Fifth Straight Year White & Case Lawyers Honored
New York, June 9, 2006 LAWFUEL – Press Release Service Larry Byrne and Alistair Graham, partners in White & Case’s New York and London offices, respectively, have been named recipients of a 2006 Burton Award for Legal Writing Excellence, marking the fifth consecutive year that White & Case lawyers have won the award. Graham is the first non-US lawyer to ever receive a Burton.
Byrne and Graham, who are members of the Firm’s Global Corporate Defense and Special Litigation practice, were recognized by the Burton Foundation for their article, “Executives Confront New Extradition Threat,” published in the September 2005 issue of International Financial Law Review.
The two lawyers will be honored at the 2006 Burton Awards program, which will be held at the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC on Monday, June 12. White & Case Managing Partner Duane D. Wall will serve as the Honorary Dinner Chair for the event.
The article makes the case that the 2003 Extradition Act between the US and UK, which was designed to expedite extradition proceedings for terrorists, is significantly flawed. In their award-winning article, Byrne and Graham effectively support their argument by citing the case of White & Case client Ian Norris, a UK executive who is facing extradition to the US over alleged price-fixing claims. The authors argue that the US Department of Justice has exceeded its boundaries by seeking to expand the new extradition framework beyond the scope of terrorism to target overseas executives for alleged corporate fraud, so UK businesses should prepare themselves for the risks associated with doing business in the United States.
“The Norris case involves an important development in the area of extradition, and we are pleased that Larry and Alistair have been recognized by the Burton Foundation for their thought-provoking analysis of issues that we believe deserve considerable scrutiny,” said Wall.
The Burton Foundation is a not-for-profit, academic organization concentrating on legal writing. The Burton Awards are dedicated to the refinement and enrichment of writing in the legal profession. The program annually honors lawyers and law students who use clear, concise language. The submissions, nominated by managing partners of law firms and law school deans, include articles published over the past year.
Byrne and Graham’s article was one of only 30 articles awarded in a highly competitive universe of submissions. Last year, the Burton Awards recognized the writing of White & Case international arbitration counsel Pieter H.F. Bekker. In 2004, international trade partner Christopher F. Corr received the award. In 2003, litigation partner Owen Pell was so honored, as were M&A partner John Reiss and associate Matthew Kautz in 2002.
Byrne and Graham’s article can be found here. More information about the Burton Award can be found at http://www.burtonawards.com.
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