Although much of the early sparring over Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. has focused on how he might vote on abortion, his biggest impact could be on cases involving business, which he has represented frequently in his legal career.
While in private practice, Roberts represented numerous companies -- Chrysler Corp., Litton Systems, Toyota Motor Corp., WellPoint Health Networks and NBC -- as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and trade associations for the mining and beer industries. He also represented states in antitrust litigation against Microsoft.
Roberts' experience in business litigation would distinguish him from the rest of the justices. On the current court, only John Paul Stevens had a substantial practice representing major companies before becoming a judge.
Stevens was a prominent antitrust lawyer during the 1950s and 1960s. Roberts, by contrast, had a major private practice until two years ago, earning more than $1 million in 2001.
"He was the go-to lawyer for the business community. They are very comfortable with him," said Thomas Goldstein, a Washington lawyer who signed a letter in 2002 supporting Roberts' nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. "He definitely is a friend of the chamber. Of all the candidates, he is the one they knew best."
The Chamber of Commerce is expected to formally endorse Roberts soon, and the board of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, which has indicated it will put resources into a confirmation fight if necessary, met on the issue Thursday.
"I think the business community should be -- and is -- very pleased with John's nomination," said Mark I. Levy, an appellate lawyer for Kilpatrick Stockton, a large Washington law firm. "What he would add to the court, and what the court has not had since Justice Lewis Powell retired in 1987, is someone with practical experience in business law issues."
That practical experience is a big reason business groups are enthusiastic about the nomination, said C. Boyden Gray, who was the White House counsel during the administration of George H.W. Bush and has been one of Roberts' chief advocates.
"Businesspeople are very enthused," he said. "I think the reason is he understands business issues.... He has been immersed in them in private practice."
A review of the cases Roberts handled while in private practice demonstrates his experience with business issues -- a record that troubles some liberal Democratic senators.
