Corporate Counsel is excited to announce the honorees for our 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards! The WIPL awards honor general counsel, in-house leaders and law firm partners who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. These outstanding women will be recognized at an awards dinner on Oct. 18 as part of our Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference in New Orleans.

These women leaders are business strategists, complex problem-solvers and, of course, great lawyers. But what particularly makes these women stand out is their personal dedication to the promotion of diversity in the legal industry.

Profiles of the below honorees will run on Corporate Counsel in October as part of the recognition event. Congratulations to all the exceptional lawyers on this list!

In-House Awards

Collaboration and Leadership in a Crisis

  • Heather Childress, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Flex
  • Uber US Legal/Litigation & Government Investigations led by Elizabeth Coleman, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Deputy Corporate Secretary
  • Joanne Flack, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer, Rackspace Technology
  • The Nokia Labor & Employment team led by Lorna Gibb, Deputy Chief Legal Officer
  • Lisa Melillo, Group General Counsel for Personal Insurance, Travelers

Innovative Leadership

  • Megan Belcher, Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer, Scoular
  • Brie Buchanan, Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Calloquy, PBC
  • Monica Karuturi, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, CenterPoint Energy
  • Rachel Lovejoy, Chief IP Counsel/Senior Counsel, SpaceX
  • Jessica Vander Ploeg, Vice President Legal Operations, OpenText
  • Adina Storch, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Global Industrial Company
  • Audrey Taranto, General Counsel, Enstar Group
  • Aichi Daniel, Managing Lead Counsel, Cruise

Thought Leadership 

  • Julie Coletti, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer, Align Technology
  • Ann Kappler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Prudential Financial Inc.
  • Shannon Thyme Klinger, Chief Legal Officer, Moderna & President, Moderna Charitable
  • Hope Mehlman, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Discover Financial
  • Lauren Mass, Senior Counsel, Advance Auto Parts
  • Dara Redler, Chief Legal Officer, H&R Block
  • Megan C. Ryan, Chief Legal Officer, Executive VP, General Counsel, Nassau Health Care Corp.
  • Jessica Young, President and CEO, Advanced Correctional Healthcare

Collaborative Leadership 

  • Suellen Bergman, Senior Director and Executive Legal Counsel, NAMR Commercial
  • Laura Franco, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Bumble
  • Mali Friedman, Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, Washington Commanders
  • Kate Pytlewski, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel – Global Corporate, and Assistant Corporate Secretary, EPAM Systems
  • Susan Greenspon Rammelt, Chief Legal Officer, EVP of Business Affairs, Corporate Secretary, Board Member, SmileDirectClub
  • Lora Spencer, Principal Global Litigation & Investigations Counsel, Medtronic
  • Allison Swartz, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Progyny
  • Katie Waitzman, Vice President and Chief Deputy General Counsel, Uber Technologies

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion 

  • Melissa Lauderdale, Vice President, DGC Legal Operations and Chief of Staff, Exelon
  • Farrah Pepper, Chief Legal Innovation Counsel, Marsh McLennan
  • Elize Sfeir, Senior Corporate Counsel, Amazon
  • Erica Sheffield, Senior Counsel, American Honda Motor Co.
  • Jill Sohmer, Vice President, Banking Legal and Chair of the Legal Americas DEI Committee, Barclays
  • Trina Walker, Director of Legal Operations, TriNet
  • Alison Wisniewski, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Epiq Global
  • Ruby Zefo, Chief Privacy Officer, Uber Technologies

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Team Awards In-House

  • Nokia
  • Uber Technologies

Ally of the Year

  • Mathew Ted Thomas, Chief of Staff, TriNet

Best Mentor 

  • Amie Pelletier, Associate Group General Counsel, Travelers
  • Lydia Zakhari, General Counsel, The Trust (Powered by the NFLPA)

General Counsel of the Year 

  • Marjorie Goux, Rodan + Fields, LLC
  • Caitlin Hawks, PETA Foundation
  • Jennifer Nichols, CRG
  • Mona Stone, Goodwill of Central & Northern AZ/ Thrive Services Group
  • Alison Wisniewski, Epiq

Lifetime Achievement 

  • Laura Lazarczyk, Chief Legal Officer, Zurich North America

Law Firm Awards

Innovative Leadership

  • Natasha Allen, Foley & Lardner
  • Benedetta Audia, DLA Piper
  • Danielle Benecke, Baker McKenzie
  • Nina Flax, Mayer Brown
  • Kathy Khol, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
  • Jill Louis, Perkins Coie
  • Denise Plunkett, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider
  • Casey Ryan, Reed Smith

Thought Leadership 

  • Lyuba Goltser, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
  • Barbara Grayson, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
  • Ayşe Yuksel Mahfoud, Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Danielle Moore, Fisher Phillips
  • Kelly Gibson, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
  • Hilary K. Scherrer, Hausfeld
  • Michelle Simpson Tuegel, The Simpson Tuegel Law Firm
  • Dena Weiss, ACTS Law

Collaborative Leadership 

  • Michelle Ferreira, Greenberg Traurig
  • Evan Goldfarb, Thompson Coburn
  • Erika Kent, Shearman & Sterling
  • Amy Manning, McGuireWoods
  • Atara Miller, Milbank
  • Danielle Moore, Fisher Phillips
  • Ronnie Spiegel, Joseph Saveri Law Firm
  • Jennifer St. John Yount, Paul Hastings

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion

  • Julie Fink, Kaplan Hecker & Fink
  • Erin Kolmansberger, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
  • Jennifer Martinez, Hanson Bridgett
  • Myrna L. Maysonet, Greenspoon Marder
  • Gillian Emmett Moldowan, Shearman & Sterling
  • Grace Shie, Mayer Brown
  • Kim A. Walker, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Team Awards Law Firm

  • Greenberg Traurig
  • Spencer Fane

Ally of the Year

  • Francis A. (Frank) Citera, Greenberg Traurig
  • William O'Neil, Winston & Strawn
  • Sona Pancholy, Meritas
  • Elliott Portnoy, Dentons
  • Scott Tiedemann, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
  • Elizabeth Wente, Spencer Fane
  • Steve Zubiago, Nixon Peabody

Best Mentor 

  • Katherine Basile, Reed Smith
  • Lauren M. Manduke, Cole Schotz
  • Michelle Pector, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
  • Adria Perez, Kilpatrick Townsend
  • Andrea Rattner, Proskauer Rose
  • Michelle Reed, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Managing Partner of the Year 

  • Susan Crumiller, Crumiller P.C.
  • Marjorie A. Farris, Stites & Harbison
  • Chantale Fiebig, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
  • Katya Jestin, Jenner & Block
  • Susan Murley, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
  • Elizabeth Espín Stern, Mayer Brown

Lifetime Achievement 

  • Debbie Feinstein, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
  • Doreen Lilienfeld, Shearman & Sterling
  • Terry Mutchler, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel
  • Sheila Riesel, Blank Rome
  • Linda Thayer, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner

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!