Award named for former Milbank name partner; previous winners include former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, NY Mayor Ed Koch, Governor Hugh Carey, and new SEC Chair Mary Jo White; Immergut recently retired after 17 years as chair of firm
NEW YORK, May 21, 2013 – Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy Chairman Emeritus Mel M. Immergut, who served as a corporate partner for 33 years and led the firm from 1995 to 2013, has received the John J. McCloy Memorial Award for 2013. The award was given at a ceremony held May 20 at Bryant Park Grill in New York City.
The award is named for former Milbank name partner John McCloy, who in addition to long service to the firm, served as a US diplomat, president of the World Bank, and advisor and counsel to seven US presidents. From 1961 to 1978 he led the Fund and Committee for Modern Courts. The Fund annually bestows the award named for him to one legal professional in recognition of outstanding contributions to improving the administration of justice in New York State.
Mr. Immergut joins a select group of past award winners, including newly named SEC Chair and former US Attorney for New York’s Southern District, Mary Jo White, the 2012 recipient. Other prior honorees include former New York Mayor Ed Koch (1996), former Governor Hugh Carey (1995) and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance (1994), as well as sitting judges and some of New York’s best-known private practice lawyers. The award was inaugurated in 1993.
Milbank current Chairman Scott A. Edelman, who succeeded Mr. Immergut this spring, said, “We are thrilled that the Fund for Modern Courts has chosen this year to recognize the contributions of our longtime leader Mel Immergut. Mel set a high standard for all of us at Milbank and it’s fitting that he is now given the torch handed down by his former partner John McCloy.”
Among Mr. Immergut’s many commitments to the profession, he serves as Vice Chairman and Trustee of the Legal Aid Society, is a member of the Columbia Law School Dean’s Council and the Columbia Law School Board of Visitors. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and is a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation.
Mr. Immergut said, “I’m pleased to accept this award, which reflects the legacy of our firm by honoring the distinguished career of John J. McCloy, who stood out as a public servant and a leader in private industry, as well as an advocate for judicial reform and equity in our courts. It’s humbling to recognize the many eminent lawyers, jurists, statesmen and elected officials who have received the McCloy Award before me. I’m gratified to take my place among them, and to feel that I’ve contributed to the cause of the fair and effective administration of justice in New York State.”
As a corporate partner at Milbank beginning in 1980, Mr. Immergut represented prominent clients in mergers & acquisitions and financing transactions, as well as corporate governance and board advisory work. He was chairman of Milbank for more than 17 years before retiring this past March.
Mr. Immergut also serves the civic and legal communities in multiple ways, including as a member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Advisory Council, the Partnership for New York City, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a trustee of The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration and the Legal Aid Society, where he is also vice chairman. He is also part of the Defense Business Board of the U.S. Dept. of Defense.
The Fund and Committee for Modern Courts, established in 1955, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the New York State court system through advocacy, public education, and in-court programming.
About Milbank
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP is a leading international law firm that has been providing innovative legal solutions to clients throughout the world for more than 145 years. Milbank is headquartered in New York and has offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, DC.
The firm’s lawyers provide a full range of legal services to the world’s leading commercial, financial and industrial enterprises, as well as to institutions, individuals and governments. Milbank’s lawyers meet the needs of its clients by offering a highly integrated and collaborative range of services across key practice groups throughout its global network. Milbank’s integrated practice is underpinned by its attorneys’ acknowledged technical excellence, sectoral expertise and a strong tradition of innovation and client service.
