NEWPORT, R.I. (August 22, 2016) – Wes Fastiff, Chairman Emeritus based in the San Francisco office of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, delivered the keynote address Sunday at the 2016 George Washington Letter Reading in Newport, Rhode Island. The annual event at Touro Synagogue – the oldest surviving synagogue in the country – commemorates the United States’ rich heritage of religious freedom. Previous keynote speakers include Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Brown University President Christina Paxson and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee. This was the 69th annual reading of the “Washington letter.”
“The annual reading of the Washington letter at the Touro Synagogue represents one of our country’s core civil liberties, religious freedom, and we are proud to have Wes represent Littler on this historic occasion,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler, in a joint statement. “Wes and his wife, Bonnie, are dedicated philanthropists who have supported Touro Synagogue for many years. His contributions to the community and our firm are unparalleled, and we congratulate him on this honor and his ongoing advocacy of the ideals conveyed in Washington’s letter.”
In the August 1790 letter written to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport at the Touro Synagogue, during his first visit to Rhode Island as U.S. president, George Washington affirmed the government’s absolute commitment to the free exercise of religion, which he regarded as an “inherent natural right.” The letter continues to be lauded by many as having the greatest impact on America and American Jewry. It also created a path for the First Amendment and the remaining Bill of Rights to be adopted in December 1791.
The concept of occupational liberty was also addressed in Washington’s letter, and it was the focus of Fastiff’s speech. He called Washington’s letter a watershed change from the historical, global mistreatment of Jews prior to the New World’s emergence. Fastiff then talked about how his professional experience has been influenced by expanding equal opportunity laws since Washington’s pledge to instill religious and occupational emancipation.
“Wes’ presentation celebrated George Washington’s famous letter and reinforced his precedents,” said former Managing Director Marko Mrkonich (Minneapolis), who attended the event along with Roth (San Diego), Board Chair Lee Schreter (Atlanta), Shareholders Garry Mathiason, Lindbergh Porter and Chief Operating Officer Robert Domingues (all San Francisco), and Shareholders Mónica Schiaffino (Mexico City), Peter Susser (Washington, DC) and Erin Webber (Denver). “We applaud him on not only being selected for this tremendous honor, but also on delivering a meaningful speech to congregants of various religious backgrounds and driving home the importance of diversity and inclusion.”
“These liberties have been expanded and sometimes contracted since Washington issued the letter to the Hebrew Congregation in the latter 18th century, and Wes has navigated and upheld these freedoms throughout his lifetime,” added Porter. “His keynote speech was remarkable and aligns with his many contributions to our firm and to the community at large.”
About Littler
Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, with more than 1,000 attorneys in over 70 offices worldwide. Littler represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serves as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for over 70 years. Littler Global is the collective trade name for an international legal practice, the practicing entities of which are separate and distinct professional firms.