The National Bar Association, (“NBA”) one of the preeminent bar associations in the world and its President Joseph M. Drayton, a partner at Cooley LLP, are pleased to announce the 2019 recipients of its “40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates” awards. The awards recognize the nation’s top 40 lawyers under the age 40 who exemplify a broad range of high achievement in the legal field, including in advocacy, innovation, vision, leadership and overall legal and community involvement.
“These awards specifically seek out the leading lights of the legal industry, looking for those under 40 whose creativity, commitment, experience and strong leadership has helped them achieve success in an increasingly challenging legal climate” said President Drayton. “The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their legal acumen, ingenuity, hard work, and community service, distinguishing them from their counterparts and proving them worthy of this special peer recognition. We look forward to this group continuing to exemplify that same level of leadership, activism and professional growth,” he said.
“Since its inception ten years ago, the NBA’s 40 Under 40 Awards have come to represent perhaps the very best professional award in the country for lawyers under the age of 40. Every year, the program grows both in terms of the quantity and the quality of the entries, and the excellence and diversity of practice areas of this year’s 40 winners is proof that we are truly capturing the country’s brightest,” according to Aubrey “Nick” Pittman, Esq., Chair of the 40 Under 40 Awards. “The thing the awardees have in common is that they each signify a commitment to the practice of law, community service, and social change,” said Pittman.
The recipients will be honored at the National Bar Association’s renowned 40 Under 40 Awards Gala on Wednesday, July 24, 2019, during the NBA’s 93rd Annual Convention in New York City, NY. This year’s Gala marks the 10th Anniversary of the Awards ceremony and will also honor select distinguished alumni.
The final selections represent a cross-section of legal professionals, including lawyers from big, medium and small firms, solo and industry practitioners, government lawyers, judges, academicians, corporate counsels, young elected officials, and various other lawyers, all of whom are using their juris doctor degree in innovative and community impacting ways. During the Black-tie Awards Gala, the individual recipients of the Nation’s Best Advocate of the Year and the Excellence in Leadership, Service, Activism, and Innovation awards will also be announced.
For more information on the Award Recipients, the Awards Gala, or Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Aubrey “Nick” Pittman at 40Under40@nationalbar.org.
2019 NBA Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40
Sheila Adams, Senior Associate, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Adeola Adejobi, Founder and CEO, Avant-Garde Network
Tokunbo Akinbajo, Corporate Secretary, MassMutual
Modoline Altenor, Principal, Law Office of Modoline Altenor, PA
Philip Amoa, Partner, McCarter & English
Chanell Autrey, Committee Director, Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, District of Columbia
Marcus Barber, Partner, Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP
Todd Belcore, Executive Director, Social Change
Charlie Bingham, Jr., Corporate Counsel, Microsoft
Tanya Blocker, Senior Counsel, Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani
Calvina Bostick, Partner, K&L Gates LLP
Cassye Cole, Associate, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
Danielle Coleman, Global Litigation Counsel, VMware Inc.
Abre’ Conner, Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California
Monica Dean, General Counsel, Strategic Acquisitions, Inc.
Tara Doss, Administrative Law Judge II, California Office of Administrative Hearings
Ericka Fang, Senior Associate, Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan, LLP
David Foster, Deputy General Counsel, National Basketball Players Association
Charles Gee, Managing Partner, Gee & Lee PLLC
Ofonedu-Ime Goodwyn, Associate, Hinshaw & Culbertson
Shawntel Hebert, Partner, Taylor English Duma LLP
Amber Jackson, Associate, Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Natalya Johnson, Senior Associate, Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti LLP
Gray Mateo-Harris, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP
Danyahel (Danny) Norris, Associate Director & Instructor, Texas Southern University
David Pilson, Senior Director, Global Compensation, Benefits, and Securities Governance, eBay Inc.
Danielle Pinkston, Principal, Pinkston Law Group, P.C.
Brandii Rice, VP, Business and Legal Affairs, Jesse Collins Entertainment
Rachel Rossi, Counsel (Majority) U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary
Masah SamForay, Principal, The Foray Firm Inc.
Mariangela (Merili) Seale, Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
Jaron Shipp, Assistant General Counsel, Law Enforcement & Security, Facebook
Lilia Toson, Assistant Attorney General, New York State Office of the Attorney General
Ashely Upkins, Principal, Upkins Law, PLLC
John Waller Jr., Principal, Law Office of John A. Waller, Jr.
Krista Whitaker, Associate, Proskauer Rose LLP
Onika Williams, Attorney-Advisor, United States Surface Transportation Board
Alicia Wilson, Senior Vice President of Impact Investments and Senior Legal Counsel, Port Covington Impact Investments, LLC
Calvin Wingfield, Jr., Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP
Geoffrey Young, Partner, Reed Smith LLP
ABOUT THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
The National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of more than 65,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students. The NBA is organized around 23 substantive law sections, 9 divisions, 12 regions and 84 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit: www.nationalbar.org.
