Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, FRANCHISING & DISTRIBUTION NEWS: ABA Forum on Franchising confers Rudnick Award on Dennis Wieczorek, (Oct 24, 2014)
Law Firms Mentioned:Michael Garner PA | Paul Hastings LLP
Organizations Mentioned:DLA Piper | Duke University | Greensfelder Hemker & Gale, PC | International Franchise Association | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP | Mayer Brown, LLP | Paul Hastings, LLP | Rudnick & Wolfe/Fa | Washington University in St. Louis
By John W. Arden, J.D., LL.M.
Chicago franchise attorney Dennis E. Wieczorek was posthumously honored with the Lewis G. Rudnick Award, the ABA Forum on Franchising’s "lifetime achievement award," during the group’s 37th annual meeting last week in Seattle.
A protégé and colleague of Rudnick, Wieczorek was a partner with DLA Piper, having practiced with the firm and its predecessor firms for 37 years. He was chair of DLA Piper’s Franchise and Distribution Practice at the time of his unexpected death on July 11, 2014, at age 62.
Wieczorek was a longtime leader of the Forum on Franchising, having served as its Chair and member of its governing board. He also served as general counsel of the International Franchise Association and was active in the group’s Legal/Legislative Committee and Legislative Action Group. Wieczorek was a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (B.A.) and Duke University School of Law (J.D.).
The Rudnick Award was created in 2009 in remembrance of Lewis Rudnick, a founding member of the Forum and its second chair. He helped establish the Franchise Law Journal, the Forum’s quarterly publication. As a senior partner of Rudnick & Wolfe (currently DLA Piper), he trained some of America’s leading franchise lawyers.
The award is intended to honor those who have made substantial contributions to the Forum and to franchise law as a discipline, while comporting themselves in accordance with Rudnick’s high standards of professionalism, decency, and collegiality.
Previous Rudnick Awards were presented to John R.F. Baer of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C; Rupert M. Barkoff of Kilpatrick Townsend; Andrew C. Selden; Judith Bailey; and Lee Abrams of Mayer Brown.
The Forum on Franchising also conferred its Rising Scholar Award on Eric D. Stolze of Paul Hastings LLP, and its Chair’s Award for Substantial Written Work or Presentation on Elliot Ginsburg of Michael Garner, PA. The Rising Scholar Award is a writing competition for lawyers who are up to four years out of law school. The Chair’s Award recognizes a young and/or diverse lawyer for excellence in writing a scholarly article or making a presentation.
Attorneys: Dennis E. Wieczorek (DLA Piper); Eric D. Stolze (Paul Hastings LLP); Elliot Ginsburg (Michael Garner PA)
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