Today, General Counsel Kerry delivered remarks on Department of Commerce efforts to level the playing field for American businesses by working with international partners to implement anticorruption and anti-bribery measures.  The remarks were delivered at Suffolk University at the Center for Global Business Ethics and Law 2012 Global Sustainability Conference in Boston, Massachusetts.  General Counsel Kerry's speech highlighted that “fighting corruption is a priority for the United States Government.  We have been working with other countries to encourage them to join us in the fight – and our work is bearing fruit.  This Administration is dedicated to striking the right balance between fostering commerce and promoting good conduct by the business community. I don’t see this as a trade-off. I think we can have both, and that we should have both.” 

The Department of Commerce remains committed to fostering economic growth and job creation both at home and abroad, and efforts to encourage anticorruption measures throughout the world provide a more open, transparent, and lucrative business environment both for US businesses and international partners.

The Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) was created in February, 1992 and on February 23, 2012, the Office of the General Counsel hosted an event to thank the institutions and the individuals who created CLDP and/or helped it grow, and to reflect on lessons learned. General Counsel Kerry presented awards to several USG officials and private sector experts who have made important contributions to CLDP programs and to the strengthening of the rule of law worldwide.

In a discussion moderated by General Counsel Cameron F. Kerry, Judge Bernice B. Donald from the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, and Judge Delissa Ridgway from the US Court of International Trade, reflected on their experiences doing work for CLDP in many countries over the years. Both judges concluded that the judicial capacity building programs conducted by CLDP have resulted in two significant changes: foreign judges now realize that they can play a significant role in the economic development of their countries; they have now the expertise and the confidence to help bring about the judicial environment, adapted to their country’s specific context, that are conducive to foreign investment and trade.

The program also featured remarks by Commerce Secretary Bryson on the importance of a modern and fair commercial law environment for US firms that export or invest overseas, by Ambassador William Taylor, Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions at the US Department of State, on CLDP’s ability to respond promptly to State’s priorities for technical assistance in commercial law, and by Linda Wells, founder of CLDP, on the genesis and growth of the program.

On February 23, 2012, Commerce Secretary John Bryson (remarks here) and Director of the White House National Economic Council Gene B. Sperling (White House press release here) announced the release of Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy.  This comprehensive blueprint will guide efforts to protect privacy and assure continued innovation in the Internet economy by providing flexible implementation mechanisms to ensure privacy protections keep up with rapidly-changing technologies.  In it, President Obama declares that privacy “has been at the heart of our democracy from its inception, and we need it now more than ever.” 

The Administration advocates for legislation implementing broad baseline privacy protections founded on the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights set forth in its paper.  Even before legislation is passed, however, the President calls on his Administration to advance the Bill of Rights principles and the Department of Commerce to convene multistakeholder efforts to produce codes of conduct that will protect consumers immediately.  The framework laid out by the Administration will promote the growing digital economy by providing consumers and businesses a clear set of rules of the road to build trust, and promoting international interoperability of privacy regimes.

The  Administration’s paper is the culmination of over two years of work led by the Commerce Department.  On December 16, 2010, the Department issued a report detailing initial policy recommendations aimed at promoting consumer privacy online while ensuring the Internet remains a platform that spurs innovation, job creation, and economy growth.  Following the release of the report, the Department received written comments and met with numerous stakeholders to explore privacy issues.  Under the leadership of the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Privacy and Internet Policy co-chaired by General Counsel Cameron Kerry, the Administration built on the Department of Commerce’s report to develop the Administration’s privacy blueprint.

For additional information, please see the White House blog post or Secretary Bryon's blog post about protecting consumers' online privacy while encouraging economic growth.

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Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World

On Monday, December 12. 2011 General Counsel Kerry presided over the Office of General Counsel Annual Awards Ceremony.  He was joined by Secretary Bryson who delivered remarks, thanking the office for their tireless work over the past year.  The Secretary acknowledged the great assistant that the office’s attorneys and support staff have provided to him since his start at Commerce and he looks forward to working closely with the staff.  He introduced GC Kerry, who detailed the broad range of accomplishments achieved by OGC office over the past year.  He highlighted the successful completion of Patent Reform and the successful litigation of the Supreme Court Case Golan v. Holder (10-545 [1]).  He also applauded OGC’s contributions to various other litigation matters as well as works in enforcing fisheries regulations and export controls.

GC Kerry and Deputy General Counsel Geovette Washington presented the Attorney of the Year Awards and the Support Staff of the Year Award.  The 2011 recipients are:

Attorney of the Year - Robert McManus – U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Robert significantly advanced the goals both of the USPTO and the Department to establish a strong patent system.  Thanks to his efforts at the Supreme Court, the Court adopted the Department's position which has been haled as resulting in stronger and more reliable patent rights.  Robert was also instrumental in a wholesale re-writing of the rules governing how appeals are conducted at the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board which will lead to more efficient review of patent applications.  Robert routinely provides expert advice under tight deadlines on complicated matters.

Support Staff of the Year - Debra Ketchopulos – National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Debra provided crucial support to the Gloucester's Enforcement Section office maintaining continuity of operations in that region in the absence of any enforcement attorneys for most of the year.  During this time, she continued to coordinate enforcement matters with the Office for Law Enforcement, fielding as many inquiries herself as possible, while judiciously referring others to headquarters for resolution.  Debra also responded to a large number of requests for case information from the Special Master who was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to review fisheries enforcement, thereby greatly enhancing the Special Master's ability to timely complete his review.  After 34 years of support to the NOAA Office of the General Counsel, she continues to be cited by colleagues at all levels for her exceptional performance and willingness to take on new tasks and increased responsibilities.