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Blog Author Bios
Steve Bokat
In 1981, I was fortunate enough to be employed by the litigation affiliate of the U.S. Chamber, the National Chamber Litigation Center. My boss, Larry Kraus, then the Chamber’s General Counsel, joined with a group of other general counsels to form what is now called the Association of Corporate Counsel. In fact, ACC’s articles of incorporation and bylaws were drafted in the Chamber’s legal department. And when I was promoted to be the Chamber’s General Counsel, I was asked to join ACC’s fledgling Board of Directors. In 1989-90, I served as Chairman of ACC’s Board. It was during that year, that I convinced the Board of Directors that Fred Krebs, a Chamber manager, and former Chamber Assistant General Counsel should be hired as ACC’s President.
At the time of my retirement from the Chamber in 2007, I was the Chamber’s Senior VP and General Counsel, and Executive Vice President of the Chamber’s Litigation Center. I continue as a consultant to the Chamber’s legal department, an opportunity that has allowed me the freedom to pursue other interests while still keeping engaged in the legal world.
Larry Salibra
I have had an unusual career up to my retirement a couple of years ago, since I not only did all the things in-house counsel typically do; I also had a remarkably robust litigation career having tried jury cases across the country, argued before many appellate tribunals, including the United States Supreme Court, and well as a number of international tribunals. A number of my cases had garnered substantial media attention. Alcan’s challenge to the use of Worldwide Combined Apportionment had international attention. PIRG v MEI was used by a number of groups to impugn Sam Alito’s environmental credentials to be a Justice of the Supreme. Those who want to learn a little more see: “If you want things done right… Alcan Senior Counsel Keeps Litigation In House,” Inside Litigation , February 1999 , Vol. 13, no 2, pp 9-11 or “He’ll litigate you to death ”, National Law Journal, Monday , October 22, 2001.
Over my career I developed a number of opinions and perspectives about the profession, and no doubt that is why Fred Krebs asked me to undertake the task of blogging. He will tell you to take what I have to say with a “grain of salt” and he is correct. What is important is that you think about what I have to say. What I hope to do is share with you what ACCA did for me. When we started on our efforts of advocacy on behalf of in-house counsel and in some cases on behalf of the profession generally, it forced me to step back and think about what I did everyday. This resulted in my beginning to challenge things that appeared to be unequivocally true by many.
Michael Schnipper
I retired at 59 from ESPN two years ago and have been doing volunteer work, bicycling, working out and spending more time at our house on the Cape. My wife left her health care executive position last year and is trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up.