January 28, 2010
CHIEF JUDGE JONATHAN LIPPMAN HONORED WITH NEW YORK
STATE BAR ASSOCIATION’S STANLEY FULD AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP IN
COMMERCIAL LAW
Chief Judge noted for his role in Commercial
Division’s expansion and making it a national model
NEW YORK—Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman received the prestigious
Stanley H. Fuld Award from the New York State Bar Association on January
27 during its Annual Meeting at the Hilton New York in Manhattan.
Sponsored by the Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, the award is
presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the
development of commercial law and jurisprudence in New York.
The section honored Judge Lippman for his integral role in the
development of New York’s commercial courts. As chief
administrative judge of the State of New York from 1996-2007, Judge
Lippman instituted several key reforms and implemented many new
initiatives to improve the efficiency and operation of New York’s
court system. During his tenure, the Commercial Division of the Supreme
Court of New York State expanded to serve 10 different jurisdictions,
significantly enhancing the business community’s confidence in the
court system, thereby improving the state’s ability to help
attract and retain businesses. Now, through his leadership as chief
judge of the State of New York, Judge Lippman continues to maintain the
Commercial Division’s status as the national model for commercial
courts.
“Throughout his career, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman’s
decisive vision and bold innovation have made a tremendous impact on New
York’s courts’ ability to effectively administer justice.
Among his many and significant accomplishments, his efforts to expand
and strengthen the Commercial Division have made it the ultimate forum
for the litigation of complex commercial issues,” said President
Michael E. Getnick (Getnick Livingston Atkinson & Priore, LLP of
Utica and of counsel to Getnick & Getnick of New York City).
“We are absolutely thrilled to present the Stanley H. Fuld Award
to Judge Lippman, and I thank him for his outstanding leadership
throughout his service to the people of the State of New
York.”
“Chief Judge Lippman’s initiatives, particularly his
support for the development of the Commercial Division, his
forward-thinking ideas and his unique ability to build consensus at all
levels of the judiciary have made and continue to make New York’s
courts a premier forum for the resolution of business disputes. We
are grateful for his enduring support in elevating the standards of
commercial law,” said Commercial and Federal Litigation Section
Chair Vincent J. Syracuse of New York (Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse &
Hirschtritt LLP). “It is our distinct pleasure to present this
prestigious honor to the Chief Judge.”
A graduate of New York University and New York University School of
Law, Lippman was appointed chief judge by Governor Paterson on January
13, 2009 and confirmed by the New York State Senate on February 11,
2009.
Lippman’s career in the court system spans four decades,
starting as an entry-level court attorney. He was appointed deputy chief
administrator for management of the statewide court system in 1989. In
1995, he was appointed by Governor Pataki as a Judge of the New York
Court of Claims and was reappointed to a full nine-year term in
1998.
From January 1996 to May 2007, Lippman served, by appointment of
then-Chief Judge Kaye, as the chief administrative judge of the State of
New York. In May 2007, then-Governor Spitzer appointed him to serve as
the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court,
First Department. In that capacity, he served on the Administrative
Board of the Courts, the policy- and rule-making body of the New York
State Court System. He received the William H. Rehnquist Award for
Judicial Excellence in 2008.
The Fuld Award is named for the late Chief Judge Stanley H. Fuld, who
also served on the New York State Court of Appeals from 1946 to
1973.
Previous award recipients include: Hon. Loretta A. Preska, chief
judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New
York; Hon. Albert M. Rosenblatt, retired associate judge, New York State
Court of Appeals; Hon. Antonin Scalia, associate justice, U.S. Supreme
Court; and Hon. Judith S. Kaye, retired chief judge, New York State
Court of Appeals.
Founded in 1876, the 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is
the official statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the
largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. The State
Bar’s programs and activities have continuously served the public
and improved the justice system for more than 130 years.
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