REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
Lew’s recent representative experience includes:
- Successfully defeating class certification in a multi-million dollar putative class action filed in California federal court against a national consumer finance company. Stone v. Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc., No. 08-CV-1549, AJB (WMc), 2011 WL 6151636 (Dec. 12, 2011).
- Successfully representing a publicly traded power producer in its federal constitutional challenge to the enactment of a tax affecting only the national utility. GenOn Mid-Atlantic, LLC v. Montgomery County, Md., 650 F.3d 1021 (4th Cir. 2011).
- Successfully securing a federal court ruling that upheld the validity of the arbitration clause in consumer finance contracts. King v. Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc., Nos. 07-237, 07-3142, 2011 WL 3861898 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 31, 2011).
- Successfully obtaining dismissal, prior to class certification, of a putative class action filed in federal court in New Jersey.
- Successfully representing the residents of Dauphin Island, Alabama, in Fifth Amendment takings litigation filed against the United States.
- Serving as outside counsel to the State of Rhode Island in environmental enforcement litigation against a Fortune 500 company.
- Representing a large public utility bringing contract and tort claims against an international turbine manufacturer in federal court in Kentucky.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
- Selected for inclusion in Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers® (2012-2013)
- Named to the 2012 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll
- Selected as a Washington, DC Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation (2011-2012)
- Recipient, Charles T. Lester Pro Bono Award (2011)
- Recipient, Washington Lawyers Committee, Outstanding Achievement Award in the area of disability rights (2007, 2011)
- Recipient, Montgomery County Baseball Association Coach of the Year (2009, 2010)
- Commencement Speaker, State University of New York at Albany (2007)
- Recipient, Golden Eagle Award for sustained and exemplary service to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (2004)
- Recipient, Randolph Thrower Award for distinguished service to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association (2004)
- Recipient, Distinguished Alumni Award, State University of New York at Albany (2002)
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Treasurer (2004-present) and Past President (2000), U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association
- Judicially appointed member, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Advisory Council (appointed by then-Chief Judge Lawrence Baskir, 2001-2004; reappointed by then-Chief Judge Edward Damich, 2004-2009; reappointed by Chief Judge Emily Hewitt, 2009-present)
- Co-chair, Advisory Board, State University of New York at Albany, Rockefeller College (2004-present)
- Member, Board of Directors, Washington Hebrew Congregation (Washington, D.C.) (2012-present)
- Member, Board of Directors, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (Washington, D.C.) (2003-present)
- Member, Maryland Attorney General’s Environmental Policy Advisory Board (2008-present)
- Member, Board of Trustees, The Norwood School (Bethesda, MD) (2011-present)
- Member, Board of Trustees/Board of Directors, State University of New York at Albany, The University at Albany Foundation, Inc. (2011-present)
PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Speaker, “Ethical Issues in Class Action Settlements,” Court of Federal Claims Judicial Conference (November 15, 2012)
- Speaker, “Settlement Pitfalls,” Payday Loan Bar Association 2012 Annual Meeting (November 1, 2012)
- Speaker, "Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices," 2012 Correspondent Bank Executive Management Seminar (October 3, 2012)
- Speaker, “Eminent Domain Conference,” CLE International (June 7-9, 2012)
- Keynote Speaker, “Cross Examination of Appraisers and Other Experts in Condemnation Cases,” CLE International 11th Annual SuperConference: Eminent Domain (February 10, 2012)
- Guest, NPR The Diane Rehm Show, “The Constitution Today: Fifth Amendment,” focusing on eminent domain (January 30, 2012)
- Speaker, “The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Its Impact on the Consumer Finance Litigation Landscape,” American Institute’s 10th Annual Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation (January 27, 2011)
- “Q&A With Sutherland’s Lewis Wiener,” Class Action Law360 (November 24, 2010)
- Chapter Co-author, “Litigation Against the Federal Government,” Litigation Management, American Lawyer Media (October 2010)
- Speaker, Understanding and Protecting Privileges – From Soup to Nuts for Tax Attorneys (August 5, 2010)
- Co-author, “No Class Arbitration on Parties Who Are Silent on the Issue,” ABA Section of Litigation, Professional Liability Committee (June 2010)
- Co-author, “The CARD Act: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” Bank & Lender Liability (March 15, 2010)
- Speaker, “Don’t Prosecute the General Counsel!” Association of Corporate Council (ACC) 2009 Annual Meeting (October 19, 2009)
- Author, “Condemnation Clauses in Leases,” Counsel to Counsel (November 2008)
- Comment, “Wall Street Bailout Could Crimp CEO Pay,” Newsweek (September 3, 2008)
- Speaker, “ADR in Bloom,” ABA Dispute Resolution Section 2007 Conference (April 25–28, 2007)
- Moderator, “Lessons in Oral Advocacy,” The Federal Circuit Bar Association’s 18th Annual Bench & Bar Conference (2006)
- Lecturer, “Opening Statements and Closing Arguments,” and “Cross-Examining Expert Witnesses and Appraisers,” 3rd Annual Eminent Domain National Conference (2006)
- Lecturer, “The Fifth Amendment—From Penn Central to Kelo,” Eminent Domain: Condemnation and Land Use Conference (2006)
- Panelist, Urban Land Institute—New York District Council Program (2006)
- Lecturer, “Cross-Examining Expert Witnesses and Appraisers,” Eminent Domain: Insight and Analysis of the Issues (2006)
- Author, “Kelo v. City of New London: Paving the Way for New Development,” Counsel to Counsel (November 2005)
- Author, “Has the High Court Taken Away Private Property Rights?” Washington Legal Foundation (August 2005)
- Co-author, “Responding to Regulatory Subpoenas,” Counsel to Counsel (May 2005)
- Co-author, “Advanced Construction Law in Washington, D.C.,” National Business Institute Seminar (2002)
- Co-author, “Construction Payment Remedies in Washington, D.C.,” National Business Institute Seminar (2002)
