont Hotel, Embassy, 2nd level)
Jenner & Block Partner Kevin B. Duckworth will speak about “Building Diversity in the Products Liability Practice” at the Products Liability Committee Business and Substantive Meeting. 

11:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. (InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom and Balcony, 7th Floor)
Jenner & Block Partner Lorelie S. Masters and former Associate Jessie K. Liu will receive Service Awards at the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Annual Award Luncheon.  Also, the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations will present its 2005 Public Service Award to the Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women Call to Action.  Jenner & Block Partner E. Lynn Grayson is the former Co-Chair of the Alliance for Women.  Partner Stephanie A. Scharf, NAWL President for 2004-2005, will deliver the welcoming remarks and install the 2005-2006 Executive Board. 

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Fairmont Hotel, Crystal Room, 3rd Level)
Jenner & Block Partner Stephanie A. Scharf will be inducted as Co-Chair of the Products Liability Committee for the ABA’s Section of Litigation at the Section Business Meeting.

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Hyatt Regency, Acapulco, Gold Level, West Tower)
Jenner & Block is a sponsor of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association’s Allies for Justice Reception.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Hyatt Regency, Columbus Hall KL, Gold Level, East Tower)
Jenner & Block Partner David M. Greenwald will serve as a panelist at a session entitled, “Whatever Happened to Attorney-Client Privilege, Work Product Immunity, and Confidentiality?  Have Attorneys Waived Them Good-By?”  Panelists will discuss these principles as imposed by the ethics rules, common law, and federal law or regulation, as well as issues involving waiver and the crime-fraud exception of confidential and privileged information, among other things. 

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Fairmont Hotel)
Jenner & Block Chairman Jerold S. Solovy will receive the ABA’s John Minor Wisdom Award. 

3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. (Hyatt Regency, Regency Ballroom B, Gold Level, West Tower)
Jenner & Block Chairman Jerold S. Solovy and Partner Kevin B. Duckworth will serve as panelists at a session entitled, “Advice from the Experts:  Successful Strategies for Winning Commercial Cases."  Mr. Solovy will address current discovery issues, and Mr. Duckworth will discuss motion practice and provisional remedies.

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Hyatt Regency, Regency Ballroom A/B, Gold Level, West Tower)
Jenner & Block is a sponsor of the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities’ Thurgood Marshall Award Dinner.  Partner Barry Sullivan serves on the Dinner Committee for the event, which will honor Judge Abner J. Mikva and feature a keynote address by U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (Hyatt Regency, Regency Ballroom A/B, Gold Level, West Tower)
As part of the ABA’s Presidential CLE program, Jenner & Block Partner Barry Sullivan will moderate a Featured ABA Plenary Session entitled, “The Global War on Terror:  Conflict or Compatibility with the U.S. Bill of Rights and International Rule of Law?”  Panelists will examine domestic and foreign responses to terrorism and/or perceived terrorist threats, their impact upon human rights protected under the U.S. Bill of Rights and other legal instruments, and the implications for the advancement of the rule of law worldwide. 

Research showing that eyewitness misidentification is a leading cause of wrongful convictions should be considered in death penalty trials and appeals, especially where the defendant is likely to be or has been convicted solely on the basis of eyewitness testimony, according to a Jenner & Block amicus brief.

The brief highlighted research done by the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law in which the Center found that misidentification by eyewitnesses was the basis for a high number of erroneous convictions, including at least eight cases involving those on Illinois death row.

“Courts and researchers have long recognized that certain factors commonly compromise the reliability of eyewitness identifications,” wrote the attorneys in the brief.  “These ‘compromising factors’ began as common sense principles but have now been confirmed by scientific observations about how the human mind perceives, processes and recalls events.”

The amicus brief was submitted in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by Partner Terri L. Mascherin and Associates Andrew W. Vail and David E. Walters with assistance from Partner Thomas P. Sullivan on behalf of the Center on Wrongful Convictions and the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Chicago Law School in the case Richardson v. Briley.

Over two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were included in the 2005 Chambers USA directory, which recognizes the country’s leading attorneys based, among other things, on their outstanding accomplishments as well as over 7,000 interviews with corporate clients about their outside counsels’ service and results.

The Jenner & Block Partners recognized in the renowned professional directory, which attempts to present a “consistent market view of which firms and attorneys are considered leaders in their field,” are:

Bankruptcy
Ronald R. Peterson

Corporate / M&A
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

Environment
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Government Contracts
David A. Churchill
W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance
Christopher C. Dickinson
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias Jr.

Intellectual Property
Harry J. Roper

Litigation
Ross B. Bricker
Charles B. Sklarsky
Paul M. Smith
Jerold S. Solovy
Barry Sullivan
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas
Donald B. Verrilli Jr.

Media & Entertainment
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Tax
Christian E. Kimball

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Michael B. DeSanctis
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin
Donald B. Verrilli Jr.

Over 130 people recently gathered at The John Marshall Law School to hear a panel of legal professionals debate the use of the filibuster to block judicial appointments, and to decide for themselves whether a simple majority vote, rather than a “super majority” vote, should end a filibuster in the U.S. Senate.

The panel, moderated by Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan, consisted of Northwestern University School of Law Professor John O. McGinnis, University of Chicago Law School Professor Geoffrey R. Stone, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron, and former high-ranking Justice Department lawyer Bruce E. Fein.

While Messrs. McGinnis and Fein argued in favor of a Senate rule amendment to allow filibusters to end on a simple majority vote, Mr. Stone and Ms. Aron defended the current filibuster rules, which have existed for two centuries.

Current rules require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and call for a vote in the Senate.  Republicans fill 55 of the 100 seats, falling short of the “super majority,” but fulfilling a simple majority requirement.

Pictured: (back row, from left) Amy Gardner, the Chicago Lawyer Chapter of ACS; Chris Rohrbacher, the Chicago Lawyer Chapter of the Federalist Society; Mr. Fein; Mr. Stone; Mr. Sullivan; and Mr. McGinnis.  (front row, from left) Ms. Aron, and John Marshall Law School students Kristen La Buda, Adam Hill, and Mario Sullivan.

Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan was recently selected as Chicago Lawyer magazine’s Person of the Year for 2004.  The magazine in its cover-story profile honored Mr. Sullivan’s 50 years of “stellar” legal service to his clients, the bar, and the community.

The magazine chose Mr. Sullivan “because of his work on behalf of indigent defendants, protecting the rights of the poor and disenfranchised, improving the fairness of the criminal justice system and his dedication to the ethical practice of law.”

In recalling Mr. Sullivan’s career, the magazine noted that he “has participated in some of the most important cases and issues in Chicago’s legal history,” including representing defense attorneys and protestors involved in the so-called “Chicago 7” trial, his work to ensure fair housing opportunities for minorities, and his efforts defending Dr. Jeremiah Stamler before the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1960s.

The magazine also praised the report of Governor Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment on which Mr. Sullivan served as Co-Chair.  That influential report has led to reforms in the Illinois criminal justice system and contributed to the national discussion of wrongful convictions.  The magazine also noted Mr. Sullivan’s work during 2002 and 2003 as Independent Monitor of the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation, a 10-year plan involving the redevelopment of or rehabilitation of more than 20,000 public housing units.

Many of Mr. Sullivan’s colleagues particularly focused on his litigation skills and professionalism as well as his accomplishments.

“You can’t catch Tom off guard,” said Scott Turow, novelist and an attorney who worked for Mr. Sullivan when he was U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “You can’t ask him a question he doesn’t know the answer to. Tom knows the record better than the witness. It doesn’t matter that the witness was there and Tom wasn’t. Tom catches everything.”

“Tom is one of the most talented lawyers I’ve ever known, but what really sets him apart is his ethics,” said Jenner & Block Chairman Jerold S. Solovy. “He is impeccably fair and honest … Above all, he believes a lawyer has a duty to improve society. He is the model for everyone in our firm of what a proper lawyer should be.”

Jenner & Block Partner Anton R. Valukas agreed.  “Tom has evolved into this elder statesman role, a trusted independent voice on everything from the CHA to the death penalty….The community looks to him as being a truth sayer,” he told Chicago Lawyer.

Mr. Sullivan served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 1977 to 1981 – it was the only time during his career that he practiced outside of Jenner & Block.  While he was U.S. Attorney, the article said, Mr. Sullivan among other things spearheaded Operation Greylord, one of the most extensive investigations into judicial corruption in the United States.

Chicago Lawyer noted that Mr. Sullivan’s practice is thriving in its 50th year, as he currently is representing several major pharmaceutical companies in civil suits and serves as an arbitrator in other cases.  His pro bono practice has not wavered either: in August, Mr. Sullivan published “Police Experiences with Recording Custodial Interrogations,” a nationwide study dealing with the practice of recording interviews of criminal suspects in custody in police stations.  He has spoken at many public forums and has published articles reporting on the benefits of  recording police custodial interviews learned from that study.  The report is available online at http://www.jenner.com/policestudy.

Other examples of Mr. Sullivan’s contributions to the profession:

• Together with Prentice H. Marshall and Jerold S. Solovy, he worked for years as a member of the Chicago Bar Association Defense of Prisoners Committee, representing indigent defendants by court appointment in the Criminal Court of Cook County.
• When the United States Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that states must pay for trial transcripts so indigent defendants could appeal their convictions, he and other firm lawyers spearheaded the recruitment of lawyers throughout Illinois to handle the hundreds of appeals in past cases in which no appeal had been taken.
• He has handled many appeals for indigent defendants in state and federal reviewing courts.
• Mr. Sullivan, together with Albert E. Jenner, Jr., Mr. Solovy and John C. Tucker, represented William Witherspoon in the United States Supreme Court leading to a landmark ruling in 1969 regarding selection of juries in capital cases.
• During the 1970s he acted with William R. Ming, Jr. as counsel to the Contract Buyers League, a group of hundreds of African-American home buyers who were refused conventional mortgage financing.
• He conducted internal investigations for the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and the Highland Park, Illinois City Council.
• He has written and spoken extensively on civil and criminal trials and appeals, and reforms to the criminal justice system.
• For many years he has instructed lawyers for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
• He currently serves as Chair of the Northwestern University Law School Center on Wrongful Convictions Advisory Board.
• Mr. Sullivan has received the American Judicature Society Justice Award (2004), Illinois Public Defender Association Award for Contribution of Service to the Indigent Accused (1972), Constitutional Rights Foundation Service Award (1990) and Bill of Rights in Action Award (1993), Justice John Paul Stevens Award (2000), American Bar Association Section of Litigation John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award (2003), Northwestern University Center on Wrongful Convictions Award (2003), Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Award for exceptional legal services to the needy (2003), and Loyola University Law School Medal of Excellence Award (1965) and Damen Award (2004).

Mr. Sullivan “has left a tremendous legacy in this city, but he’s not through building that legacy yet,” concluded Managing Partner Robert L. Graham.

Partner Thomas P. Sullivan received the American Judicature Society’s highest honor when the organization bestowed upon him its prestigious “Justice Award” on October 21 at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel.  The award, granted annually to an individual who has made “significant contributions to improving the administration of justice nationally,” coincides with Mr. Sullivan’s fiftieth anniversary at Jenner & Block this fall.  Janet Reno, former U.S. Attorney General, delivered the event’s keynote speech.

In addressing the audience of nearly 300 judges, attorneys and AJS members and guests, Mr. Sullivan thanked many of those who collaborated with him on many of the biggest cases of his career.  "Accomplishments in this profession aren’t made by individuals,” he said.  “I’ve had great fortune to work with a tremendous number of talented lawyers since I walked into the offices of Jenner & Block fifty years ago as the 30th attorney to enter the Firm.” 

Mr. Sullivan urged those in the audience, particularly those who were young attorneys, to work on behalf of the indigent and take on pro bono representation.  “Throughout a career in the legal profession,” he said, “the cases that are the most rewarding and the ones that lawyers talk about the most usually aren’t the cases for the multi-billion dollar clients, but the smaller ones, which are done on a pro bono basis and have an impact on individual lives.  That’s truly God’s work.” 

His career revolving around service was honored earlier this year, when Mr. Sullivan was hailed as a “model” for attorneys who also aspire to be leaders in their community through pro bono representation of the poor, with his induction into the Illinois State Bar Association’s Academy of Illinois Lawyers.  He was honored in 2003 with the American Bar Association's John Minor Wisdom Award for his extraordinary commitment to public service and pro bono representation.

During Ms. Reno’s keynote remarks, she praised the report that was produced from Mr. Sullivan’s co-chairmanship of Governor Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment, whose report has led to reforms in the Illinois criminal justice system and contributed to the national discussion of wrongful convictions.  “The work of Tom Sullivan has been a great help to me in my work,” she told the audience of nearly 300 judges, attorneys and leaders from the business community.  “We can do nothing better than to honor Thomas Sullivan.” 

Larry Hammond, President of the American Judicature Society, commented on the deep impact of Mr. Sullivan’s work.  “The name Thomas Sullivan has meant a great deal to me in my career, and it meant a lot to a great number of people throughout my time when I worked at the Department of Justice,” he said.  “It gives me a very special privilege to sit at the same table as him tonight knowing that he made the passion for public service a reality at Jenner & Block.”

An example of this kind of dedication to service that concluded this year was a two-year term of service as Independent Monitor of the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation, a 10-year plan involving the redevelopment of or rehabilitation of more than 20,000 public housing units. 

Mr. Sullivan served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 1977 to 1981.  He spearheaded Operation Greylord, one of the most extensive investigations into judicial corruption in the United States.

Other examples of Mr. Sullivan’s contributions to the profession:

• Together with Prentice H. Marshall and Jerold S. Solovy, he worked for years as a member of the Chicago Bar Association Defense of Prisoners Committee, representing indigent defendants by court appointment in the Criminal Court of Cook County.
• When the United States Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that states must pay for trial transcripts so indigent defendants could appeal their convictions, he and other firm lawyers spearheaded the recruitment of lawyers throughout Illinois to handle the hundreds of appeals in past cases in which no appeal had been taken.
• He has handled many appeals for indigent defendants in state and federal reviewing courts.
• Mr. Sullivan, together with Albert E. Jenner, Jr., Mr. Solovy and John C. Tucker, represented William Witherspoon in the United States Supreme Court leading to a landmark ruling in 1969 regarding selection of juries in capital cases.
• Following the tumultuous 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, Mr. Sullivan represented four lawyers who were threatened with contempt by federal Judge Julius Hoffman, who attempted to force them to act as Bobby Seale’s defense lawyers in the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial.  He was one of the trial lawyers in the state court case for Eugene McCarthy delegates who were charged criminally for refusing to disperse while marching to the convention center.
• During the late 1960s Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Jenner represented clients in an historic confrontation and extended civil and criminal litigation with the United States House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, which played an important role in the final abolition of the committee.
• During the 1970s he acted with William R. Ming, Jr. as counsel to the Contract Buyers League, a group of hundreds of African-American home buyers who were refused conventional mortgage financing.
• He conducted internal investigations for the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and the Highland Park, Illinois City Council.
• This August Mr. Sullivan published “Police Experiences with Recording Custodial Interrogations,” a nationwide study dealing with the practice of recording interviews with criminal suspects in custody in police stations.
• He has written and spoken extensively on civil and criminal trials and appeals, and reforms to the criminal justice system.
• For many years he has instructed lawyers for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
• He currently serves as Chair of the Northwestern University Law School Advisory Board of the Center on Wrongful Convictions.

Mr. Sullivan has received the Illinois Public Defender Association Award for Contribution of Service to the Indigent Accused (1972), Constitutional Rights Foundation Service Award (1990) and Bill of Rights in Action Award (1993), Justice John Paul Stevens Award (2000), American Bar Association Section of Litigation John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award (2003), Northwestern University Center on Wrongful Convictions Award (2003), Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Award for exceptional legal services to the needy (2003), and Loyola University Law School Medal of Excellence Award (1965) and Damen Award (2004).  

Pictured above:  Mr. Sullivan (at left) with AJS President Larry Hammond.

Jenner & Block was instrumental in sponsoring and supporting the recent Pro Bono and Public Service Awards lunches of the Chicago Bar Foundation and the Chicago Bar Association.  Almost 700 lawyers and judges attended this 6th annual luncheon on July 22. 

Jeffrey D. Colman, Partner at Jenner & Block and President of the Chicago Bar Foundation, was co-host for the luncheon.  One of the event’s premier awards was The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award, named after a former Firm Partner, and presented by Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan.

“Each of you today is making a real difference in the community through your support of the Chicago Bar Foundation’s work,” said Mr. Colman in his letter to the organizations in the program to the awards program.  In 2003, this support enabled the CBF to provide grants of $650,000 to more than 40 legal aid and public interest law organizations.  The CBF has also helped leverage more than $1 million in additional support for legal aid organizations in the Chicago area over the past three years.

Edward J. Lewis II, the namesake of the City’s top pro bono award, was a beloved partner and friend to many Jenner & Block lawyers.  He provided more than 2,000 hours of pro bono legal services to various organizations while a Partner at Jenner & Block before passing away from leukemia in 1997 at the age of 37.  While maintaining a busy practice at the Firm, Edward Lewis II devoted his time to a number of pro bono causes, including law related youth education programs, long term care of the elderly, persecuted children and adults seeking political asylum, minorities facing housing discrimination, and inmates challenging conditions in Illinois prisons.  He also was successful in recruiting many other attorneys to do pro bono work.  The Lewis award was given this year to Richard F. Johnson of Gessler Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. for his extraordinary commitment to pro bono work.

Another award whose namesake was a beloved partner of the Firm is the Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award.  Named after Jenner & Block partner Maurice S. Weigle and his father who was also a respected Chicago attorney, this annual distinction celebrates the exceptional contributions of young lawyers to the profession, the organized bar and the community.  The Weigle family generously endowed this prestigious award in 1968, allowing the recipient to designate a special grant to his/her favorite legal aid or public interest law organization.  This year’s honoree was Catherine M. Burkhardt of Piper Rudnick LLP, for her leadership of their pro bono program and the depth of her commitment to community service.  

Pictured above:  Thomas P. Sullivan presents the Edward Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award to Richard F. Johnson.

Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan spoke to a group of 30 summer associates on Wednesday about his recently published study on law enforcement’s experiences with recording custodial interrogations. Mr. Sullivan and Associates Zachary V. Moen, Andrew W. Vail, and Hillary A. Victor shared their experiences gathering information for the report, and explained how this practice benefits law enforcement, prosecutors, courts and suspects.

Mr. Sullivan, a former U.S. attorney, told the aspiring attorneys that recording custodial interrogations saves time and money, creates compelling evidence for use in court, and is effective in resolving disputes involving allegations of police misconduct and whether confessions are voluntary.

He said that his study of 238 law enforcement agencies in 38 states revealed that law enforcement personnel enthusiastically favor the practice. “Most officers that expressed negative feelings had never tried it,” Mr. Sullivan said.

The summer associates also saw a video clip of Mr. Sullivan’s recent appearance on a Court TV report on police experiences with taping interrogations. “Detectives are the biggest resisters of this process because they don’t like change…but once they get retrained, I have been told over and over they love it,” he said. Mr. Sullivan also appeared on ABC World News Tonight to discuss the same topic.

Mr. Sullivan’s recent study is available at http://www.jenner.com/policestudy.

Partner Thomas P. Sullivan recently delivered the keynote speech at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law’s awards luncheon on in which he urged that the relocation of Chicago’s poor by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), including displaced Cabrini Green residents, be conducted with compassion.

Mr. Sullivan told the audience, “Not only the move-out, but the moves back in to the new replacement housing should be monitored to ensure that the process is conducted in a compassionate and competent way.” 

The Shriver Center is a national resource which champions law and policy promoting equal opportunity and support for low-income individuals and families to escape poverty permanently.  Jenner & Block has been a longtime supporter of the center—Partner C. Steven Tomashefsky currently serves on the organization’s board.

Mr. Sullivan was invited to be the keynote speaker partly due to his recent tenure as Independent Monitor of the CHA, which just concluded this year.  At the event, sponsored in part by the Landau Family Foundation, the center granted The Michaels Development Company and Brinshore Development their 2004 Housing Justice Awards, for providing mixed-income housing to Chicago residents. 

Pictured from left to right:  William Wilen, Director of Litigation at the National Center on Poverty Law; Richard Sciortino, President of Brinshore Development; Sinclair S. Cooper, Senior Vice President of Development for The Michaels Development Company; and Partner Thomas P. Sullivan.

The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) on June 18 will bestow its prestigious 2004 John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Award to Jenner & Block for its “unique commitment” to providing pro bono legal aid and service to the community.

“Last year we established a new Firmwide record by devoting 6.2% of all billable hours to pro bono service,” noted Managing Partner Robert L. Graham.  “In doing so, we also had more compelling courtroom successes than ever on behalf of several Illinois constituencies, including inmates on Death Row, people in need of political asylum, poor families needing affordable housing, and other matters.”

A plaque in recognition of the Firm’s service to the profession is to be presented at the Awards Luncheon at the ISBA’s annual meeting on June 18.  Jenner & Block is among four recipients of the 2004 award.

The organization acknowledged the Firm’s many pro bono activities in 2003, including efforts to reform the death penalty or provide counsel to those on Death Row.  The ISBA especially took notice of the fact that Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan was Co-Chair of Illinois Governor George Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment.  The Commission’s report was widely considered to be an influencing factor in the then-Governor’s historic decision last year to grant clemency or pardon all of the individuals on the state’s Death Row.  In addition, earlier this year, the Illinois Supreme Court denied the Illinois Attorney General’s challenge to the blanket clemency order at the urging of Jenner & Block Partner Terri L. Mascherin and Associate Jason J. Green, thereby leaving intact the traditional right of the state’s chief executive to grant clemency to those on Death Row.  Ms. Mascherin argued the case, Madigan v. Snyder, before the Justices on behalf of long-time pro bono client Willie Thompkins, Jr. and several other inmates.

Mr. Sullivan has subsequently won many related honors, including last year’s recognition by Northwestern University School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions for his “commitment to reforming our flawed criminal justice system.”  In 2003 Ms. Mascherin was  selected to Chair the American Bar Association’s Death Penalty Representation Project, which aims to educate the Bar and the public about the dearth of legal aid available to those on death row.

The ISBA also took note of the Firm’s work on behalf of some of the other Illinois Death Row inmates, including many who have been pro bono clients of the Firm for ten years or more.  For instance, Associate Ryan S. Stippich has been part of a Jenner & Block team, led by Partners Robert T. Markowski and Edward F. Malone, that represented an inmate on Illinois’ Death Row whose sentence was reduced to life in prison as part of the 2003 blanket clemency order.  The attorneys are currently working on the inmate’s appeal.

Associate Daniel J. Weiss, along with Partner David J. Bradford, also represented a former member of Illinois’ Death Row.  The attorneys challenged their client’s original conviction on the grounds that he was not afforded the assistance of effective counsel at his trial.  According to Mr. Weiss, the original trial judge offered virtually no objection to the client representing himself at that proceeding, despite the client being under the influence of an opium-like drug at the time.

Jenner & Block’s imprint on death penalty cases with a national as well as local impact started with Firm Chairman Jerold S. Solovy’s involvement (along with Name Partner Albert E. Jenner, Jr. and Mr. Sullivan) in the landmark 1968 decision in Witherspoon v. Illinois.  The ISBA considered the Firm’s work last year in Wiggins v. Smith as well.  In Wiggins,  Partner Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. convinced the U.S. Supreme Court last year that a death row inmate had received ineffective assistance of counsel.  This was only the second time in 20 years that the Court rendered such a decision.

Over a dozen Jenner & Block Partners were included in the influential Chambers USA directory, recognizing leadership and experience in a variety of practice areas.

“Inclusion in this special directory is especially gratifying because one of the key criteria focused on by the editors was client recommendations based upon service and results,” said Managing Partner Robert L. Graham.

The 2004 directory was compiled in part by interviewing 4,500 buyers of legal services.

The Jenner & Block Partners included in the directory are listed below with the representative practice they were singled out for:

DC Office
Paul M.  Smith - Appellate, Media & Entertainment
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. - Appellate
 
Chicago Office
Ross B. Bricker - Litigation
Bill S. Forcade - Environment
Joseph P. Gromacki - Corporate / M&A
E. Lynn Grayson - Environment
John J. Hamill - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
John R. Harrington - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
John H. Mathias, Jr. - Insurance
Terri L. Mascherin - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Robert S. Osborne - Corporate / M&A
Ronald R. Peterson - Insolvency
Donald I. Resnick - Real Estate
David P. Sanders - Media & Entertainment
Charles B. Sklarsky - Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy - Litigation
Thomas P. Sullivan - Litigation
Anton R. Valukas - Litigation

It was a case that sounded the death knell of “de jure” segregation in our country and was one of the hallmarks of the 20th century in American life.  Subsequent legal and political pressure brought an end to state-supported segregation in all public facilities within twenty years through the Civil Rights Movement.  And the real life drama that occurred fifty years ago was meticulously brought alive on Monday night as part of the Illinois Humanities Council’s engaging reenactment of the historic Brown v Board of Education arguments made before the Supreme Court.  Jenner & Block Chairman, Jerold S. Solovy emceed the program at the Goodman Theatre, and Partner Thomas P. Sullivan helped lead a discussion after the performance along with University of Chicago Professor Danielle Allen.

The cast reenacting the oral arguments before a full house consisted of prominent jurists and attorneys. James D. Montgomery a founding member of Cochran, Cherry, Givens, Smith & Montgomery P.C., for instance, played the part of Thurgood Marshall, while Christopher G. Markey of Michael W. Coffield & Associates P.C., played the part of John Davis.

The Supreme Court Justices were played by the Hon. William J. Bauer, the Hon. Ann Claire Williams, the Hon. Ruben Castillo, the Hon. Joan B. Gottschall, and the Hon. Nan R. Nolan.

The historic decision had been announced by Chief Justice Earl Warren, on May 17, 1954.  After speaking to the facts of the case and history of the Court's tack on the nation’s "separate but equal" doctrine, Justice Warren had emphasized in his opinion how necessary education is:

"Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments… In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms."

Pictured above is Mr. Solovy (top) and Mr. Sullivan (bottom) addressing the audience.

On Monday, April 19, the Illinois Humanities Council is presenting a reenactment of the historic Brown v Board of Education arguments made before the Supreme Court 50 years ago. Jenner & Block Chairman, Jerold S. Solovy, will emcee the event, which will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn. A reception will follow.

The cast consists of prominent jurists and attorneys. James D. Montgomery a founding member of Cochran, Cherry, Givens, Smith & Montgomery P.C., for instance, will play the part of Thurgood Marshall, while Michael Coffield, the name partner of Michael W. Coffield & Associates P.C., will play the part of John Davis.

The Supreme Court Justices will be played by the Hon. William J. Bauer, the Hon. Ann Claire Williams, the Hon. Ruben Castillo, the Hon. Joan B. Gottschall, and the Hon. Nan R. Nolan.

University of Chicago Professor Danielle S. Allen will lead a post-performance discussion with Jenner & Block Partner and former U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Sullivan.

According to the IHC, a few tickets are still available at a cost of $150 each and by calling Kate Anderson at 312-422-5580.

Hailed as a “model” for attorneys who aspire to be leaders in their community through pro bono representation of the poor, Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan was honored by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) last night and inducted into its prestigious Academy of Illinois Lawyers.

Mr. Sullivan, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District, was praised for his recent work as Co-Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment, whose report was a strong influence on former Illinois Governor Ryan’s  decision to pardon or grant clemency to all the individuals on Illinois’ Death Row in early 2003.  Mr. Sullivan work as part of the commission and on other matters has cast him as an influential voice in the national debate on death penalty reform.

The February issue of the ISBA Bar News captured many of the sentiments from notable attorneys across the state who praised Mr. Sullivan’s long-time commitment to offering legal representation to the poor or disadvantaged.

“Sullivan’s pro bono efforts…remind lawyers everywhere why they wanted to go to law school,” said James Covington II, ISBA Director for Legislative Affairs.

Jerold S. Solovy, Chairman of Jenner & Block and also an ISBA Academy Laureate, said that Mr. Sullivan is “one of the fathers of the Firm’s exceptional pro bono program,” and an “inspiration” for all the Firm’s attorneys who dedicate their time to pro bono cases and causes.

Scott Turow, noted author and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, said that Mr. Sullivan has been a “model” to him for “his vision of the law as an instrument to enhance our society’s equality and fairness.”

Pictured, from left to right during the celebration attended by more than 500 attorneys, dignitaries, and guests from across the state:  Jenner & Block Partner Joseph G. Bisceglia, a member of the ISBA Board of Governors and current candidate for the ISBA office of Third Vice-President, Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Ann McMorrow, and Mr. Sullivan.

(photographs by Cheri Eisenberg)

Thomas P. Sullivan and William M. Hohengarten received the Albert E. Jenner Jr. Pro Bono Award this evening in simultaneous ceremonies at Jenner & Block’s Chicago and DC offices for both Partners’ extraordinary devotion to community service during 2003.  Jenner & Block Pro Bono Committee Co-Chairs Barry Levenstam and David W. DeBruin introduced and presented the awards to Messrs. Sullivan and Hohengarten, respectively.

Thomas P. Sullivan (pictured, left, with Mr. Levenstam) earlier this year received the American Bar Association’s prestigious 2003 John Minor Wisdom Award and served, among other things, as the Co-Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment, whose report was widely considered to be an influencing factor in then-Governor George Ryan’s historic decision to grant clemency or pardon all of the individuals on Illinois’ Death Row.

William M. Hohengarten performed almost 500 hours of pro bono work on various projects this year and was one of the principal architects behind the effort to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a Texas law that criminalized same-sex conduct as unconstitutional, ultimately resulting in the landmark decision of the Justices this year in Lawrence v. Texas.

In their acceptance remarks, both recipients articulated that they were proud to be members of a special law firm whose members “greatly value” pro bono representation and share a “commitment to serve” the poor, the community and the profession.

The Albert E. Jenner Jr. Pro Bono Award was inaugurated in 2002 to recognize persons who have provided exceptional legal services to the needy in the finest traditions of Jenner & Block and entitles the recipients to direct a total of $5,000 to the charity or charities of their choice.

In 2002 Associate Christopher M. O’Connor and Partner Richard P. Steinken received the first Albert E. Jenner Jr. Pro Bono Award for their pro bono representation of the defendant in People v. Tolliver in two month-long jury trials in 2001.

Former U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Sullivan was honored the evening of Nov. 6 by Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions for his long-standing “dedication to fairness and justice, for his work on the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment, and for his commitment to reforming our flawed criminal justice system.”

Dan K. Webb, who succeeded Mr. Sullivan as the U.S. Attorney for Chicago in 1981, told the audience of more than 300 members, attorneys, officials, academics and invited dinner guests, “there is nothing I can say here tonight that will come close to giving you a true sense of the magnitude of Tom Sullivan's contributions to us all...I know of no other lawyer who has spent more of his career and resources on doing the right thing, the noble thing, the honorable thing.”

Since 1954, Mr. Sullivan practiced law at Jenner & Block, where he quickly rose to Partner and established himself as one of the nation's most outstanding, as well as respected, civil and criminal trial lawyers. He has been called upon to represent some of the most prominent corporations, government entities and individuals in Illinois and across the nation. And he has tried scores of major cases, both civil and criminal. At the same time, he has lectured, taught and published widely.

As the U.S. Attorney in Chicago from 1977 to 1981, Mr. Sullivan was known for his fairness, his devotion to the pursuit of justice, and for his initiation of Operation Greylord, the single most wide-ranging investigation of judicial corruption in our nation's history.

More recently, Mr. Sullivan served as the Co-Chair of the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment, whose report was widely considered to be an influencing factor in then-Governor George Ryan's historic decision to grant clemency or pardon all of the individuals on the state's Death Row. As Mr. Webb noted during his introductory remarks, Mr. Sullivan was widely quoted in the national news media following the release of the acclaimed report. According to Mr. Webb, one remark by the Jenner & Block Partner was particularly revealing: “The message from this report is clear: repair or repeal.  Fix the capital punishment system or abolish it. There is no other principled course.”

Earlier this year, Mr. Sullivan's colleagues at Jenner & Block successfully nominated him for the American Bar Association's prestigious John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award.

Pictured (from left) are Governor Ryan, Mr. Webb, Mr. Sullivan, and Dawn Clark Netsch, professor emeritus, Northwestern University School of Law, civil rights activist, and former state Senator.

The Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing last night awarded Associate Chad J. Layton with its AOD Volunteer of the Year Award at their Annual Celebration.  This award recognizes a participant of the LCBH’s “Attorney of the Day” who demonstrates exemplary commitment to helping low-income tenants.  Mr. Layton noted, "The Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing provides an invaluable service to needy tenants throughout Chicago.  I am honored to be acknowledged in this way for my small role in the Committee's important work."  Partner Thomas P. Sullivan, who has served for the past two years as the Independent Monitor of the CHA Relocation Process, delivered an inspiring keynote address.

Pictured from left are Mr. Layton with Vice-President of LCBH and Partner Patricia A. Bronte, Mr. Sullivan and AOD Eviction Defense Program and Senior Attorney Marian Neudel.

Partner Thomas P. Sullivan has been selected by the American Bar Association to receive this year’s prestigious John Minor Wisdom Award for his  significant contributions to public service and the community.  Mr. Sullivan will receive the award on April 10, 2003 at the ABA’s Section of Litigation Annual Conference in Houston, Texas.

The John Minor Wisdom Award, named for the renowned Fifth Circuit Judge and civil rights pioneer, honors lawyers who demonstrate personal and professional commitment to providing free legal services to the poor, the disenfranchised, and other underrepresented groups.

As the ABA’s press release announcing this award states, Mr. Sullivan’s service in the pro bono defense of the indigent is remarkable, from “the so-called McCarthy Delegates, who were prosecuted for refusing to disperse during the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention, to the ‘Chicago Seven’ trial.  He has also been a major participant in efforts to reform the death penalty system, including the landmark litigation that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision prohibiting trial judges and prosecutors from peremptorily excluding potential jurors because they were personally opposed to the death penalty.”

More recently, the ABA release continues, “Tom served as Co-Chair of former Governor Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment,” whose internationally acclaimed report was undoubtedly a factor in Governor Ryan’s extraordinary decision to pardon or grant clemency to all of those in Illinois’ Death Row.  This public service was also instrumental in the Firm’s obtaining The National Law Journal’s 2002 Pro Bono Award.

Other pro bono efforts cited by the ABA release include, “challenges to the practices of the House Un-American Activities Committee, bringing voting rights litigation on behalf of African Americans, and combating race discrimination, including housing discrimination and racial profiling, reforming of governmental agencies, addressing overcrowding at the Cook County jail, and fighting corruption in the City of Chicago government.”

As Scott Atlas, Chair of the ABA Section of Litigation, concluded in the press release, Mr. Sullivan is “one of America’s most esteemed legal practitioners.”

Please click here to view the ABA press release.

Thomas P. Sullivan, a partner with Jenner & Block, along with several former federal prosecutors and judges, filed a friend of the Court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the effort to obtain a retrial for Delma Banks, a convicted murder on Texas’s death row.  Just minutes before Mr. Banks was to be executed, the Court halted the execution in order to review the particulars of the case.  Mr. Banks was scheduled to be executed the evening of March 12.  As quoted by The New York Times, the brief states, “the questions presented in Mr. Banks’s petition directly implicate the integrity of the death penalty in this country.”

Mr. Sullivan is a former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and served as Co-Chair of Governor Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment.

To view the Supreme Court’s stay order, click here.

As reported by the local, national, and international news media, Illinois Governor George Ryan on Jan. 11 issued clemency to 164 of the state’s Death Row inmates, commuting their sentences to life in prison without parole. The unprecedented decision was based in part on the findings -- two years in the making -- of his internationally-acclaimed Commission on Capital Punishment, which was co-chaired by Jenner & Block Partner and former United States Attorney Thomas P. Sullivan.

The governor's blanket pardon also came in the wake of extensive hearings in 2002 at which Jenner & Block represented three Death Row inmates seeking clemency. Those Firm attorneys included Partners David Bradford, Edward Malone, Robert Markowski, Terri Mascherin and Benjamin Weinberg as well as Associates Jennifer Salvatore, Jeffrey Silver, Ryan Stippich, and Daniel Weiss.

For the full text of Gov. Ryan's Jan. 11 commutation announcement, please click here.

The National Law Journal announced in its Jan. 6 issue that Jenner & Block is one of seven individuals or law firms to win the publication’s prestigious “Pro Bono Award” for 2002. According to the NLJ, the Firm was honored for its “leadership role” in addressing the pressing need for counsel in capital cases.

“Jenner & Block stands out among the firms doing good work,” said Robin Maher, director of the American Bar Association’s death penalty project. “Every time I’ve asked for their assistance, they’ve come through.”

Although the pro bono award was based on the Firm’s team effort in addressing numerous capital cases, several Jenner & Block Partners were interviewed by the NLJ.

Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., who will argue a closely-watched death penalty case before the U.S. Supreme Court in March, told the NLJ that his experience as a clerk to the U.S. Supreme Court handling last-minute stay requests led to his commitment to such work. “There was so much unfairness that I felt compelled to spend some of my career on [changing] that,” he is quoted as saying.

Partner Terri L. Mascherin, who is seeking clemency for another death row inmate, told the NLJ that “It’s a part of every attorney’s obligation to give something back…I can’t imagine a group more in need.” Indeed, the newspaper stated, Jenner & Block attorneys are working on two other Illinois death row cases in which they are seeking clemency from Governor George Ryan, while filing amicus briefs or otherwise assisting in several additional death penalty cases.

Said Anton R. Valukas, a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee: “There has to be a special commitment to the capital cases because of the consequences.”

Mr. Valukas noted that Jenner & Block has a long history of involvement in criminal defense work, including Chairman Jerold S. Solovy’s leading role in Witherspoon v. State of Illinois, a landmark case that challenged prosecutors’ practice of striking jurors who had scruples against the death penalty. Most recently, the NLJ related, Partner Thomas P. Sullivan co-chaired the Illinois Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment, which earlier this year issued an acclaimed report on the use of the death penalty in Illinois. Moreover, the newspaper added, the Firm’s attorneys have handled a number of high profile murder defense cases, including the Illinois appellate court’s decision in May to vacate the murder convictions of two brothers who had spent the past 10 years in prison, based on new eyewitness testimony.

Still, the NLJ emphasized, Jenner & Block’s legendary pro bono program is hardly limited to criminal defense matters. For instance, the Firm’s attorneys have worked with the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of same-sex sodomy laws and have also filed an influential amicus brief on behalf of more than 30 major corporations, supporting the constitutionality of the University of Michigan Law School’s affirmative action admissions policy.

Late last year, The American Lawyer Magazine included Jenner & Block in its 2002 "Pro Bono Honor Roll," partly in recognition of its successful voluntary work in several closely-watched fair housing and environmental impact cases.

An arbitrator recently denied a request by Amgen to terminate Ortho Biotech’s long-standing license to sell an anemia treatment, which is a top-selling drug of Ortho’s parent Johnson & Johnson. In a case tried before former federal Judge Frank J. McGarr over a four-month period, Amgen sought to terminate Ortho Biotech’s U.S. license and to recover damages of $1.24 billion. However, Judge McGarr not only upheld Ortho’s license but rejected nearly 90% of Amgen’s claimed damages.

A New York Times article on the matter noted that "Johnson & Johnson hailed the decision because it will retain the rights to Procrit, which accounted for $2.3 billion in sales last year."

Jenner & Block Partners Thomas P. Sullivan, Thomas J. McCarthy, and Mark D. Pollack led the team that secured the successful resolution, assisted by Partner David Jimenez-Ekman and Associates Robert J. Blazejowski, Chadwick O. Brooker, Gregory A. Fike, Sarah Hardgrove-Koleno, Darren H. Lubetzky, Jeffrey S. Silver, Seth A. Travis, David E. Walters, and Edward P. Zaengle.

Seven Jenner & Block Partners have been selected by their peers to be included in the 2003-2004 edition of The Best Lawyers in America:

James H. Feldman in Family Law, Daniel R. Murray and Ronald R. Peterson in Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, David P. Sanders in First Amendment Law, Jerold S. Solovy and Thomas P. Sullivan in Business Litigation, and Anton R. Valukas in Business Litigation and Criminal Defense. 

Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which 15,000 leading attorneys across the country assess the legal abilities of other lawyers in their areas of concentration.  In the 20 years since its first edition, it has come to be widely regarded as a definitive guide to identifying outstanding lawyers in their fields.

To ensure fairness in how it imposes the death penalty, Illinois must implement sweeping changes in the criminal justice system, according to a report issued today by a bipartisan commission appointed by Gov. George Ryan and co-chaired by Jenner & Block Partner Thomas P. Sullivan.

The 207-page report, supplemented with nearly 600 pages of appendices, has been called "perhaps the most comprehensive study of capital punishment prepared by a governmental body".  Following the release of the report, Mr. Sullivan, a former U.S. Attorney, was widely quoted in the national media including the New York Times, the Chicago Sun-Times and USA Today.

"In medical terms, our report calls for triage, an attempt to staunch the extraordinary rate of errors, reversals and convictions in capital cases," the Los Angeles Times quoted Mr. Sullivan as saying. "The message from this report is clear: Repair or repeal. Fix the capital punishment system or abolish it. There is no other principled course."

The Commission on Capital Punishment's report, called by the Chicago Tribune "the product of two years of research and study into the state's troubled death penalty system," made 85 recommendations, including reducing the number of crimes eligible for the death penalty from 20 to five and banning the execution of the mentally retarded.  Accepting the report, Gov. Ryan called on the state legislature to turn the proposals into law to preserve the integrity of the criminal justice system, which he said had been undermined by flaws in the death penalty system.

• James H. Feldman for Family Law
• Ronald R. Peterson for Bankruptcy Law
• David P. Sanders for First Amendment Law
• Jerold S. Solovy for Business Litigation
• Thomas P. Sullivan for Business Litigation
• Anton R. Valukas for both Business Litigation and Criminal Defense