New York Giant Jason Pierre-Paul to Serve as "Honorary Bailiff" at The Philip R. Shawe Scholarship Award Ceremony for Student Teams, Reversing Controversial Aspects of the TransPerfect Case

NEW YORK, July 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Jason Andrew Pierre-Paul has agreed to be the "honorary bailiff" at the Philip R. Shawe Scholarship Award Ceremony, which will honor student teams conducting mock oral arguments, immediately following the contest, which starts at 5pm on July 20th, 2017 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, New York.

"I understand the importance of this case and how it has generated a lot of emotions and protests down in Delaware. I don't see any of that happening in New York under my watch," said Pierre-Paul in light-hearted manner. Pierre-Paul is expected to make himself available for photos, autographs and fun with the student teams who represent the top 10 out of 240 teams from law schools across the nation in attendance. "In all seriousness, this is about the students, showing the top students and teams a great time in New York City, and honoring the top 3 teams with hard-earned scholarships. I'm proud to be participating in the event."

Other notable attendees will include Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, who will lead an esteemed panel of judges that will rank oral arguments from the top 3 student teams. Suzette Kelo, property rights advocate from the Kelo v. New London U.S. Supreme Court case, which presented issues similar to those being debated regarding Chancellor Bouchard's controversial decisions in the TransPerfect case. TransPerfect is a private, profitable and thriving industry-leader that employs over 4,000 people around the world and is currently the subject of an unprecedented dissolution and "forced sale" order by the Delaware Chancery Court.

The competition was open to all second- and third-year law school students, and focused on the TransPerfect case, (In re: TransPerfect Global, Inc.) in which the Delaware Chancery Court's order has been challenged as unconstitutional, including "Due Process" and the "Takings Clause," which forbids the government from seizing private property and assigning it from one private party to another. The students addressed the constitutional implications of the Delaware courts expanding its powers under the decision, using the "deadlock" rationale to force the sale of the profitable and thriving industry leader.

Pierre-Paul will attend the award ceremony for the mock arguments, which will be heard by an esteemed panel including, Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick (Ret), Senior Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals; Justice Melvin Schweitzer (Ret), New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division; Professor Alan Dershowitz (also legal counsel to Philip and Shirley Shawe); and Joseph D. Hansen, former Director of Interns for Justice Schweitzer, New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division. After being reviewed, the top submitted briefs will be narrowed to a top 3 and will determine first, second and third place finishers based on oral argument.

"I am counting the days until July 20th," said Phil Shawe. "Some of the greatest legal minds of the future will compete to persuade some of the greatest and most experienced legal minds of the present, that the Delaware Court of Chancery's order that I and my mother, Shirley Shawe, must sell our private property, against our will, is unconstitutional. What's fascinating about this case study, is that this battle is beginning to unfold in the real world now. It would not surprise me at all to see an idea generated by the students, in this contest, used in argument to the actual U.S. Supreme Court. My humble thanks to all those who made this event possible, and especially to the student teams, and our esteemed panel of judges."

SOURCE Philip R. Shawe