Big-Firm Lawyers Donate Big Bucks to Obama Inauguration
Law firms and lawyers have donated $2.5 million to inaugural festivities for Barack Obama, the second-biggest source of donations behind the securities and investment industry.
The National Law Journal reports on the total and lists donors who made $50,000 contributions. They include big-firm lawyers and lawyers who file suits on behalf of asbestos and personal injury victims.
Among the personal injury lawyers are Stanley Chesley of Cincinnati, and Dorothy and Russell Budd of Baron & Budd in Dallas.
Law Shucks also has posted the names of several lawyers who donated money to the inauguration. One of them is Cantwell Muckenfuss of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, D.C., a $50,000 contributor also identified in a Legal Times article.
Thirteen New York lawyers gave at least $10,000 each to help pay for the inauguration, while another three helped collect donations from others, the New York Law Journal reports. The publication identified these lawyers from well-known law firms who gave at least $10,000:
• Barry Berke, who chairs the white-collar and securities regulation practice at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel. He contributed $10,000 and collected $40,000 from others.
• John “Sean” Coffey, a partner at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman. He contributed $50,000.
• Abby Milstein, a partner at Constantine Cannon, who gave $50,000.
• Sidley Austin partner Alfred Pietrzak, who gave $32,000.
• Keith Wofford, a partner in the restructuring group at Ropes & Gray, who gave $26,000.
• Edward Krugman, a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, who gave $25,000.
• Thomas Lane, a partner at Winston & Strawn, who gave $25,000.
• Ira Feinberg, a partner at Hogan & Hartson, who gave $11,000.
Updated at 8:30 a.m. CT to include information from the National Law Journal.
