W&L Law Presents Alumni Awards during 2016 Reunion Celebration
A record number of Washington and Lee law school alumni returned for this year’s reunion celebration, held April 15-17 in Lexington.
During the awards ceremony on Saturday, the reunion classes presented a collective gift of $1.5 million to law dean Brant Hellwig. The School also announced the recipients of the Outstanding Alumnus/a Award and the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Related: Event Photo Gallery
Walt Kelley ’77, ‘81L received the Outstanding Law Alumnus award for exceptional achievements in his career and unselfish service to his community and his alma mater.
Kelley is a litigator with the global litigation firm Hausfeld in Washington, DC. Prior to his work as a high stakes litigator, Kelley served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia and as a partner at Jones Day in DC, and with Willcox & Savage and Troutman Sanders in Norfolk, VA.
Kelley has extensive experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in disputes between businesses, particularly in the areas of antitrust, intellectual property and securities. As a lawyer, Kelley has tried more than 25 jury cases, obtaining verdicts for his clients in cases ranging from monopolization and resale price fixing, to the Robinson-Patman Act, to patent infringement. He has negotiated settlements for companies that were targeted by international cartels, and has served as counsel in numerous shareholder and partnership disputes. He has argued appeals in the Third, Fourth, and Ninth Circuits, as well as state appellate courts.
As a judge, Kelley presided over thousands of cases encompassing all areas of the law and authored 50 published opinions. He also sat by designation on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and authored six appellate opinions.
In addition to maintaining an active trial docket, Kelley serves as a mediator and arbitrator for business related disputes. He has mediated cases involving patent infringement, defective tax shelters, mergers and acquisitions, minority shareholder oppression and international distribution contracts. He has served as an arbitrator for cases involving copyright infringement, trademark infringement, insurance coverage, breach of M&A post-closing covenants, and dissolution of closely held corporations.
Kelley has been repeatedly listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers for antitrust and business litigation, and in Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” as a mediator and arbitrator.
Kelley’s dedication to W&L is evident in his service as president of the Law Council, Law Firm Liaison, Chapter Law Liaison, Law School campaign committee, and on several reunion committees, including the one for his class’ 35th reunion. His commitment to public service and to his community is apparent from the many volunteer leadership positions he has held, including serving on the Board of Visitors for Old Dominion University, the Board of Directors of the Norfolk Botanical Garden Foundation, and the Hampton Roads Board of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center.
Kelley graduated cum laude from the College in 1977 where he was inducted into ODK. In 1981 he graduated magna cum laude from the Law School where he served as Lead Articles Editor of the Law Review and was inducted into Order of the Coif.
Neil Millhiser ‘11L received the 2016 Volunteer of the Year award, which recognizes those individuals who go above and beyond assisting the Law School. Millhiser has served W&L as Law Class Agent since he graduated, as service chair for the W&L Richmond Alumni Chapter, as a member of the Law Young Alumni Council, and as chair as of the reunion committee for the Class of 2011L’s fifth reunion this weekend.
A native of Richmond, Millhiser has served since 2013 as general manager at Patient Services, Inc., a nationwide, healthcare non-profit providing financial support and guidance for patients with chronic illnesses who were struggling to keep up with expensive premiums and copayments. PSI is dedicated to solving the challenges that confront uninsured/underinsured Americans.
Millhiser received his bachelor’s degree in English from Elon University. Prior to attending W&L Law, he worked in medical sales at Lincare.
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