Kenneth B. Forrest to Receive the 33rd Edwin F. Jaeckle Award in NYC on Jan. 29

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor awarded by the University at Buffalo Law School and the UB Law Alumni Association, will be given to Kenneth B. Forrest, JD '76, for his distinguished contributions to four deans in setting the strategic direction of the Law School. Forrest is a longtime member and past chair of UB Law School's Dean's Advisory Council.

UB Law School Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor Makau W. Mutua will present the award Jan. 29 at noon in the Union League Club in New York City in conjunction with the New York State Bar Association meeting.

Previous recipients of the Jaeckle Award include the Hon. Charles S. Desmond, Hon. Matthew J. Jasen, Manly Fleischmann, Jacob D. Hyman, Hon. M. Dolores Denman and William R. Greiner.

"Ken Forrest is one of UB Law's most accomplished alumni," Mutua said. "He has made significant and lasting contributions to the Law School. Over a span of 18 years, he has been an invaluable advisor and counselor to four deans. His advice has been inestimable, and he is highly deserving of this award."

Forrest has been a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, an internationally respected business law firm, since 1982. He is currently the assigning partner in the firm's litigation department. Forrest has litigated numerous disputes relating to corporate mergers and acquisitions, including some of the leading decisions in the field. He played a prominent role in the nationwide effort to obtain judicial approvals for the November 1998 settlement between the states and the tobacco industry.

Born in 1952 in Brooklyn, Forrest graduated from Brooklyn College magna cum laude in 1973 with a bachelor of arts degree in economics, and from the UB Law School magna cum laude in 1976 with a juris doctor degree.

He has served on a number of professional committees, including the Committee on Federal Legislation and the Committee on Professional Responsibility of the Association of the Bar of New York City. He received Distinguished Alumnus Awards in 2003 from the UB Alumni Association and in 2000 from the UB Law School Alumni Association.

"This will be the first time since 1976, when the Jaeckle Award was initially presented, that the honor will be bestowed outside of Buffalo," says Ilene R. Fleischmann, executive director of the UB Law Alumni Association. To make a reservation, call the Law Alumni Office at 716-645-2107.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.