While I am honored and humbled to take over this blog from Lee Applebaum—its founder and author for the last (almost) five years—I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge his foundational impact on business courts over the last 25 years.
Lee is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on business courts in the country—and for good reason. He spent two decades studying and commentating on business courts, authored numerous business court–related articles, and has played an important role in the development of business courts throughout the country. For example, in 2004, he co-authored (with Mitchell Bach) a comprehensive study on business courts that is widely regarded as one of the seminal works on business courts ever. That article, published in The Business Lawyer, was one of the resources reviewed by a committee of the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section leading up to the adoption of business courts in Michigan.
About 20 years ago, Lee started the chapter on business courts for the ABA’s annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation and served as an author, editor, or co-editor until he stepped down last year. The chapter thrived under his guidance. He is also past chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Business Law Section and Business Litigation Committee, the latter winning Committee of the Year during both years that Lee was its chair. Since 2008, Lee has been an honorary charter member of the American College of Business Judges, one of only a handful of lawyers who have been honored with this recognition.
In 2018, Lee decided to centralize the business-court knowledge he had accumulated over the years and created this blog as a resource library and news center. During the time he ran this blog, Lee did an exceptional job turning it into a one-stop shop for helpful resources and key developments in the world of business courts throughout the United States and internationally as well.
Being the gracious person that he is, Lee is ready to help on all kinds of matters related to business courts. In fact, earlier this year, I was privileged to interview Lee (along with two other business court experts, Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Christopher P. Yates and Robert Haig of New York City) for a column in the Michigan Business Law Journal.
While Lee leaves behind a big shadow, I will do my best to continue his vision for this blog and to ensure that it remains a valuable tool for its readers. Thank you, Lee, for all your hard work and contributions to the business courts. You will be missed. Please don’t be a stranger!
Posted by Doug Toering
