2024 Sponsorship
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Adams street foundation
Lead Sponsors
ABOUT THE HONOREE
Evan R. Chesler
Evan R. Chesler, Chair of the Board of Trustees of NYU
Evan R. Chesler retired from Cravath’s Litigation Department in December 2023. Widely recognized as one of the country’s leading litigators, his broad experience extended to trial and appellate courts across the country. He was Cravath’s Presiding Partner from 2007 through 2012 and Chairman from 2013 through 2021, the first person to be given that title in the Firm’s history.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Chesler handled a wide variety of litigation, including antitrust, securities, shareholder derivative, intellectual property, general commercial, environmental, ERISA and contractual disputes. His practice also included the representation of clients in government and internal investigations. Mr. Chesler represented companies and their management in virtually every industry including technology, media, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and financial services.
Mr. Chesler received an A.B., with highest honors in History, from New York University, after which he earned an M.A. in Russian Area Studies at Hunter College. He received a J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif, was Topics Editor of the Law Review, served as a junior fellow at the Center for International Studies, twice received the John Norton Pomeroy Prize for academic excellence, and was awarded the Benjamin Butler Prize.
Following his graduation, Mr. Chesler served as a law clerk to Hon. Inzer B. Wyatt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
As an invaluable member of the NYU community for several decades, Mr. Chesler is Chair of the Board of Trustees of NYU and a member of the Board’s Executive Committee, Chairman of NYU’s Board of Overseers of the Faculty of Arts and Science and founder and Chairman of LAMP (the Lawyer Alumni Mentoring Program), which provides mentoring and curriculum enrichment programs to prelaw students. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of NYU School of Law and of the Board’s Executive Committee, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the Center on Civil Justice at NYU School of Law.
Mr. Chesler joined Cravath in 1976 and was elected a partner in 1982. He became Head of the Litigation Department in 1996. He was elected Deputy Presiding Partner in November 2005, and Presiding Partner effective January 2007. From January 2013 to December 2021, Mr. Chesler was Chairman of the Firm.
ABOUT THE HOST
George Carroll Whipple, III
Board of Directors / Member of the Firm
Epstein Becker Green LLP
Financial services, consulting, and media companies with pressing employment concerns go to attorney George Whipple to get the right answers quickly. With decades of experience leading the employment law departments of two internationally known investment banks, George sees his client’s policy challenges and employment disputes from their point of view.
His tactical and business-focused approach resolves highly contentious executive compensation, non-compete, and discrimination claims for a fraction of the cost. He also frequently conducts internal investigations of misconduct and discrimination claims and regulatory violations.
As human resource and in-house legal departments struggle to keep up with changing federal, local, and state laws, George provides concise compliance advice and actionable solutions. He has deep experience litigating hotly contested non-compete and executive compensation cases. That background enables him to develop clear terms in contract negotiations, non-competes, and severance agreements, all with an eye to avoiding future exposure. For busy executives and in-house teams, George provides a wide range of training and educational tools to avoid costly mistakes in hiring, promotions, investigations, terminations, and disciplinary actions. As host of Epstein Becker Green’s weekly Employment Law This Week® video series, he is the face of one of the country’s most innovative employment law education resources.
Earlier in his career, George was a Managing Director and Chairman of the Global Human Resources, Executive Compensation, and Employment Law Practice Group of a top 10 global financial services firm. Outside of his legal practice, George maintains an active media presence as a freelance entertainment and lifestyle commentator for "Whipple’s World," on NY1 News. In 2022, he won an Emmy Award along with his NY1 team for their coverage of On Stage Presents Broadway’s Revival. His photography has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Town and Country. George is a devoted philanthropist who dedicates significant time and resources to civic, environmental, and historic preservation movements in Putnam County, New York.