Washington, DC, November 16, 2016 -- Miller & Chevalier is pleased to announce that Member Homer E. Moyer, Jr. was honored with the 2016 Harry LeRoy Jones Award by the Washington Foreign Law Society (WFLS). The award annually recognizes a distinguished individual associated with the Washington professional community whose efforts and involvement in the development of international law exemplify the spirit of Harry LeRoy Jones, who founded the WFLS in 1952. He received the award at the WFLS Fall Gala last evening at the St. Regis Hotel. Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat served as Honorary Chair of the Gala, and Dr. Mark S. Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association and former Executive Director of CEELI, introduced Moyer.

In particular, Moyer received the accolade for his work co-founding and leading the ABA's Central and Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI) and the CEELI Institute in Prague. "The ripple that Homer Moyer sent forth 27 years ago, with the creation of CEELI, still reverberates today and he continues to cast new ripples of hope, creativity, and vision across the world," Dr. Ellis said in his introductory remarks. 

Noting that the phrase, "the rule of law," is shorthand for a "multi-faceted, challenging ideal," Moyer pointed out that all members of the legal profession are "custodians of the rule of law" who, if the rule of law were ever put at risk, must be the "first responders" in defending and protecting the values that the rule of law reflects. "The magic of CEELI and similar projects," he said, is that "they tap into a spirit that inhabits our profession -- an instinct for public service and a desire to make the world a better place."

"On behalf of the firm I congratulate Homer on receiving this award," said Anthony F. Shelley, Chair of Miller & Chevalier's Executive Committee. "His recognition is remarkable in that Homer is the first recipient to be honored for work undertaken while in private practice to advance the rule of law." Prior distinguished recipients include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Secretary of State James Baker, late Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, and Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

This award marks the fourth time Moyer has been recognized for his contributions to the legal community. In 2015, he received the Global Investigations Review (GIR) Lifetime Achievement Award for the scope of his international practice, his work helping others throughout the duration of his career, and his reputation as a thought leader the profession universally respects. In 2010, he received the prestigious American Bar Association (ABA) Founders' Award for his role in the creation of ABA CEELI, a project described by late Attorney General Janet Reno as "the worthiest pro bono project that American lawyers have ever undertaken." In 2008, he received the ABA's Section of International Law Lifetime Achievement Award.

Moyer served as General Counsel at the Commerce Department during the enactment of the FCPA in 1977 and, after founding Miller & Chevalier's internationally recognized International department, acted in a number of landmark matters that have shaped global investigations practices today. He was counsel in the first FCPA deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) as well as the first DPA that the government agreed to shorten. He also served as one of the first government-approved compliance monitors.

About Washington Foreign Law Society

The Washington Foreign Law Society promotes knowledge and understanding of international legal matters, comparative legal issues, and foreign law. It serves as a forum for the intersection of legal and non-legal professionals serving in public and private capacities to the many US Government agencies, foreign missions, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and national and global professional firms with a Washington presence. The Society encourages discussion and opportunity among its members to advance understanding of foreign law as well as its relationship to a host of non-legal areas affecting both public and private sector matters today.

About Miller & Chevalier

Founded in 1920, Miller & Chevalier is a Washington, DC law firm with a global perspective and leading practices in Tax, Employee Benefits (including ERISA), International Law and Business, White Collar and Internal Investigations, Complex Litigation and Government Affairs. In an era of big law, Miller & Chevalier is a top-ranked firm sharply focused on targeted areas that interact with the federal government. Over the past three years, the firm's lawyers have represented more than 40 percent of the Fortune 100, one-quarter of the Fortune 500 and approximately 30 percent of the Global 100. Based in Washington, DC, a significant number of firm lawyers have held senior positions in the U.S. government and have written many of the regulations they currently help clients navigate. For more information on the firm, visit www.millerchevalier.com.

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Laura Miller, Media Relations, Greentarget, 312.252.4104