Pa. Legal Awards: Attorney of the Year, Law Firm of the Year Announced

The Legal announced its Attorney of the Year and Law Firm of the Year winners in a personal ceremony on Thursday evening.

Michele Hangley of Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller was named Lawyer of the Year and Jones Day was named Law Firm of the Year. The 2021 Legal Intelligencer Awards were held at the Loews in Center City, Philadelphia, where dozens of attorneys were recognized for their outstanding work in a number of categories.

Hangley was named Attorney of the Year for her work leading Pennsylvania’s defense against an onslaught of litigation related to the 2020 election. In her role, she fought off challenges to absentee voting deadlines, compiled critical evidence, and fought back unprecedented efforts to overturn election results, including a lawsuit by a U.S. official challenging the state’s recently passed electoral law as unconstitutional.

During her acceptance speech on Thursday night, Hangley discussed the efforts required to litigate the onslaught of election challenges and the threats she and her team faced to their work. Hangley also thanks her team of attorneys and paralegals, the state and local officials she has worked with, and her daughter, saying it has been an honor to defend democracy through her work as a lawyer over the past year.

The two finalists for Lawyer of the Year were also honored at the event. These finalists include former Eastern District of Pennsylvania attorney William McSwain, recognized for his role as a staunch and staunch advocate of the so-called “law and order” style of criminal justice; and former Philadelphia City attorney Marcel Pratt, recognized for guiding Philadelphia through a number of challenges, including the election battle and the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also during Thursday’s event, The Legal announced Jones Day as the winner of the Law Firm of the Year Award. The company was selected from a field of three in 2020 due to its excellent working breadth and won in several categories at this year’s awards.

Along with securing awards In the categories of Distinguished Leaders, Best Law Firm Mentors, Most Effective Dealmakers and Lawyers on the Fast Track, the firm was also recognized for their for mentoring, for his ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic both within the company and with other organizations and other achievements.

The two finalists for Law Firm of the Year were Cozen O’Connor, who won the Distinguished Leaders, Lifetime Achievement, Best Law Firm Mentors, and Most Effective Dealmakers categories; and Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, which won awards in the Law Firm Innovators and Most Effective Dealmakers categories.

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