James M. Lyons (born January 6, 1947) is a lawyer in law in Denver, Colorado. He is a commercial trial lawyer with extensive public services.
Video James Lyons (lawyer)
Early life and education
James Lyons was born in Joliet, Illinois on January 6, 1947 to Judge Michael Lyons and Helen Glass Lyons. He is the eldest of six siblings. He studied at the parochial elementary school and Joliet Catholic High School, graduating in 1964. He earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1968. He obtained a law degree in 1971 from DePaul University College of Law. in Chicago, where he became Associate Editor of DePaul Law Review.
Maps James Lyons (lawyer)
Professional career
Lyons joins Denver law firm from Rothgerber Appel & amp; Powers, now Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP, in September 1971. Practice initially involved financial institutions and civil litigation. He became a corporate partner in 1974 and his name was added to the company in 1999. His practices include complex litigation, mediation and arbitration, and international business transactions. Recent clients include The Anschutz Corporation, City and County Denver, Colorado State University, and the Board of Directors of Qwest Communications International, Inc.
Lyons was admitted to state courts in Illinois and Colorado, and to various federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. He has served as President of the Federal Faculty of Advocates (FFA) from the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. He also serves as Chairman of the Panel of Judges of the United States Merit Selection Panel for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
Lyons is a Fellow at the American College of Trial Lawyers. Membership is by invitation and is limited to less than one percent of active trial lawyers in the United States. He has served as ACTL Colorado State Chairman. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. (Membership only by invitation and limited to 500 lawyers in the world.) He is also a member of the American Trial Lawyers Council (ABOTA). He has been registered with Best Lawyers in America since the beginning (Commercial Litigation and Corporate Litigation Bet). Lyons has been listed in the first group of commercial litigators in each edition of Chambers USA.
Lyons is enrolled at Super Colorado Attorney. For four unprecedented years (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2012) he has been chosen by his colleagues as the number one Super Lawyer in Colorado. He is the subject of a feature article in the April 2007 Super Colorado Lawyer titled "Gold Standard-How Jim Lyons Helps Bring Peace to Northern Ireland".
He is a former faculty member at the University of Denver College of Law and the Graduate School of International Studies. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Northern Colorado University and Regis University. He is a frequent panelist and lecturer to the law on experimental subjects, ethics and conflict resolution.
Public services
Lyons served as general counsel for the Clinton Transition Foundation and as counselor at the President-Elect Office from November 1992 to February 1993.
In 1993, Lyons accepted the appointment of the President to serve as a US Observer to the International Fund for Ireland. The International Fund for Ireland is a multi-nation foundation supported by the United States, the European Union, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. According to independent assessments by the audit and accounting firms KPMG, IFI is responsible for the creation of over 31,000 full time permanent jobs in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland, and has been credited with over 3,600 support over $ 1.5 billion in investment.
In 1997, Lyons was appointed by the President to replace Sen. George J. Mitchell as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State for the Economic Initiative in Northern Ireland and the Republican border district. In this capacity, Lyons coordinates the programs of the US State Department, the United States Department of Commerce, the US Department of Education, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration to support the peace process in Northern Ireland. He is responsible for the establishment of Aspire, a microfinance fund in Belfast and the first of its kind in Western Europe. Lyons served as US Observer and Special Adviser until January 2001.
In commenting on his services, President Bill Clinton declared:
"Jim is very important to the peace process in Northern Ireland because of his tireless efforts to get America involved in promoting economic development in ways that benefit both countries, promoting reconciliation and effectively demonstrating the depth of our commitment to peace."
In 2002, the University of Ulster gave Lyons an honorary Doctorate of Law in recognition "of his service to the people of Northern Ireland and the cause of peace."
In 2006, Lyons served as executive director of the elected Colorado Governor Bill Ritter transition. In 2007, Governor Ritter appointed Lyons as vice chairman of the Cabinet of Works, who developed a strategy to develop a ready labor force for existing and new businesses and industries in Colorado. In 2010, he co-leaded the Higher Education Strategy Plan (HESP) which examines Colorado's higher education institutions in terms of revenue, mission and governance, access and affordability and the K-12 pipeline problem. The report, "The Degree Dividend" was issued in November 2010.
Whitewater
In February 1992, Lyons was involved by Clintons to investigate their involvement in a real estate investment which came to be known as the Whitewater. Within a month, Lyons issued a report concluding that Clintons was not involved in the management of a Whitewater real estate company or a failure or Madison Guaranty Savings & amp; Loan. He also concluded that Clintons had invested and lost huge funds in connection with the Whitewater business.
Two subsequent investigations produced reports, including the Final Report of the Independent Advisor. Both of these reports confirm the conclusion of the so-called Lyons report. The Final Report of the Independent Advisor states that "all three investigative entities [ie Lyons, Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, and Independent Counselors] reached the same substantial conclusion" of the financial contributions and Clintons involvement at Whitewater.
Nominated to the Tenth Circuit
On 22 September 1999, President Clinton nominated Lyons to a seat in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit which was open when the Tenth Session Judge John Porfilio received senior status. Although Lyons was given the highest rating ("good quality") by the nonpartisan American Bar Association and was supported by a senior Colorado senator at the time, Republican Ben Nighthorse Campbell, another Colorado senator, Wayne Allard, used the prerogative of his home senator to block the Lyons nomination because of his relationship with President Clinton. At Lyons' request, the White House withdrew his candidacy in December 1999. The seat remained empty until after George W. Bush's election nominated Timothy Tymkovich in 2003. He was confirmed later that year.
See also
- The controversy of Bill Clinton's trial prosecution
References
Note
- "Goodwill Fund, International Story of Funds for Ireland," Alf McCreary, 2008.
- Interview with President William Jefferson Clinton, Super Colorado Lawyer, 2007.
- Reports for Resolution Trust Corporation by Pillsbury Madison & amp; Sutro, 1995, and Final Report of Independent Advisor, In re: Madison Guaranty Savings & amp; Association of Loans, Vol. II, Arkansas Investigation, Robert W. Ray, Independent Counsel, released March 20, 2002.
- The Denver Post's editorial, "Jim Lyons Well Qualified for the Ten Circuits," October 12, 1999.
- Wayne Allard was ranked by Time Magazine as one of the ten "worst senators" in the United States Senate. Time Magazine, April 24, 2006.
External links
- James M. Lyons' Profile - Rothgerber Johnson & amp; Lyons, LLP
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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