Firm Chairman Michael Ciresi Receives National Ellis Island Medal of Honor
May 8, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 8, 2002) -- Michael V. Ciresi, Chairman of the Board of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., will be given the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York City this coming Saturday evening, May 11th at a dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is given each year to distinguished Americans who have made significant contributions to America's heritage. The award is presented by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations Foundation, Inc. (NECO), representing the largest ethnic and heritage organizations in the United States. NECO is dedicated to universal brotherhood, and conducts a variety of programs encouraging the advancement and protection of all ethnic groups and races.
Saturday's dinner will be Ellis Island Medal of Honor’s 16th annual dinner. Past recipients include Presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and George Bush. Eleven Minnesotans have received the award in its history – including former Governor and Senator Wendell Anderson, former Fingerhut CEO and Chairman Ted Deikel and former University of Minnesota President Nils Hasselmo.
Ciresi is a name partner and Chairman of the Executive Board in the Minneapolis office of the national law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi L.L.P. Ciresi first came to national prominence in 1985, when he settled 200 cases with A.H. Robins Co., manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield IUD for $38 million.
Three years later, he won $8.75 million from G.D. Searle & co. in a Copper-7 IUD case. The verdict led Searle to negotiate a settlement with 130 women represented by Robins Kaplan. Ciresi also served as the chief counsel to the Government of India in the successful Bhopal/Union Carbide litigation.
One of Ciresi's most publicized results occurred in 1998 when he represented the State of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in their successful suit against the tobacco industry. This suit led to a $6.5 billion settlement and the release of millions of pages of tobacco industry documents.
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