Lisa Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, issued the following statement today regarding the filing of a motion by asbestos defendants to dismiss all claims from the federal asbestos multi-district litigation in Philadelphia: Read More
Lisa Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, issued the following statement today regarding the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's hearing on silicosis litigation and tomorrow's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on asbestos legislation: "ILR commends both the House and Senate for turning their attention this week to silicosis fraud and asbestos legislation - both important steps toward improving America's legal system. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Lisa Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, today released the following statement regarding legislation that would authorize the Louisiana Attorney General to enter into contingency fee contracts with outside counsel (S.B. 750/H.B. 1397): "This law is not only unnecessary, but if enacted, will be at the expense of hard-working Louisianans. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The president of the U.S. Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), Lisa Rickard, issued the following statement in response to today's indictment of the law firm Milberg Weiss and a number of its partners by the U.S. Attorney.s office: "The Chamber has long been concerned about the questionable practices of Milberg Weiss and has repeatedly sought an investigation into their activities by the Federal Government," said Ms. Rickard. Read More
"The bill passed today by the Senate marks a key victory in the fight to restore fairness and balance to Florida's courts. "The legislature has helped to balance the scales of justice by repealing the joint and several liability doctrine that unjustly leaves 'deep pocket' defendants holding the bag for more than their fair share of liability. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Florida's legal climate has shown modest progress, moving up four spots to number 38 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. Miami-Dade County remains one of the least fair and reasonable jurisdictions in the country. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC-West Virginia, Louisiana, Illinois, California, and Texas were among the worst states for legal fairness, while Mississippi is improving after enacting legal reforms, according to a new ranking of the best and worst state legal systems released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). "This survey sends a clear message to states whose legal climate drives away businesses, jobs, and economic development," said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "If you want a healthy state economy, clean up your act." Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that California moved up one spot to number 44 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study, but its legal climate remains one of the worst in the country. In addition, Los Angeles was named the least fair and reasonable litigation environment in the country. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Illinois' legal climate has shown minor improvement, moving up one spot to number 45 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. However, a number of Illinois jurisdictions were named among the least fair and reasonable in the country. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Mississippi's legal climate has shown significant progress, moving up two spots to number 48 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. "The comprehensive legal reforms enacted in 2004 truly have made Mississippi open for business," said Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "The state supreme court has cracked down on abuses that had plagued the state's courts for many years." Read More
ST. LOUIS, MO - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Missouri's legal climate has shown significant progress, moving up five spots to number 35 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Ohio's legal climate has shown significant improvement, moving up seven spots to number 19 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. "Ohio is a great example of a state that has taken substantive steps to fix its legal system," said Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "The two meaningful legal reform bills enacted during the past two years have played a direct role in significantly improving the state's legal - and business - climates." Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Texas has remained one of the ten worst legal climates in the country, moving up one spot to number 43 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. In addition, various Texas jurisdictions were named among the least fair and reasonable jurisdictions in the country. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that West Virginia's legal climate has fallen to last place out of the 50 states in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. In addition, various West Virginia jurisdictions were named among the least fair and reasonable jurisdictions in the country. Read More
MADISON, WI - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Wisconsin's legal climate has dropped six spots to number 23 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study, and has plummeted an alarming 13 spots in just two years. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Legislation to impose criminal penalties in product liability cases would drastically impede American competitiveness and raises significant concerns about due process rights, according to testimony given today before the Senate Judiciary Committee by tort law expert Victor Schwartz on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today welcomed a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing to investigate the "assembly line" process used by some plaintiffs' attorneys to screen individuals for silicosis lawsuits targeting U.S. businesses. Read More
Lisa Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, issued the following statement in response to the Rhode Island lead paint liability lawsuit verdict: "With this verdict, Rhode Island has issued an open invitation to plaintiffs' lawyers looking for jackpot justice. Holding companies liable without proving causation establishes an extremely dangerous precedent and sets the stage for a barrage of meritless lawsuits in Rhode Island as well as other states. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The securities class action litigation system is not working the way Congress intended it to work when it passed the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) of 1995, according to a paper released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). "The PSLRA, which was designed to protect the average American investor, has been subverted by entrepreneurial plaintiffs' lawyers," said Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "The system needs to be repaired." Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - United States Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue issued the following statement expressing the Chamber's commitment to achieving a legislative solution this year to an asbestos litigation crisis that is preventing the truly injured from receiving just compensation and is bankrupting companies. Read More