History Makers and Innovators: The American Lawyer Industry Awards Finalists Announced
Dr. Clarence B. Jones, who served as personal counsel to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rep. Jamie Raskin are among the inspirational crop of leaders, civil rights pioneers, innovators and client champions who will be part of the industry's biggest awards night of the year.
August 04, 2022 at 10:00 AM
6 minute read
The American Lawyer has chosen the finalists for its annual Industry Awards, selecting from more than 700 submissions to find those lawyers, business professionals, law firms and organizations that are elevating the profession to new heights.
The below list includes the finalists for each category, with the winners set to be named at The American Lawyer Industry Awards gala in New York City on November 10. The winners of Corporate Counsel's Best Legal Departments awards will also be announced at the gala.
Across our categories, we not only honor inspirational work in our storied lifetime achievement and attorney of the year categories, but we also aim to celebrate ways in which the profession is innovating and better meeting client needs. Also announced today are the finalists in the Law Firm Corporate Practices of the Year categories.
The American Lawyer pulled from relevant expertise among its senior editors and reporters across Law.com's global newsroom to ensure only the best of a stellar crop of submissions rose to the level of finalist. Write-ups of the winners, including the specifics behind their exceptional work will follow in the remaining months of 2022.
Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
- Dr. Clarence B. Jones, retired emeritus director, The USF Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice and former personal counsel and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr
- James Sandman, Legal Services Corporation & the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law Future of the Profession Initiative
- Harriet Miers, Locke Lord
- Carter Phillips, Sidley Austin
- Gordon "Gordy" Davidson, Fenwick & West (Law Firm Distinguished Leader)
Attorney of the Year Finalists
- Jeffrey Kessler, Winston & Strawn, for his groundbreaking work in the area of sports law, impacting the rights and financial opportunities of thousands of athletes
- Sigrid McCawley, Boies Schiller Flexner, for her steadfast work representing victims of sexual abuse
- Rep. Jamie Raskin, U.S. House of Representatives, for his passionate work supporting mental health in the profession and rule of law
- Debra Wong Yang, of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Tai Park of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, for their dedicated work leading the industry's Alliance for Asian American Justice
Law Firm of the Year Finalists
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
- Davis, Polk & Wardwell
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Paul Hastings
- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
- Ropes & Gray
- Sidley Austin
Best Business Team Finalists
- Ballard Spahr
- Greenberg Traurig
- McGuireWoods
- Reed Smith
- Troutman Pepper
Best Client-Law Firm Team Finalists
- Davis Wright Tremaine and Flynn Restaurant Group
- McDermott Will & Emery and Meta
- Morgan Lewis & Bockius and 23andMe
- Ropes & Gray and Audax Group
- Steptoe & Johnson LLP and DISH Networks
- Williams & Connolly and CVS Health Corporation
Best Diversity Initiative Finalists
- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Shook Hardy & Bacon
- Sidley Austin
- Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Best Mentor Finalists: In-House
- Dorothy Capers, Xylem
- Shelley Webb, PagerDuty
Best Mentor Finalists: Law Firm
- Daniel Bookin, O'Melveny & Myers
- David Farhat, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Dionysia Johnson-Massie, Littler Mendelson
- Coral Negron, Jenner & Block
- Ellen Dwyer, Crowell & Moring
- Scott Ellis, Foley & Lardner
- Joseph Centeno, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Best Provider Collaboration Finalists
- Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld and CASA
- Kaplan Hecker & Fink; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; and Cooley
- McGuireWoods, VCU Health, and Dominion Energy
Best Use of Technology Finalists
- Ballard Spahr
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Fox Rothschild
- Berry Appleman & Leiden
- Goodwin
- DLA Piper
Corporate Purpose Award Finalists
- Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
- Greenberg Traurig
- Latham & Watkins
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
- Ropes & Gray
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Legal Services Innovation Finalists
- Honigman
- McGuireWoods
- Reed Smith
- NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Litigator of the Year Finalists
- Allison Brown, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Daralyn Durie, Durie Tangri
- John Hueston, Hueston Hennigan
- Richard Jones, Sullivan & Worcester
- Enu Mainigi, Williams & Connolly
- Josh Rosenkranz, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Kannon Shanmugam, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
National Boutique / Specialty Litigation Dept. of the Year Finalists
- Bartlit Beck
- Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna
- Durie Tangri
- Kaplan Hecker & Fink
- Irell & Manella
- Rivero Mestre
- Stris Maher
Regional Litigation Finalists—California
- Cooley
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Hunton Andrews Kurth
- Covington & Burling
Regional Litigation Finalists—Florida
- Hogan Lovells
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Regional Litigation Finalists—Georgia
- Greenberg Traurig
- King & Spalding
- Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough
Regional Litigation Finalists—New Jersey
- Greenberg Traurig
- McCarter & English
Regional Litigation Finalists—Pennsylvania
- Cozen O'Connor
- Jones Day
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Regional Litigation Finalists—Texas
- Baker Botts
- Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
- Jones Day
- Sidley Austin
Tony Mauro Media Lawyer Award Winners
- George Freeman and Lee Levine of the Media Law Resource Center
- NPR's Media Law Team
Young Lawyer of the Year Finalists (Beyond Practice)
- Andrew Clark, Latham & Watkins
- Devon Galloway, Zuckerman Spaeder
- Lauren Champaign, Foley & Lardner
- Kimberlynn Davis, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
- John Gray, Perkins Coie
- Kyle Kimpler, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
- Shelisa Thomas, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Mary Olson, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Young Lawyer of the Year Finalists (Corporate)
- C.J. Fisher, Fox Rothschild
- Darwin Huang, Kasowitz Benson Torres
- Emily Johnson, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
- Dohyun Kim, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Daniel Lynch, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
- John Pitts, Kirkland & Ellis
- Laura Turano, Paul Weiss
- Lawrence Lee, Baker McKenzie
- Oulu (Lulu) Wang, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
Young Lawyer of the Year Finalists (Litigation)
- Eugene Novikov, Durie Tangri
- Gary S. Ward, Wiley Rein
- Jonathan Tam, Dechert
- Joseph Reiter, Hueston Hennigan
- Megan Gerking, Morrison & Foerster
- Lee Popkin, Proskauer
- Matthew Zorn, Yetter Coleman
Law Firm Corporate Practices of the Year
Corporate Attorney of the Year Finalists
- Michael Aiello, Weil, Gothsal & Manges
- Atif Azher, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Scott Barshay, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
- Cheryl Chan, Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Tad Freese, Latham & Watkins
- Ken Lefkowitz, Hughes Hubbard & Reed
- Rezwan Pavri, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Tessa Schwartz of Morrison & Foerster
General Category Finalists
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore
- Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Latham & Watkins
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Health Care/Pharmaceuticals Category Finalists
- Goodwin
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
- Ropes & Gray
- Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
Energy Category Finalists
- Bracewell
- Latham & Watkins
- Vinson & Elkins
Tech/Telecom Category Finalists
- Cooley
- Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Goodwin
- Latham & Watkins
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Mid-/Small-Cap Category Finalists
- Akerman
- Cozen O'Connor
- King & Spalding
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
- Reed Smith
- Ropes & Gray
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4 minute readLaw Firms Mentioned
- Shook Hardy & Bacon
- Wiley Rein
- Ropes & Gray
- DLA Piper
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore
- Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
- Zuckerman Spaeder
- Baker Botts
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges
- Kasowitz Benson Torres
- Winston & Strawn LLP
- Williams & Connolly
- Yetter Coleman LLP
- Ballard Spahr
- Hunton Andrews Kurth
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- Latham & Watkins
- Jenner & Block
- Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
- Jones Day
- Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
- Irell & Manella
- King & Spalding
- Fenwick & West
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
- Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Warton & Garrison
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Bracewell
- Greenberg Traurig
- Reed Smith
- Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Fox Rothschild
- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Cozen O'Connor
- Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pord & Ecker
- Baker McKenzie
- Dechert
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher
- Paul Hastings
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
- Bartlit Beck Herman
- Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
- Davis Wright Tremaine
- Locke Lord LLP
- Littler Mendelson
- Steptoe & Johnson LLP
- Berry Appleman Leiden
- Perkins Coie
- O'Melveny & Myers
- Sidley Austin
- Vinson & Elkins
- McGuireWoods
- Morrison & Foerster LLP
- Hogan Lovells
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
- Covington & Burling
- Cooley
- Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
- Sullivan & Worcester
- Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Kirkland & Ellis
- McCarter & English
- Foley & Lardner
- Boies Schiller Flexner
- Hughes Hubbard & Reed
- Crowell & Moring LLP
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Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
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