America's leading female lawyers descended on New York's Essex House last night to celebrate Euromoney Legal Media Group's inaugural Americas Women in Business Law Awards.
New York City Council Member Gale A Brewer delivered the keynote address to an audience of in-house and private practice attorneys who had gathered to celebrate the achievements of those firms setting the standard in terms of female-friendly work practices, and women leading the field in the legal sector across the Americas.
Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, former United States Trade Representative collected the Outstanding Achievement award and Brooksley Born, former chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, picked up the Lifetime Achievement prize.
While in the firm categories, Latham & Watkins was named best international firm for women in business law. Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft collected the best gender diversity initiative by international firm, Sullivan & Cromwell was named most innovative firm, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom were rewarded for their mentoring program and Sidley Austin picked up the best international firm for talent management.
A full list of winners is detailed. For more information contact Melanie Petch at mpetch@euromoneyplc.com.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Antitrust/competition
Margaret Zwisler, Latham & Watkins
Aviation
Maria Regina Mangabeira Albernaz Lynch, Motta Fernandes Rocha -Advogados
Banking & finance
Margaret Peponis, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Capital markets
Stacy Kanter, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Commercial arbitration
Julie Bédard, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Copyright
Dale Cendali, Kirkland & Ellis
Corporate governance
Holly Gregory, Weil Gotshal & Manges
Energy, natural resources & mining
Karol Lyn Newman, McDermott Will & Emery
Environment
Michèle Corash, Morrison & Foerster
Financial regulation
Annette Nazareth, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Insolvency & restructuring
Marcia Goldstein, Weil Gotshal & Manges
Insurance & reinsurance
Mary Kay Vyskocil, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Investment funds
Stephanie Breslow, Schulte Roth & Zabel
Labour & employment
Bettina Plevan, Proskauer Rose
Life sciences
M. Patricia Thayer, Sidley Austin
Litigation
Kathy Patrick, Gibbs & Bruns
Media & entertainment
Marissa Román Griffith, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Mergers & acquisitions
Diane Kerr, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Patent
Margaret Boulware, Boulware & Valoir
Private equity
Franci Blassberg, Debevoise & Plimpton
Real estate
Meredith Kane, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
Rising star
Marguerite Sullivan, Latham & Watkins
Structured finance
Anna Glick, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft
Tax
Carrie Smit, Goodmans
Tax dispute resolution
Rosemarie Wertschek QC, McCarthy Tétrault
Trademark
Linda McLeod, Finnegan
Transfer pricing
Patricia Gimbel Lewis, Caplin & Drysdale
Wealth management
Patricia Annino, Prince Lobel Glovsky Tye
Outstanding achievement
Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky
Lifetime Achievement
Brooksley Born
REGIONAL AWARDS
Argentina
Beretta Godoy
Brazil
TozziniFriere Advogados
Central Americas
Arias & Muñoz
Chile
Correa Gubbins
Colombia
Gomez-Pinzon Zuleta Abogados
Ecuador
Romero Arteta Ponce Asociados
Mexico
Bufete Quijano
Panama
Arias & Muñoz
Peru
Estudio Echecopar
Uruguay
Hughes & Hughes
Venezuela
D'Empaire Reyna
Canada
McCarthy Tétrault
US Midwest
Schiff Hardin
US Northeast
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
US South
Fulbright & Jaworski
US West
Covington and Burling
IN-HOUSE WINNERS
Benchmark Litigation in-house award
Sara E Moss, Estée Lauder
International Financial Law Review in-house award
Sarah Lee, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
International Tax Review in-house award
Janice Lucceshi, Akzo Nobel
Managing IP in-house award
Lucy Nichols, Nokia
Best in-house team with under-50 lawyers
Estée Lauder
Best in-house team with over 50 lawyers
Citi
FIRM AWARDS
Best gender diversity initiative by national firm
Thompson Hine – Spotlight on women
Best gender diversity initiative by international firm
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft – Women's leadership initiative
Best international firm Latin America practice
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Most innovative international firm
Sullivan & Cromwell
Best firm for minority women lawyers
Covington & Burling – Diversity at Covington campaign
Best mentoring program
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom – Mentoring initiative
Best firm for work-life balance
Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison – Work/life balance program
Best firm for pro bono work
Hogan Lovells
Best national firm for talent management
McCarthy Tétrault – Parental leave program
Best international firm for talent management
Sidley Austin – Committee on retention and promotion of women (CRPW)
Best national firm for women in business law
Kenyon & Kenyon
Best international firm for women in business law
Latham & Watkins