Virginia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Barry DuVal issued the following statement regarding Virginia’s drop to #11 in the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform legal climate rankings. Virginia was ranked #7 in the previous report.

“This troubling drop in Virginia’s legal climate ranking makes it more difficult for us to attract new jobs, but more importantly, it shines a light on challenges facing those who already do business here. In the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Blueprint Virginia, developed with the input of more than 7,000 businesses in the Commonwealth, we identified an equitable and fair legal system as a top priority for employers. The low marks Virginia received for its treatment of class action and mass consolidation suits in particular, merit further study as we consider policies to better balance the needs of both employers and employees.”

The full study from the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform is available at http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/states/virginia

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is the largest business advocacy organization in the Commonwealth, with more than 22,600 members. The Chamber is a non-partisan, business advocacy organization that works in the legislative, regulatory and political arenas to act as the catalyst for positive change in all areas of economic development and competitiveness for Virginia.