Butler Snow LLP is thrilled to announce that attorney Christopher S. Berdy has been recognized by the Academic Board of the Burton Awards as one of Law360’s 2024 Distinguished Legal Writing Award winners for his article, “The Nuremberg Trials: A Story for Trial Lawyers.” This prestigious honor is only presented to 20 writers from nominations submitted by the top 1,000 largest law firms across the United States. The selected articles must illustrate the highest caliber in technical skill and effective writing while also exemplifying an elevated standard of excellence.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Library of Congress on May 20, 2024. CNN News anchor Chris Wallace will serve as Master of Ceremonies with a reception and black-tie gala in honor of the winners. To view the full list of honorees, please visit The Burton Awards.
The Burton Awards Program is held in association with the Library of Congress, presented by lead sponsor Law360, and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. The Burton Awards, established in 1999, is funded by the Burton Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and academic effort devoted to recognizing and rewarding excellence in the legal profession. These awards were established to honor the finest accomplishments in law, including writing, reform, public service and interest, regulatory innovation, and lifetime achievements in the profession.
At Butler Snow, Chris Berdy is a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Healthcare Litigation Group. He has extensive experience defending manufacturers of pharmaceutical products and medical devices, including developing, coordinating, and implementing defense strategies in concurrent federal and state court consolidated proceedings, deposing healthcare providers and expert witnesses, and retention, development of, and challenges to expert witnesses. He also has broad experience in defending a wide variety of consumer, commercial and industrial products and manufacturing systems.
Berdy has been recognized by Birmingham Business Journal as one of its 2021 Best of the Bar and B-Metro Birmingham Business Magazine selected him as one of “Birmingham’s Top Attorneys.” He has also been recognized for his expertise by Best Lawyers in America® and Mid-South Super Lawyers, and he is AV® – Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®. He is a frequent speaker on trial and litigation-related topics, and he regularly authors articles for Butler Snow’s pharmaceutical and medical device industry publication, Pro Te: Solutio, as well as other industry publications.
From 2020-2023, Chris Berdy was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and has served in numerous other leadership roles with IADC, including serving on the faculty of IADC’s 2018 Trial Academy, Chair of the CLE Committee, and Chair of the Alabama State Membership Committee. He is involved in a number of other legal organizations, including the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute (DRI), Food and Drug Law Institute, and the American Bar Association.
Berdy is active in the local community. A dual citizen of the United States and Austria, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Holocaust Education Center, a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham and St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church, and a member of Leadership Birmingham’s Class of 2015. He is a former Washington & Lee University National Alumni Board member, former Birmingham Area Chair of the Alumni Admissions Program of Washington & Lee, and past president of the Washington & Lee Birmingham Alumni Chapter.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and his Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law.
