WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACC National Capital Region, the leading regional bar association for in-house counsel in the District of Columbia, Virginia and suburban Maryland, last night announced the winners of the 2015 Corporate Counsel Awards. The awards honor the work of the region’s leading in-house practitioners and departments over the past year in the categories of Outstanding Chief Legal Officer, Outstanding In-House Counsel, Outstanding Paraprofessional and Outstanding Law Department.
Chosen from a field of 15 finalists, the winners of the 2015 Corporate Counsel Awards are:
- Outstanding Chief Legal Officer: Judith A. Branzelle, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., and Evan R. Farber, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, The Advisory Board Company.
- Outstanding In-House Counsel: Heather French, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, American Capital, Ltd.
- Outstanding Paraprofessional: Reine Blackwell-Moore, Senior Manager - Dispute Resolution Group, Marriott International, Inc.
- Outstanding Law Department: Leidos, Inc., and Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
Drew McKay, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of The Fairfax Group, received the organization’s 2015 Corporate Counsel Career Achievement Award.
In addition, ACC National Capital Region honored two legal departments – Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc., and Lockheed Martin Corporation – that identified and implemented creative and new approaches to in-house practice with In-House Innovator Awards.
“The nominees and winners of the awards demonstrate the tremendous variety of work done by in-house legal and the best we as professionals have to offer: creativity, leadership perseverance and strategic engagement,” said Robert Falk, President of ACC National Capital Region and General Counsel, Human Rights Campaign.
"We are proud to have this impressive group represent the best of the in-house community,” said Samuel A. Flax, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary, American Capital, Ltd., and Simone Wu, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and External Affairs, Choice Hotels International, Inc. Flax and Wu are ACC National Capital Region board members and co-chaired the Corporate Counsel Awards. “It is wonderful to see the excitement these awards generate among the finalists and winners, and among their friends and colleagues.”
The award winners were announced at a reception held at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner in McLean, VA, that was attended by more than 430 people.
Judith A. Branzelle, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., was named Outstanding Chief Legal Officer for her able handling of a data breach that avoided reputational damage to the organization, and her leadership of Goodwill’s expansion into three new countries and of new business ventures that advance the mission of Goodwill.
The co-winner, Evan R. Farber, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, The Advisory Board Company, was recognized for his nimble work guiding The Advisory Board Company through four acquisitions in the course of a year, including its largest one ever, as well as leading it through a major initial public offering for a joint-venture company.
Heather French, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, American Capital, Ltd., was selected as Outstanding In-House Counsel for her role managing two major pieces of litigation. The first matter turned around a massive product-liability crisis for a portfolio company of American Capital in a way that saved that company from bankruptcy and saved American Capital’s investment in it. The other case has important implications for private equity companies that are facing claims related to their level of involvement with the operations of their portfolio companies.
Reine Blackwell-Moore, Senior Manager - Dispute Resolution Group, Marriott International, Inc., received the Outstanding Paraprofessional award for her management of discovery in a class action lawsuit that required the company reach out to stakeholders at 445 Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels across the country to seek documents and information.
The legal departments at Leidos, Inc., and Walker & Dunlop, Inc., were co-winners of the Outstanding Law Department award. Leidos’ 30-member department was honored for resolving several significant challenges – including the spin-off of SAIC and resolving a legacy U.S. Department of Justice investigation and shareholder litigation. Walker & Dunlop’s five-member department was selected for executing several significant transactions that increased the company’s presence in the brokerage market and brought it into the investment sales business for the first time. In both cases, the accomplishments of the legal departments positioned their organizations for continued growth.
The In-House Innovator Award recognizes creative and new approaches to in-house practice – whether in terms of collaborating with business-side colleagues, enhancing department operations, fostering professional development, or such – that made the legal departments more effective contributors to their organizations. This year’s recipients are:
- Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. for its multi-faceted program designed to better align legal resources with the company’s business needs, which includes creating self-help resources for clients, compliance training, and professional development for legal team members.
- Lockheed Martin Corporation, for its transformational move to create a new legal group specifically to serve the company’s new international arm. The new international legal group has reduced enterprise risk and empowered business growth.
In addition to the night’s competitive awards, ACC National Capital Region honored Drew McKay, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of The Fairfax Group, with its Corporate Counsel Career Achievement Award. McKay served as president of the association in 1995-96 and was for many years on its Board of Directors, during which time he played a lead role in revitalizing the organization with new members and activities, and a more diverse leadership. He also held leadership roles with the association’s parent organization, the Association of Corporate Counsel. McKay’s work on investigations and compliance issues with Fairfax Group and its related companies has been a leading example of how in-house counsel successfully focus on identifying problems and recurring issues and develop preventive strategies. He has more than 30 years of private sector and federal government experience.
The finalists were selected from nominations submitted by the legal community-at-large in response to an open call for nominations. The panel of judges for the Corporate Counsel Awards is comprised of the following leaders in the business and legal communities in this region:
- Mike Daniels, Chairman, LMI and Invincea, Inc.
- Samuel A. Flax, Member of the Board of Directors of ACC National Capital Region, Co-Chair of the Corporate Counsel Awards, and Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary, American Capital Ltd.
- Robert Falk, President, ACC National Capital Region and General Counsel, Human Rights Campaign.
- Danielle Holley-Walker, Dean, Howard University School of Law.
- Patricia A. Lenahan, Commercial Team Leader, TD Bank.
- Steven A. Museles, General Counsel and Head of Client Relations, Alliance Partners.
- Veta T. Richardson, President and CEO, Association of Corporate Counsel
- Timothy K. Webster, President, D.C. Bar and Partner, Sidley Austin LLP.
- Simone Wu, Member of the Board of Directors of ACC National Capital Region, Co-Chair of the Corporate Counsel Awards, and Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and External Affairs, Choice Hotels International, Inc.
Created in 2005, the Corporate Counsel Awards have become a well-recognized and sought-after honor for members of the in-house community in the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Virginia and suburban Maryland. For a list of all previous Award winners, please visit http://www.acc.com/chapters/ncr/awards.cfm.
About ACC National Capital Region
With approximately 2,500 members, ACC National Capital Region serves the professional needs of in-house counsel in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and suburban Maryland. It is the regional chapter of the global Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). ACC National Capital Region members participate in more than 90 professional development programs each year and keep connected through a variety of networking events. The organization has been active in regulatory issues that affect the in-house bar, and in providing education to encourage advancements in the standards of corporate legal practice. The organization was first established in 1980 as the Washington Metropolitan Area Corporate Counsel Association (WMACCA). As of January 1, 2015, the chapter adopted the name ACC National Capital Region to better communicate the area it serves and support the ACC global brand. More information about ACC National Capital Region is available on its Web site: http://www.acc.com/chapters/ncr.