Corporate Counsel is excited to announce the honorees for our 2024 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards! The WIPL awards honor in-house and law firm women leaders and allies who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. These outstanding honorees will be recognized at an awards dinner on Sept. 24 as part of our Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference in Chicago.

Profiles of the below winners will run on Corporate Counsel in September as part of the recognition event. Congratulations!

In-House Awards

Innovative Leadership

  • Stephanie Adams, Sherwin Williams
  • Ayesha Ahmed, Nexus Pharmaceuticals
  • Jennifer Broxmeyer, Meta
  • Sheila Jambekar, Dayforce
  • Amy Harris, UMB Financial Corp.
  • Mollie Nichols, Redgrave Data
  • Jessica Nguyen, Docusign
  • Karen McCain Borno, Verizon
  • Lydia Petrakis, Microsoft
  • Courtney Stout, The Coca-Cola Company

Thought Leadership

  • Nithya B. Das, Diligent
  • Lamis Hossain, Uber
  • Alyson Lawrence, Johnson & Johnson
  • Winnie Ling, Blend
  • Christina Phister, Dolby Laboratories
  • Mary Smith, VENG Group
  • Hyun Jee Son, Instacart

Collaborative Leadership

  • Laurie Barnes, Bridgewater Associates
  • Kara Eaton, Crown Castle
  • Mali Friedman, Washington Commanders
  • Sue Hahm Walker, Salesforce
  • Jennifer Handley, Uber
  • Leslie Regenbaum, Stax
  • Lauren Robinson, Filecoin Foundation
  • Katie Sluss and Sima Ajdari, TikTok

Legal Operations

  • Risa Drexler, Unilever
  • Jennifer Hightower, Cox Enterprises
  • Jennifer Phillips, Kenvue
  • Whitney Stefko, Ford Motor Company
  • Katina Thornock, Providence

Mental Health & Wellbeing

  • Anne Brafford, Institute for Well Being in Law
  • Shalanda Franklin, PepsiCo

Mentor & Mentee Collaboration

  • Joanne Flack and Diane Foley, Rackspace Technology
  • Berta Matos, PepsiCo
  • Jasmine Singh, Binti
  • Julie Stencel, Xcel Energy

Ally of the Year

  • Renee Ahlers Beckoff, Bridgewater Associates
  • Joyce Kammoun, PepsiCo
  • Tony West, Uber

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion

  • Amanda Arriaga, Texas CASA
  • Kristin Campanelli, ConnectiCare
  • Saerin Cho, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
  • Yosr Hamza, Gartner
  • Kristy T. Harlan, Weyerhaeuser
  • Trudy Fountain-James, Atos
  • Michelle Riley, Bregal Investments

GC of the Year

  • Catherine Budzynski, Ohmium International
  • Cynthia Gibson, Bush Brothers & Company
  • Jacqueline Lee, Flynn Group
  • Hope Mehlman, Discover Financial Services
  • Karna Nisewaner, Cadence Design Systems

Lifetime Achievement 

  • Jo-Anne Kelly, Citi
  • Juliette W. Pryor, Lowes
  • Laura Schumacher, BarkerGilmore

Law Firm Awards

Innovative Leadership

  • Alma Asay, Crowell & Moring
  • Karen Buzard, A&O Shearman
  • Lori G. Cohen, Greenberg Traurig
  • Ashley Picker Dubin, Day Pitney
  • Lisa Mayo Haynes, Ballard Spahr
  • Kelli Kohout, Davis Wright Tremaine
  • Kimberly Myers, Akin
  • Jennifer Pafiti, Pomerantz
  • Terri R. Stewart, Fisher & Phillips

Thought Leadership

  • Michele DeStefano, University of Miami School of Law
  • Leah Edelboim, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Law Firm
  • Chambord Benton-Hayes, Benton Employment Law
  • Sarah Peterson, Fragomen
  • Rachel Reid, Eversheds Sutherland
  • Nikki Reeves, King & Spalding
  • Stephanie Sheridan, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff
  • Amy Simmerman, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
  • Sheila Swaroop, Knobbe Martens

Collaborative Leadership

  • Elsa Andrianifahanana, Jones Day
  • Erika Arner, Finnegan
  • Betty Jang, BYJ Law
  • Debra Ellwood Meppen, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
  • Jennifer Minter, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
  • Melissa A. Peña, Norris McLaughlin
  • Michèle Penzer and Miriam Ingber, Latham & Watkins / Yale Law School, Yale Launchpad Scholars
  • Amber Rogers, Hunton Andrews Kurth
  • Julia Reiland, Lathrop GPM
  • Anne Marie Seibel, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

Mental Health & Well Being Initiative

  • Robin Bresky, Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas
  • Meg E. George, Akerman
  • Jennifer Gibbs, Zelle Law
  • Hayley Hanson, Husch Blackwell
  • Lauren Klein, Flourish Law Group
  • Erin McClernon, Ogletree Deakins
  • Emily Logan Stedman, Husch Blackwell

Mentor & Mentee Collaboration

  • Rachel Black, Susman Godfrey
  • Jill Bloom, Fragomen
  • Elizabeth D. Ferrill, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
  • Colleen Hart, Proskauer Rose
  • Jessica Lewis, WilmerHale
  • Michelle Mantine, Reed Smith
  • Serena Agaba Rwejuna, White & Case
  • Charan Sandhu and Olivia Greer, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
  • Hannah Ross and Katherine M. Sinderson, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann

Talent Management

  • Katherine Ashley, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
  • Andrea Basham and Meghan Rissmiller, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
  • Stacie B. Collier, Nixon Peabody
  • Lauren Hakala, Reed Smith
  • Jacey Prupas, Snell & Wilmer
  • Anna Stowe, Hecker Fink
  • Jennifer Trock, Baker McKenzie

Ally of the Year

  • Judge Lisa Chrystal, Brach Eichler
  • James Crumlin, Spencer Fane
  • Talin Hitik, Hitik Law
  • Malaika Lindo, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
  • LaKeisha C. Marsh, Akerman
  • Colin Murray, Baker McKenzie
  • Jennifer Wu, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion

  • Kobi Kennedy Brinson, Winston & Strawn
  • Carrie Cohen, Morrison Foerster
  • Angela Daker, White & Case
  • Rachel Powitzky Steely, Foley & Lardner
  • Marissa Román Griffith, Akin
  • Nikki Lewis Simon, Greenberg Traurig
  • Shanon R. Stevenson, Fisher & Phillips
  • Alicia Vaz, Cox, Castle & Nicholson

Managing Partner of the Year

  • Julie Fink, Hecker Fink
  • Joanna Horsnail, Mayer Brown
  • Elsa Ramo, Ramo Law
  • Sherrese Smith, Paul Hastings
  • Danielle Williams, Winston & Strawn
  • Donna Wilson, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

Lifetime Achievement

  • Beth J. Jay, Horvitz & Levy
  • Elaine Johnston, A&O Shearman
  • Lisa Phelan, Morrison Foerster
  • Anna Pinedo, Mayer Brown
  • Cynthia Shoss, Eversheds Sutherland

Join hundreds of legal leaders for three days of learning, networking and unprecedented exchange with the most powerful women in law. Women, Influence & Power in Law is designed to arm you with the strategy and practical solutions to be a driving force both professionally and within your organization. Go beyond the surface issues to dig deep into what it means to grow, inspire, lead, and excel in the legal industry. Register today!