WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans strongly oppose legislation that would dramatically alter the way consumers and employees resolve disputes, according to a new bipartisan survey released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Chamber of Commerce today applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the expansion of securities liability cases in Stoneridge Investment Partners v. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. The Chamber filed an amicus brief in August warning against expanding securities liability in cases brought by private parties to include a theory called “scheme liability.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform President Lisa A. Rickard, and the U.S. Chamber Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness Executive Director Michael Ryan, released the following joint statement on the Financial Services Roundtable blue ribbon commission report (pdf) on enhancing competitiveness of the U.S. capital markets system Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.-In response to what it sees as improper practices by some officials, the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) issued a new set of ethical standards for state attorneys general today, and will urge its voluntary adoption.
"This proposed code of conduct balances the ability of the AGs to pursue wrongdoers while protecting the due process rights of the targets of the investigation and litigation," said ILR president Lisa Rickard in remarks at the Chamber's 8th Annual Legal Reform Summit. Read More
Washington, D.C. -- The US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform has begun an aggressive advertising campaign highlighting the electorate's strongly held view that Congress should fix America's broken lawsuit system. "Congress would enjoy overwhelming support from voters if Democrats and Republicans work together to curb frivolous lawsuits and to address abusive practices of the plaintiffs' bar like fraudulent medical screenings and excessive discovery," said ILR president Lisa A. Rickard. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today recognized Illinois' newly enacted medical liability reforms as a good first step toward solving the states lawsuit crisis. ILR also announced the launch of a statewide advertising campaign to highlight the need for additional reforms to restore fairness and balance to the legal system. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new coalition has been formed to support the federal Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 (LARA), H.R. 420. This common-sense legislation would help put an end to personal injury lawyers gaming the civil justice system by filing frivolous lawsuits and forum shopping. These abuses are a threat to American businesses and their employees. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today commended U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow for his comments in support of comprehensive legal reform to halt the negative economic impact of excessive litigation. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce and its Institute for Legal Reform applauded a ruling by the Mississippi Supreme Court that is expected to help curb the practice of forum shopping - a process where plaintiffs' lawyers file lawsuits in a court district with a reputation for favorable verdicts - by placing common-sense limits on the ability to join parties in mass tort lawsuits. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 22, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce welcomed movement on Capitol Hill toward a solution on how to handle the tangle of asbestos lawsuits that are bankrupting companies across the country. "Congress must act to protect people who have been harmed by asbestos and close the door on the unimpaired, who are looking for a quick payout," said Thomas Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. "There is not a single legal issue more potentially damaging to the U.S. business community and our economy as a whole than asbestos litigation." Read More
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., 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. - 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., Nov. 9, 2001 - James Wootton, President of the US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, hailed the election of two pro-legal reform candidates on Tuesday, November 6 - Jerry Kilgore, who won the Virginia Attorney General race, and Judge Mike Eakin, who earned a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Read More
Washington, D.C. - The United States Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is launching a television and print media campaign to highlight the potentially devastating impact that the Kennedy-McCain Patients' Bill of Rights legislation would have on health care coverage in America. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 6, 2000 - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform applauded today's decision by the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee postponing a planned lawsuit against former manufacturers of lead pigment and lead-based paint. In a 10-7 vote, the Council members elected to postpone plans for the lawsuit, which would have claimed that lead paint manufactured decades ago had harmed city residents. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 21, 2000 - The United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) launched the "Sunshine Express" today by filing an Open Records Request to determine what culpability the City of Milwaukee has as it considers whether to sue the former manufacturers of lead pigment and lead-based paint. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 1, 2000 - The United States Chamber of Commerce called on Congress to maintain the current binding arbitration system for workplace disputes, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court in Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591, 597 (1997) refers to the asbestos litigation as a “crisis.” In Ortiz v. Fibreboard Corp., 527 U.S. 815, 821 (1999), the Court notes the “elephantine mass” of cases generated by for-profit screening companies in this era of asbestos litigation. Read More