WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Jay B. Stephens has been named the New England Legal Foundation's first annual John G.L. Cabot Award honoree in recognition of his distinguished service and leadership in both the public and private sectors.

"No one epitomizes better than Jay Stephens the qualities that the John G.L. Cabot Award seeks to honor: wise leadership, sound judgment and profound legal knowledge," said Martin Newhouse, president of the New England Legal Foundation, a non-profit, public-interest foundation.

As an active and valued member of NELF's board of directors since 2003, Stephens served as the organization's board chair from 2007 to 2010. The non-partisan NELF advocates in courts throughout New England and in the U.S. Supreme Court for the principles of free enterprise and sound business legal practices.

About Jay B. Stephens

Stephens learned early on about the importance of public service, free enterprise, and the qualities that make America a very special place. Stephens was raised on a farm in Iowa and early in his education attended a one-room school before leaving Iowa to attend Harvard College, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He attended Oxford University on a Knox Fellowship, and earned his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Harvard Law School.

"My experience growing up gave me a deep sense that America is a very special place, and that we have a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of others, and that we have an obligation to protect and defend America as an exceptional land of opportunity and liberty," Stephens noted in accepting the Cabot Award.

Stephens has served in a variety of positions with the U.S. Government and in the private sector. He served in the White House as Deputy Counsel to President Reagan. Later he was appointed by the President to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia where he led the largest and most active U.S. Attorney's office in the United States. In 2001, following Senate confirmation, he was appointed by President Bush to serve as Associate Attorney General of the United States.

Stephens has also served in a variety of positions in the private sector.  He was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Pillsbury, Madison, & Sutro, served as corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for Honeywell International, and later joined Raytheon in 2002 as the Company's Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

About the Cabot Award

Each year, the Cabot Award is given to honor an individual whose work reflects a steadfast commitment to the advancement of free enterprise principles in our community, both in public discourse and our courtrooms, according to NELF. The award is named for John G. L. Cabot, in recognition of his long and distinguished support of the New England Legal Foundation (NELF) and service as a member of NELF's board of directors from 1978-1994. In 1995, after serving as vice chair, treasurer and chair of NELF, Cabot became a trustee of the organization, a post he holds today.

About New England Legal Foundation

New England Legal Foundation (NELF) is the only non-profit public interest law firm in New England addressing policy and constitutional concerns related to free enterprise.  NELF's mission is promoting public discourse on the proper role of free enterprise in our society and advancing free enterprise principles in the courtroom.  The Foundation's approach is non-partisan and is based on the premise that while the free market should not be left entirely unregulated, it usually provides the greatest opportunity for the greatest number when left free from unwarranted intrusion.

NELF's primary activity in service of its mission is the filing of amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs in appellate cases in the state and federal courts of New England, and in the United States Supreme Court, that involve economic, commercial or property rights questions that are likely to create precedent that will have policy and/or constitutional impact for the business community and society as a whole.

More information about NELF can be found at www.nelfonline.org

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

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SOURCE Raytheon Company