WASHINGTON, D.C., March 14 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today complimented the West Virginia State Legislature for passing and Governor Bob Wise for signing into law a medical liability reform bill that will help doctors and hospitals to continue meeting the health care needs of West Virginians. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today urged House lawmakers to reform the current medical liability system to help control skyrocketing costs and ensure that health care services and affordable coverage remain available. "The cost of this crisis is not measured in dollars," said Thomas Donohue, Chamber President and CEO. "As physicians exit their profession due to the scarcity and high cost of malpractice coverage, fewer patients will realize the benefits of life-saving and life-enhancing innovation. It's time for Congress to act." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 5, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce commended U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for holding hearings to address the asbestos litigation crisis that has bankrupted dozens of companies and put thousands out of work. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 5, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today released the findings of a new poll showing that most Americans believe the class action lawsuit system is broken. Sixty-seven percent of the 813 likely voters surveyed said the class action system should be reformed. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 3, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce has named a new president for its affiliate, the Institute for Legal Reform. Lisa Rickard will handle the day-to-day operations of the business group's efforts to restore fairness, efficiency and consistency to the U.S. civil justice system. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 7, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce reported significantly higher expenditures on federal lobbying during the second half of 2002, in reports filed this week. The U.S. Chamber reported $11.3 million spent on lobbying-related activities in the final six months of 2002 and the Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) spent $17.3 million. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 5, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce announced it has created a new position - executive vice president and chief legal officer - and has tapped Stanton D. Anderson to lead the Chamber's efforts on legal reform and defense of business interests in the courts. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 5 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today welcomed the introduction of class action reform legislation in the U.S. Senate that would allow complex national class actions to be tried in federal instead of state courts. "The current class action system no longer guarantees justice to defendants or plaintiffs, and a legislative remedy is desperately needed to restore the kind of fairness, balance and consistency our Founding Fathers intended," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. Read More
CHARLESTON, WV, Feb. 3, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today joined with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce in urging state lawmakers to pass significant legal reform legislation. The chambers unveiled a full-page newspaper ad asking for WV citizens to repair the state's flawed legal system. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 13, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today warned out of control medical malpractice liability is forcing doctors to leave West Virginia and harming the quality of patient care provided by those doctors who remain, according to a poll of West Virginia physicians. "This poll is a siren call to West Virginia that their state's litigation system is in critical condition," said Kate Sullivan, Chamber director of health care policy. "Lawmakers must make meaningful changes to heal the civil justice system before patients suffer." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 23, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today released new research that shows how asbestos lawsuits not only adversely affect the companies being sued but also cause secondary harm to other businesses, governments, communities and individuals. Read More
Washington, D.C., Nov. 26, 2002 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today commended the Mississippi House and Senate for passing legislation providing greater legal protections for businesses that are sued. The Mississippi legislature, which has been in "special session" since September, passed a medical malpractice reform bill last month and then approved general tort reform measures late last night. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce today released a study showing that a state's liability system has a "statistically significant" impact on its economic development. "This research shows what we have suspected all along - economic growth is greatly affected by the kind of legal environment in which businesses must operate," said Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Chamber of Commerce has announced that James Wootton, a national leader in the fight for legal reform, will relinquish his administrative duties with the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform effective December 1. Read More
Washington, D.C., July 31, 2002 -- The United States Chamber of Commerce today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to pass the Class Action Fairness Act (S. 1712), a bipartisan bill that would reform the out-of-control state class action lawsuit system. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce today urged the people of Mississippi to do everything they can to change the state's deeply flawed legal system that targets out-of-state businesses with frivolous lawsuits and outrageous verdicts. The Chamber also shared its concerns about the significant risks its members and all companies face when doing business in Mississippi. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce praised the U.S. House of Representatives today for passing the Class Action Fairness Act, by a vote of 233 to 190, and urged the Senate to follow suit. "For too long, America's legal system has made trial lawyers richer at the expense of innocent consumers, shareholders and businesses," said James M. Wootton, president of the Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber. "Today lawmakers have sent a strong signal that the days of class action abuse are numbered." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 7, 2002 - The United States Chamber of Commerce praised the House Judiciary Committee for favorably reporting out the Class Action Fairness Act, by a vote of 16 to 10, and urged the full House to act swiftly."Those who voted for class action fairness have the vision necessary to bring about real change in a legal system greatly needing repair," said James M. Wootton, president of the Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber. "This action is welcome news for consumers, shareholders and businesses of all sizes." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce today released a poll, conducted by HarrisInteractive, assessing the liability systems of all 50 states and ranking them on the perceived fairness or reasonableness of their litigation environments. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 20, 2001 - The United States Chamber of Commerce today expressed its frustration over the Senate's failure to enact legislation to ensure the availability of terrorism insurance coverage for millions of businesses and provide modest liability protections. Read More