Squire Sanders announced today that former U.S. Congressman Louis Stokes plans to retire as Senior Counsel at the end of the year.
Stokes joined Squire Sanders in 1999, following his extraordinary 30 years’ of service in the Congress representing Ohio’s 11th Congressional District. While in Congress Stokes served as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chaired the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies. He also served as Chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the House Intelligence Committee and the House Ethics Committee.
During his tenure at Squire Sanders, Stokes has been a leading member of the Regulatory Practice Group, representing private and public sector clients as a trusted advisor and counselor on federal legislative, regulatory and administrative policies and procedures.
He has also worked tirelessly to promote diversity and the advancement of minority professionals both within Squire Sanders and throughout the legal profession, as well as continuing his long-standing commitment to civil rights, equality and social and economic justice by serving on numerous boards, commissions and task forces at the federal, state and local levels.
For these and other public service efforts, Stokes received many notable awards including induction into the International Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta, Georgia; The American Bar Association’s Spirit of Excellence award (2010), The Federal Bar Association (Northern District of Ohio Chapter) Pillar of Justice Award (2009), an appointment to the National Science Board’s Commission on 21st Century In Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (2006) and the Governor’s Award bestowed by Ohio Governor Bob Taft (2000).
During his career, Stokes has also received 26 honorary doctorate degrees. Public buildings named in his honor include the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library at Howard University, the Louis Stokes Annex at the Cleveland Public Library, the Louis Stokes Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health and the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland. In 2007, the Cuyahoga-Metropolitan Housing Authority opened the Louis Stokes Museum to commemorate his legacy.
In reflecting on his long career in public service and private practice, Lou Stokes observed “It has been a great honor to serve the people of Ohio and the Nation in many capacities and to, hopefully, have made a difference in both the lives of the poor and the disadvantaged and in the formulation and implementation of constructive public policy.
“As one who loves being a lawyer the opportunity to serve as Senior Counsel at Squire Sanders has been a cherished and memorable experience. I have great respect for all my friends and colleagues and deeply appreciate the opportunity Squire Sanders afforded me to provide important client service and to continue my work in addressing the important public policy issues and needs of our time. I will always be grateful for this opportunity to have been a part of one of America’s finest law firms.”
In response, James J. Maiwurm, Chair and Global CEO of Squire Sanders, commented “Louis Stokes is truly an extraordinary individual and one of the most admired and respected professionals to ever grace our halls. Both within Squire Sanders and in the Community, Lou has inspired everyone with his sense of what is right and his courage to lead others in that direction, even down unmarked paths. As an attorney, civil servant, trail-blazer, humanitarian—he has profoundly impacted us all. We at Squire Sanders have been truly fortunate to have him as our colleague and friend. He will be greatly missed but will always be a part of us as Senior Counsel Emeritus. We certainly wish Lou and his wife, Jay, all the best in the next chapter of their lives.”
With over 1,300 lawyers spanning 37 offices in 18 countries, Squire Sanders is one of the world’s strongest integrated legal practices. The client base of the Firm spans every type of business, both private and public, worldwide. Squire Sanders advises on a diverse mix of clients, from Fortune 100 and FTSE 100 corporations to emerging companies and from individuals to local and national governments.