SHB Sponsors 5th Annual Burton Awards

Shook, Hardy & Bacon is the primary sponsor of the Fifth Annual Burton Awards Program for Excellence in Legal Achievement. Set for June 14, 2004, in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the program brings together outstanding leaders in the field of law writing.

Paula Zahn, anchor of CNN’s prime-time program, “Paula Zahn Now,” is the guest speaker of this year’s program. The dinner and program begin at 6:30 p.m.

Founded in 1999, the Burton Awards are dedicated to rewarding plain, clear, concise and effective legal writing. Considered premier legal writing awards, they are given to partners in law firms, to students, to law firms and law schools which have established a record of achievement, and to leaders who has established a distinguished career in contributing to legal writing teaching.

This year, 20 law firms and 10 law schools will be presented with awards. Record of Distinction Awards will be presented to White & Case, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Cadwaladar, Wickersham & Taft, and on the law school side to the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Emory Law School. Kent Syverud, Dean of the Vanderbilt Law School, will receive an award for Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education. An award also will be presented to the “Outstanding Law Firm Publication” jointly in connection with the Association of Legal Administrators.

           The 2004 Burton Award law firm winners are:

  • Grant Hanessian, Michael A. Stoker and Joseph Samet —
    Baker & McKenzie
  • Mark J. Neuberger — Buchanan Ingersoll PC
  • Jonathan D. Polkes, Adam S. Lurie and Sean Toomey —
    Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
  • Patrick J. O’Connor — Faegre & Benson LLP
  • Joseph M. O’Malley, Jr. and Bruce M. Wexler —
    Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto
  • Jim Senter — Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
  • Richard M. Strassberg and Sarah E. Walters — Goodwin Procter LLP
  • Paul R. Comeau and Timothy P. Noonan — Hodgson Russ LLP
  • Daniel L. Reisner and David K. Barr — Kaye Scholer LLP
  • Thomas E. Wheeler, II — Locke Reynolds LLP
  • Harry A. Rissetto — Morgan Lewis
  • Raj S. Dave — Morrison & Foerster LLP
  • John Oberdorfer — Patton Boggs LLP
  • Steven B. Feirman — Piper Rudnick LLP
  • John L. Hines, Jr., Michael H. Cramer and Peter T. Berk —
    Sachnoff & Weaver LTD
  • Nancy Winkelman — Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP
  • Linda E. Rappaport, Peter Lyons, Alan Goudiss and Stephen Sawyer — Shearman & Sterling
  • Sergio J. Galvis — Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
  • Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser and Scott D. Danzis of Covington & Burling — Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
  • Christopher F. Corr — White & Case LLP

The 2004 Burton Award law school winners are:

  • Jason D. Medinger — Emory University School of Law
  • Theane Evangelis — New York University School of Law
  • David E. Chawes — Seattle University
  • Shirin Sinnar — Stanford Law School
  • Marlaina S. Freisthler — University of Cincinnati
  • William Goddard — The University of Connecticut School of Law
  • Keith E. Horton — The University of Illinois College of Law
  • Alex Kreit — University of Pennsylvania Law School
  • Robert Parsley — University of Tennessee College of Law
  • Jeffrey M. Connor — William & Mary Law School

The Burton Awards will be preceded by the 2nd Annual Holmes Debates, which will be held from 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Coolidge Auditorium in the Library of Congress.