Thomas D. Barr
Encyclopedia
Thomas Delbert Barr was a prominent lawyer at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore
. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri
. He graduated from the University of Missouri–Kansas City
in 1953 and Yale Law School
, and served as an officer in the Marine Corps
. He joined Cravath in 1958 and stayed with the firm for more than 40 years.
Thomas Barr is best known for representing the International Business Machines Corporation in a 13-year antitrust
battle with the federal government, as well as satellite cases by competitors and the EEC
. The government began the case in 1969 and dropped it in 1982. For his outstanding efforts and the scale of the case, Thomas Barr is credited as the father of big-case litigation. The case is described in details in The Partners
by James B. Stewart
. Other major cases included Powell v. McCormack
, over the attempt to exclude Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
from taking his seat in the US House of Representatives; the defense of Time Magazine in the libel case brought by Ariel Sharon
, relating to the Sabra and Shatila massacre
; the effort to recover on behalf of holders of defaulted municipal bonds issued by Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS); and the prosecution on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC) against Drexel Burnham Lambert
and Michael Milken
over fraudulent junk bonds. His major pro bono
work included cases for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is a prominent American law firm based in New York City, with an additional office in London. The second oldest firm in the country, Cravath was founded in 1819 and consistently ranks first among the world's most prestigious law firms according to a survey of partners,...
. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. He graduated from the University of Missouri–Kansas City
University of Missouri–Kansas City
The University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...
in 1953 and Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, and served as an officer in the Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He joined Cravath in 1958 and stayed with the firm for more than 40 years.
Thomas Barr is best known for representing the International Business Machines Corporation in a 13-year antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
battle with the federal government, as well as satellite cases by competitors and the EEC
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
. The government began the case in 1969 and dropped it in 1982. For his outstanding efforts and the scale of the case, Thomas Barr is credited as the father of big-case litigation. The case is described in details in The Partners
The Partners (book)
The Partners: Inside America's Most Powerful Law Firms is a bestselling book by James B. Stewart. The book is a product of two years of investigation of the role of prominent law firms in society. The book describes and discusses several famous cases. There have been five editions of the book as...
by James B. Stewart
James B. Stewart
James Bennett Stewart is an American lawyer, journalist, and author.-Life and career:Stewart was born in Quincy, Illinois. A graduate of DePauw University and Harvard Law School, James B. Stewart is a member of the Bar of New York and Bloomberg Professor of Business and Economic Journalism at the...
. Other major cases included Powell v. McCormack
Powell v. McCormack
Powell v. McCormack, was a United States Supreme Court case decided in 1969. It answered the question of whether Congress has the authority to exclude from being sworn in and enrolled upon its rolls a person who has been duly elected or appointed by the people or the executive authority of his/her...
, over the attempt to exclude Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was an American politician and pastor who represented Harlem, New York City, in the United States House of Representatives . He was the first person of African-American descent elected to Congress from New York and became a powerful national politician...
from taking his seat in the US House of Representatives; the defense of Time Magazine in the libel case brought by Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
, relating to the Sabra and Shatila massacre
Sabra and Shatila massacre
The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon between September 16 and September 18, 1982, during the Lebanese civil war. Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were massacred in the camps by Christian Lebanese Phalangists while the camp...
; the effort to recover on behalf of holders of defaulted municipal bonds issued by Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS); and the prosecution on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a United States government corporation created by the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, currently up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. , the FDIC insures deposits at...
(FDIC) against Drexel Burnham Lambert
Drexel Burnham Lambert
Drexel Burnham Lambert was a major Wall Street investment banking firm, which first rose to prominence and then was forced into bankruptcy in February 1990 by its involvement in illegal activities in the junk bond market, driven by Drexel employee Michael Milken. At its height, it was the...
and Michael Milken
Michael Milken
Michael Robert Milken is an American business magnate, financier, and philanthropist noted for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds during the 1970s and 1980s, for his 1990 guilty plea to felony charges for violating US securities laws, and for his funding of medical...
over fraudulent junk bonds. His major pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
work included cases for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law, often simply The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights or Lawyers' Committee, is a civil rights organization that was founded in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy.-Origins: 1963-1973:...
.
See also
- Bruce BromleyBruce BromleyBruce Ditmas Bromley was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...
, his colleague and mentor at Cravath