Manatt Partner Admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers

WASHINGTON — Sept. 20, 2016 —  Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, today announced that Benjamin G. Chew, a partner in the firm’s litigation practice, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. The induction ceremony took place on Sept. 19 at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the College in Philadelphia.

An accomplished litigator with extensive domestic and international trial and arbitration experience, Chew handles diverse commercial disputes, including class actions, and counsels businesses, trade associations and foreign governments facing a wide range of legal issues. Fluent in Spanish, Chew successfully defended a large multinational corporation against the Sandinista Government of Nicaragua in the Ninth Circuit and has represented the governments of Dubai, Ecuador and Honduras in U.S.-based litigation. In 2013, after passing the Kosovo Bar, he defended the holder of the country's telecommunications franchise there in criminal proceedings brought by EULEX, securing his acquittal and enabling his company to keep its franchise, saving several hundred jobs.

Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only, and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.

Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,800 members in the United States and Canada, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on important legal issues relating to its mission. The College strongly supports the independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation’s leading law and consulting firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.