U.S. Chamber's Lisa Rickard to Lead Workforce Freedom Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced today that Lisa Rickard, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber and president of the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), will lead the Chamber's Workforce Freedom Initiative (WFI), a multimillion-dollar grassroots mobilization and advocacy campaign to preserve democracy in the American workplace, restrain abusive union pension fund activism, and block the anti-competitive agenda advocated by many labor unions. Steven Law, who has served as chief legal officer and general counsel of the U.S. Chamber for the last three years, is leaving to become President & CEO of American Crossroads, a new political organization.

"Steven will always be an ally and advocate for free enterprise and we wish him all the best in his next venture," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. "Steven's unusual combination of legal, strategic, and management skills enabled him to make significant contributions to the Chamber. I'm confident in Lisa Rickard's ability to move full speed ahead with the Workforce Freedom Initiative."

Under Law's leadership, the Workforce Freedom Initiative has grown into a multimillion-dollar grassroots mobilization and advocacy campaign, not only staving off passage of the misnamed "Employee Free Choice Act" but also contesting union-boosting executive orders and exposing shareholder activism by union pension funds. Glenn Spencer, who has provided day-to-day management of the initiative, will remain as executive director.

In addition to her new responsibilities, Rickard will continue to provide strategic leadership to ILR's comprehensive program aimed at improving the nation's legal climate. Rickard has led multiple comprehensive reform campaigns at the state and federal levels. She also leads the Coalition to Curb Global Forum Shopping, which seeks to stop the importation of foreign lawsuits to U.S. courts and stem the export of U.S.-style litigation features to other countries.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

# # #