The Legal Intelligencer Blog

2013 Lawyers on the Fast Track

Earlier this summer, The Legal asked the Pennsylvania legal community to submit nominations for our annual Lawyers on the Fast Track. The nominations came pouring in, dozens and dozens of them, all demonstrating the impressive work being done by young lawyers across the state.

The nomination forms and any letters of recommendation accompanying them were sent to an eight-member judging panel composed of evaluators from all corners of the legal profession and the state. After reviewing their results, the following 38 attorneys have been selected as the 2013 Lawyers on the Fast Track:

• Rahat N. Babar, Bayne Law Group.

• Elizabeth K. Babson, Drinker Biddle & Reath.

• Jennifer L. Beidel, Saul Ewing.

• Maria E. Bermudez-Harris, Martin LLC.

• Jeannine T. Bishop, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

• Melissa S. Blanton, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis.

• Andrew T. Bockis, Saul Ewing.

• Justin H. Brown, Flaster Greenberg.

• Peter C. Buckley, Fox Rothschild.

• Mark K. Dausch, Babst Calland.

• Joshua B. Deringer, Drinker Biddle & Reath.

• Patrick T. Duffy, Stewart Bernstiel Rebar Smith.

• Heather C. Giordanella, Drinker Biddle & Reath.

• Marc A. Goldich, Reed Smith.

• Erin Lucas Hamilton, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.

• Jonathan T. Hoffman, Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg.

• John D. Huh, DLA Piper.

• Earthen E. Johnson, Drinker Biddle & Reath.

• Odia Kagan, Pepper Hamilton.

• Sarah Katz, Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.

• Matthew G. Laver, Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby.

• Kristin M. McKenna, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young.

• Justin McShane, The McShane Firm.

• Kevin V. Mincey, Mincey & Fitzpatrick.

• Ria C. Momblanco, Fine, Kaplan and Black.

• Michael J. Puma, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

• Teresa M. Rodriguez, Haggerty Goldberg Schleifer & Kupersmith.

• Karen M. Sanchez, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel.

• Jarrod D. Shaw, Reed Smith.

• Nevena Simidjiyska, Fox Rothschild.

• Dee Spagnuolo, Ballard Spahr.

• David F. Stern, Pond Lehocky.

• Kari Knight Stevens, Cigna.

• Thomas A. Warnock, DuPont Co.

• Adrianne Walvoord Webb, Anapol Schwartz.

• Joseph R. Williams, Pollock Begg Komar Glasser & Vertz.

• Jason M. Yarbrough, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott.

• Michael S. Zullo, Duane Morris.

Full profiles of this year's honorees and the judging panel will be included in a supplement set to be published in The Legal on September 24. The winners will also be honored at a celebratory dinner in November in Philadelphia. For more information on the event, contact Diane McCollum at 215-557-2335.

Thank you to all those who took the time to submit nominations and letters of recommendation, and congratulations to all of this year's honorees!

Now Accepting Nominations for Lawyers on the Fast Track!

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Do you know a young Pennsylvania attorney who has impressed her superiors with her ability to develop new business? What about a colleague who has dedicated himself to promoting the profession through bar association involvement or public service? Or a charismatic advocate for the indigent who has amazed you with her pro bono efforts?

If you have a deserving colleague, associate or protégé under the age of 40, nominate them to be a 2011 Lawyer on the Fast Track.

All nominations must include sufficient information to demonstrate why the individual is a Lawyer on the Fast Track. Please read the nomination form carefully and fill out every field to the best of your ability. Letters of recommendation are also encouraged but not required.

The 2011 Lawyers on the Fast Track will be announced in August and featured in a special supplement to The Legal Intelligencer, published in September. They will also be honored at a dinner in October.

Nominations must be submitted by Friday, July 8. Don’t let a deserving member of the profession go unrecognized -- nominate them to be a Lawyer on the Fast Track today! To request a nomination form or for more information, e-mail me!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].

Memeger and 'The Legal' Team Up to Celebrate Diversity

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Many of our readers will remember seeing our 2011 Diversity supplement, which was published in The Legal and online in early April. In that supplement, we recognized 20 individuals from across the commonwealth as Diverse Attorneys of the Year, and now, we’re gearing up to honor them in person.

The Legal will hold a very special luncheon to honor those individuals on Tuesday, June 7, at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building, located at 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia. The luncheon will begin at noon (registration opens at 11:30 a.m.) and will feature an awards ceremony for our Diverse Attorneys of the Year (whom you can read about here).

Additionally, we are very proud that one of those honorees has also agreed to be our keynote speaker for the luncheon: Zane David Memeger, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (pictured above left).

For more information on how to purchase tickets for the event or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Lana Ehrlich at 215-557-2392, Diane McCollum at 215-557-2335, or you can register online by clicking here.

We hope that you’ll join us in recognizing our honorees and celebrating diversity in the Pennsylvania legal community on June 7!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal Intelligencer. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].

Legal Dept. of the Year Awards - Deadline Extended!

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

If you thought your time to nominate a company for our Legal Departments of the Year awards was up, think again! The deadline for nominations has been extended to next Friday, April 22.

GC Mid-Atlantic, The Legal Intelligencer 's magazine for and about in-house counsel, is seeking your nominations for our Legal Departments of the Year Awards.

About the Awards:
The purpose of these awards is to highlight the outstanding corporate legal departments in our region that oftentimes go unrecognized. We will be handing out five separate awards honoring Pennsylvania-based legal departments that best demonstrate excellence in one of the following categories:

- In-House Legal Work
- Outside Counsel Management
- Pro Bono and Community Service Efforts
- Diversity and Quality of Life
- Technology and Information Systems

Each of the above categories is its own award, so a department could only win, for example, for In-House Legal Work OR its Outside Counsel Management, not both. Companies can, however, enter all categories, and are encouraged to do so.

Any Pennsylvania-based legal department is eligible, whether it includes one person or hundreds. We will also accept nominations from any source – the company or legal department nominating themselves; or law firms or public relations groups nominating their clients. Additionally, if you know of anyone who might be interested in the awards, we encourage you to forward this message to them.

The winning departments will be featured in the June 28 issue of GC Mid-Atlantic, and they will be presented with their awards at a special celebration dinner at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia on October 6.

About the Process:
In order to nominate a legal department, you must submit a completed nomination form by no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 22. The form asks for specific details in each of the five categories for which awards will be handed out. Details about how to submit nominations are included at the top of the form itself. (You can download the form here.)

We encourage nominating parties to fill out all five categories as fully as called for, or you may confine your answers to those categories in which you feel a department is strongest. We recognize that some departments will naturally be stronger in some areas than in others, and that's okay. Because there is no one singular award, strength in one or two areas will only increase that department’s chances of winning in those particular categories.

If you have questions about the awards, the process or GC Mid-Atlantic, contact me by phone (215-557-2368) or e-mail me at [email protected]. I look forward to receiving your nominations!!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal Intelligencer. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].

Nominate a Legal Department of the Year!

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

GC Mid-Atlantic, a publication of The Legal Intelligencer that covers regional in-house counsel, is proud to announce its first annual Legal Departments of the Year Awards.

About the Awards:
The purpose of these awards is to highlight the outstanding corporate legal departments in our region that oftentimes go unrecognized. We will be handing out five separate awards honoring Pennsylvania-based legal departments that best demonstrate excellence in one of the following categories:

- In-House Legal Work
- Outside Counsel Management
- Pro Bono and Community Service Efforts
- Diversity and Quality of Life
- Technology and Information Systems

Each of the above categories is its own award, so a department could only win, for example, for In-House Legal Work OR its Outside Counsel Management, not both. Companies can, however, enter all categories, and are encouraged to do so.

Any Pennsylvania-based legal department is eligible, whether it includes one person or hundreds. We will also accept nominations from any source – the company or legal department nominating themselves; or law firms or public relations groups nominating their clients. Additionally, if you know of anyone who might be interested in the awards, we encourage you to forward this message to them.

The winning departments will be featured in the June 28 issue of GC Mid-Atlantic, and they will be presented with their awards at a special celebration dinner at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia on October 6.

About the Process:
In order to nominate a legal department, you must submit a completed nomination form by no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 15. The form asks for specific details in each of the five categories for which awards will be handed out. Details about how to submit nominations are included at the top of the form itself. (You can download the form here.)

We encourage nominating parties to fill out all five categories as fully as called for, or you may confine your answers to those categories in which you feel a department is strongest. We recognize that some departments will naturally be stronger in some areas than in others, and that's okay. Because there is no one singular award, strength in one or two areas will only increase that department’s chances of winning in those particular categories.

If you have questions about the awards, the process or GC Mid-Atlantic, contact me by phone (215-557-2368) or e-mail at [email protected]. I look forward to receiving your nominations!!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal Intelligencer. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].