Having a strong leader at the helm is not just important for driving a firm's success—it is also crucial for helping the attorneys who are just getting their careers started find ways to grown in their fields.

"As I approach the mid-point of my career, I am mindful that I am now both a mentor and mentee," said one of this year's winners of the New York Law Journal's Distinguished Leader award. "Just as much as I continue to learn and develop, it is on me (and my partners and all of us) to pay it forward to the associates and others on our team—to be part of their village."

The Distinguished Leaders are just one category of attorneys that will be presented with top honors on Oct. 4 at the New York Legal Awards, which will be held at Pier Sixth at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.