NCLC Launches California-Focused Case Selection Committee

Washington, D.C.-At its board of directors meeting today, the National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC) announced the formation of the California Litigation Advisory Committee to solely focus on California cases that adversely impact the business community.

"More and more companies are expressing increasing concern over the regulatory climate in California, particularly the state's propensity to undermine national policy," said Stephen Bokat, NCLC executive vice president. "This committee's goal is to help us design a litigation strategy for businesses operating in such a challenging climate."

Top business lawyers and regulatory experts from a wide cross-section of the business community will serve on the committee, including in-house counsel from Cingular Wireless, Denny's, Ford Motor Company, Pfizer, and Unum Provident. They will be joined by litigators from the California offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Morrison & Foerster.

The NCLC board also elected three new directors. They are David G. Leitch, general counsel and senior vice president at Ford Motor Company; Richard H. Murray, managing director and chief claims strategist at Swiss Re; and Rhonda J. Parish, executive vice president and general counsel for Denny's Corporation.

"The diverse backgrounds of the new directors are a great contribution to the board," said NCLC board chairman Joaquin R. Carbonell, executive vice president and general counsel of Cingular Wireless LLP. "The skills they bring to the table are significant and I look forward to their participation."

NCLC is a membership organization that advocates fair treatment of business in the courts and before regulatory agencies. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

Note-A list of members of the California Litigation Advisory Committee is here.

www.uschamber.com

# # #

06-104