Corporate Counsel Announces Its 2024 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards!

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.

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
Shreeka Devi, HaystackID
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, 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 Gartner, 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
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
Katherine [Katie] 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!