Washington, D.C., January 19, 2006 - The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) has named San Francisco lawyer William L. Stern among its list of Legal Reform Champions (LRC)-high-profile lawyers who have dedicated themselves to restoring equal justice under law and reclaiming the civil justice system from the grip of plaintiffs' lawyers.

"Our idea is simple," said ATRA President Sherman Joyce. "We believe everything possible must be done to recognize lawyers and law firms who fight for fairness and balance in the courtrooms. Mr. Stern has done a tremendous job fighting for the reform of California's unfair competition law."

Stern, a partner in Morrison & Foerster's Litigation Department, is the recognized authority on California's Unfair Competition Law, Business & Professions Code section 17200. He authored The Rutter Group's paper on the code as well as the amendment to section 17200, known as Proposition 64, which passed in 2004. Stern has served as a panelist and guest lecturer on numerous programs on section 17200, and he has testified before the California Legislature on the need for tort reform.

Stern has extensive appellate experience with a particular emphasis on the defense of consumer class actions as well as "Private Attorney General" actions brought under section 17200. He presented oral arguments before the California Supreme Court in Kraus v. Trinity Management Services, Inc. 23 Cal. 4th 116 (2000), an important case limiting "Private Attorney General" actions brought under section 17200.

Stern is the author of hundreds of law review articles and other published papers involving such topics as securities, class actions, insurance and section 17200. He is the contributing editor to the Consumer Financial Services Law Report and was also listed as one of Northern California's "Super Lawyers" in 2004 by Super Lawyer Magazine. Stern received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.

ATRA's honorees have distinguished themselves by doing pro-bono work on behalf of civil justice reform organizations, and also have supported pro-reform candidates, refused to accept cases that abuse tort law and taken a public stand against abusive lawsuits.

ATRA shares its "Champions" list with top CEOs and general counsels around the nation for use as a tool when hiring defense attorneys and law firms. "Hiring lawyers from the `Legal Reform Champions' list will help ensure that Corporate America is enlisting the services of lawyers who are dedicated to civil justice reform and to the interests of their clients," Joyce said.