[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 103 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1275-E1276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CALPERS GENERAL COUNSEL RETIRES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 12, 1996

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased and proud today to pay 
tribute to Richard H. Koppes, who at the end of this month will retire 
from his position as general counsel and deputy executive officer of 
the

[[Page E1276]]

California Public Employees' Retirement System, known as CalPERS.
  Mr. Koppes has played a major role in guiding the highly regarded 
CalPERS corporate governance program, which seeks to improve the 
performance of companies in which CalPERS invests. Throughout his many 
years in working with some of the Nation's largest corporations, Mr. 
Koppes has been known as a leader who was firm but fair. This even-
handed manner quickly won the respect of many chief executive officers 
and has allowed him to be as influential and accomplished as he is 
today. In 1994, The National Law Journal named him as one of the 
country's 100 most influential lawyers.
  Mr. Koppes began his career in 1971, when he received his juris 
doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the 
founder and past president of the National Association of Public 
Pension Attorneys, a member of the American Law Institute, and a 
current member of the New York Stock Exchange Board of Governors' Legal 
Advisory Committee. Mr. Koppes has been widely regarded as an authority 
on pensions and the retirement system. Specifically, he has written and 
lectured on many issues related to the role of pension fund investors 
in corporate governance and fiduciary duties.
  Fortunately, Californians will continue to benefit from his expertise 
even after he departs CalPERS. Mr. Koppes will continue his 
distinguished career at Stanford University Law School, where he will 
be an instructor of law in the school's executive education program. He 
will also serve as a counsel to various organizations, including the 
law firm Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue and the American Partners Capital 
Group, Inc. Mr. Koppes' career in the private sector will focus on 
providing corporate governance expertise and institutional shareholder 
consulting.
  Mr. Speaker, Richard H. Koppes deserves recognition for all of his 
contributions and achievements in the public service. I am proud to 
recognize this talented constituent and pleased to wish him well in his 
future endeavors.

                          ____________________