Return To Private Life
After his twenty-five years in public service, Thornburgh re-entered private legal practice returning to K&L Gates, the law firm he originally joined in 1959. In 2002, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York appointed him as an examiner in the WorldCom bankruptcy proceedings. His report to the court included damning criticism of Arthur Andersen, WorldCom's accounting firm, and banking giant Citigroup. The report concluded that the two companies aided WorldCom executives in committing fraud.
In 2004, Thornburgh was asked by CBS to undertake an independent investigation of the so-called Rathergate controversy with former Associated Press CEO, Lou Boccardi. Following the investigation and report, Dan Rather relinquished his anchor position on the "CBS Evening News." Then in October 2005 Thornburgh was asked to represent controversial Democratic Pennsylvania politician and nationally renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, who was then serving as Coroner of Allegheny County. The federal grand jury in Pittsburgh had returned an eighty-four-count felony indictment against Doctor Wecht. Ultimately all charges were dismissed after three-a-half years, on May 14, 2009.
Thornburgh also served as a consultant to the United Nations, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank on efforts to battle fraud and corruption.
Thornburgh appeared in an interview on an episode of Da Ali G Show entitled "The Law" in which Ali G asks several questions about legal issues. Thornburgh appears extremely amiable throughout the interview and never talks condescendingly towards Ali (as is often the case with Ali's guests).
Thornburgh, a long-time supporter of self-determination, authored "The Future of Puerto Rico: A Time for Change" in 2007, in which he calls for immediate change in the island's territorial/commonwealth status. He describes it as a vestige of colonialism. He concedes, however, that change is difficult because equal segments of Puerto Ricans desire statehood or continuation of the status quo. The book is based in part on ongoing research he has done regarding Puerto Rico's vexing political status problem since he testified as Attorney General on behalf of the first Bush administration on the issue before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the United States Senate in 1991 and for an amicus curiae brief he filed in a Puerto Rico voting rights case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Throughout his career, Thornburgh has traveled widely, visiting over 40 countries and meeting with leaders from Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand and Central and South America. He served as an observer to the Russian Federation's first legislative (1993) and presidential (1996) elections.He is a former member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Washington, DC (PR News/Wire), December 13, 2011, announced a special recognition appearing in the October, 2008 issue of "The Washington Post" selecting Thornburgh for one of "Washington DC's Top Lawyers." Dick Thornburgh commented on the recognition: "This is quite an honor for me. The fact that "The Washington Post" included me...signals that my constant effort to deliver excellent work has paid off. It is gratifying to be recognized in this way."
The K&L Gates site includes nearly 50 published articles and white papers by Dick Thornburgh which serve as excellent documentation of his career between 2001 and 2011.
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Famous quotes containing the words private life, return to, return, private and/or life:
“As in private life one differentiates between what a man thinks and says of himself and what he really is and does, so in historical struggles one must still more distinguish the language and the imaginary aspirations of parties from their real organism and their real interests, their conception of themselves from their reality.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“Lise: Look, monsieur, I don’t know what type of girl you think I am, but I’m not. And now I would like to return to my friends.
Jerry: I thought you were bored with them. You sure looked it.
Lise: You should see me now.
Jerry: Ouch.”
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“Each work of art excludes the world, concentrates attention on itself. For the time it is the only thing worth doing—to do just that; be it a sonnet, a statue, a landscape, an outline head of Caesar, or an oration. Presently we return to the sight of another that globes itself into a whole as did the first, for example, a beautiful garden; and nothing seems worth doing in life but laying out a garden.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The private life of one man shall be a more illustrious monarchy,—more formidable to its enemy, more sweet and serene in its influence to its friend, than any kingdom in history. For a man, rightly viewed, comprehendeth the particular natures of all men.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The further through life I drift
The more obvious it becomes that I am lacking in thrift.”
—Ogden Nash (1902–1971)