Media Mention

Litigation partner Elizabeth Papez was quoted in a June 18, 2012, AFP story titled “Ruling on US health reforms hotly anticipated,” that was featured in Yahoo! News and various other media outlets.

With the ruling on President Obama’s health care reform just days away, the article discusses the possible political fallout of the decision, and explores Americans’ fears that the Justices may be swayed by their own politics in deciding the landmark legislation’s fate. A recent survey showed that 75% of Americans believe that Supreme Court decisions are influenced by the Justices’ personal or political views, though some in the legal industry counter that the Court’s decisions are driven primarily by legal and jurisprudential considerations that are not fairly equated with personal or partisan politics.

According to Ms. Papez, “The court has invalidated signature pieces of political legislation before. In each case, however, the rulings themselves were not political. They were legal rulings with political consequences, which I expect would be the case on health reform."

Elizabeth Papez is a member of the firm’s nationwide appellate and critical motions practice. Ms. Papez has extensive private and public sector experience litigating high-profile matters and counseling clients on the legal and strategic aspects of complex business and compliance issues. Prior to joining Winston, Ms. Papez served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.