Recent News

June 4, 2010

Annual Meeting Honors Extraordinary Service

Today, we honor four of our members who have contributed extraordinarily to the Columbus Bar and to the community.

The recipient of the 2010 Bar Service Medal, Charlie Warner, first came to the Columbus Bar forty years ago, when, as new associate at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, he attended his first of many Wednesday noon luncheons. That was the beginning of a long relationship with the Association that has seen him serve as President of both the Columbus Bar and the Columbus Bar Foundation. In addition, he was the founding chair of the Labor and Employment Law committee, chaired the Law Institutes committee; and for years planned the Litigation Practice Institute, lobbied the Ohio Supreme Court for funding of the Columbus Bar Ethics committee, and, most recently, he has headed up the annual program for the Chester Professionalism Institute. In short, Charlie has been a dedicated, reliable leader and his impact on the organization is immeasurable.

Our Professionalism Award honoree, Bill Meeks, is described by his peers as meticulous, well prepared, extremely effective, honest, straight-forward and the epitome of professionalism. He is respected by judges, clients and other attorneys. Over Bill’s notable 36-year career, he has attracted high profile cases and clients. High-ranking political officials, professional athletes and other prominent citizens have sought his advice and counsel for decades. He has been interviewed on the steps of the United States Supreme Court and on Court TV and ESPN. Yet, with all that success, Bill has never been one to seek attention for himself. A member of the Columbus Bar his entire career, he aspires to spend more time teaching young lawyers the art of trial advocacy in the years ahead. His service to the Bar and his commitment to the legal profession make him a worthy recipient of the 2010 Professionalism Award.

Finally, 2010 brought a unique opportunity to honor two committee chairpersons for extraordinary service to the Columbus Bar. Christal Caudill, Bankruptcy Law committee, and Ivery Foreman, Audit committee, each receive the President’s Award at today’s annual meeting. Caudill is wrapping up two years at the helm of one of the Bar’s largest committees, while Foreman moves into his fifth year leading the Audit committee.