Bruce Kuhlik, Merck Executive VP & General Counsel, to Chair NLADA Corporate Advisory Committee

Solidifies Corporate America’s Commitment to Equal Justice

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2011 — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association today announced the appointment of Bruce N. Kuhlik, executive vice president and general counsel at Merck, to chair its Corporate Advisory Committee (CAC) to lead corporate America’s efforts to provide pro bono legal services to those without the ability to pay for counsel.

Kuhlik succeeds Timothy J. Mayopoulos, executive vice president, chief administrative officer, general counsel and corporate secretary at Fannie Mae, who has chaired the CAC since 2008.

Merck is among a select group of legal departments that have had a formal in-house pro bono program for more than 15 years and is a charter signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge. Since 1994, Merck attorneys, paralegals and administrative associates have devoted thousands of hours of time to provide equal justice to those in need in communities across the United States and abroad. Under Kuhlik’s leadership, the company’s pro bono program has doubled to more than 150 volunteers, including legal professionals who have helped disabled veterans with their legal needs.

“Bruce is a strong and skillful leader who raises the bar for corporate America’s commitment to justice, and we are fortunate to have him at the helm of the NLADA Corporate Advisory Committee,” said Jo-Ann Wallace, NLADA president and CEO. “In this, our centennial year, we are strengthening our partnerships with the corporate legal community and private bar in our effort to guarantee access to justice for everyone in America. Merck’s outstanding pro bono record under Bruce’s leadership takes corporate pro bono leadership to a new level.”

“I am delighted to carry on the good work of Tim Mayopoulos and of the NLADA CAC. Merck has a longstanding commitment to partnerships that secure justice for all people, and I am honored to do my part within the corporate community to ensure that justice for all is not a far off ideal but a reality we live day to day,” said Kuhlik. "The CAC’s Public-Private Action initiative is our strongest work to date in helping to secure that reality.”

Kuhlik is a member of Merck’s executive committee, which evaluates and makes strategic decisions for the company. Prior to joining the company in 2005, he was senior vice president and general counsel for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Earlier in his career, Kuhlik was a partner in the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He also has served as assistant to the solicitor general, arguing a number of cases before the U. S. Supreme Court. He earned an A.B. in Economics from Harvard College in 1978 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1981, where he edited the Harvard Law Review.

Wallace thanked Mayopoulos for advancing the CAC’s work over the past three years, which culminated in the development of Public-Private Action (PPA) - NLADA’s strategy to promote the development and implementation of new and innovative models for public-private partnerships that improve access to justice. Mayopoulos now serves as chair emeritus of the CAC and co-chair of the PPA initiative.

“Tim’s passion and commitment to pro bono services have advanced equal justice tremendously,” said Wallace. “I am grateful that NLADA and the CAC will continue to benefit from his knowledge as he moves into his new role.”

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The NLADA Corporate Advisory Committee was founded in 1992 under the leadership of former NLADA Board Member, Jack Martin, then Ford Motor Company vice president and general counsel, to institute corporate America’s commitment to the principle of equal justice under the law and to explore ways in which the corporate sector can help to ensure the availability of legal representation to low-income people in our nation. For more information about the NLADA Corporate Advisory Committee, please contact Deborah Dubois, NLADA vice president of development, marketing & communications at d.dubois@nlada.org.

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association, founded in 1911, is the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership organization devoting all of its resources to advocating equal access to justice for all people. NLADA champions effective legal assistance for people who cannot afford counsel, serves as a collective voice for both civil legal services and public defense services throughout the nation and provides a wide range of services and benefits to its individual and organizational members. For more information about the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, please visit www.nlada.org.

Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com.