Hesse given Woodward Women of Distinction Award
Katherine Hesse, a founding partner of Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP in Quincy is being honored with the Woodward Women of Distinction Award on May 7. The Woodward School for Girls annually celebrates the achievements and leadership of its alumna at this luncheon. Hesse is past chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Boston Bar Association and a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Section Council. She has served as president of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists and as chair of the Attorney’s Committee of the International Foundation of Employees Benefit Plans. A member of the editorial board of Benefits Quarterly, she leads the team of attorneys that writes its Legal-Legislative-Regulatory Update.
Troupe inducted into College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
William H. Troupe, of Carney and Troupe in Boston, was recently honored by induction as a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. The College is a national association of attorneys whose practices concentrate in the area of work-related injuries. The ceremony, on March 13 in New Orleans, was held in conjunction with the American Bar Association’s convention of their Workers’ Compensation Committees of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section and the Labor and Employment Law Sections. Troupe is the former chairman of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Committee on Workers’ Compensation and is a frequent lecturer and author on these subjects.
Perrelli appointed to Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Katherine Perrelli, a partner in the Boston office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, was appointed to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is a resource for more than 1,700 businesses and aspires to provide leadership by creating a healthy climate for economic development and job creation by working for legislative changes that are critical to economic growth. Perrelli is the chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group and has more than 20 years of experience in commercial and employment litigation in state and federal courts.
Brown Rudnick LLP honored by Human Rights Campaign
Brown Rudnick LLP was among those recognized at the Human Rights Campaign’s 5th Annual Corporate Equality Index Awards hosted by Time Warner in New York. The ceremony honored those Fortune 500 and American Lawyer’s “Top 200” law firms that scored 100 percent on HRC’s 2009 Corporate Equality Index and Best Places to Work Survey. Brown Rudnick joins the ranks of 259 other major U.S. businesses to receive a perfect score in recognition for their treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and consumers. In all, 583 businesses were rated, evaluating LGBT-related policies and practices, including non-discrimination policies, transgender health benefits and domestic partner benefits. Brown Rudnick is an active supporter of the HRC and was a returning sponsor of this year’s 8th Annual AURC Greater New York Gala in February.
Boston Law Collaborative given ABA “Lawyers as Problem Solver” award
The Boston Law Collaborative was the first private firm to be honored with the American Bar Association’s “Lawyers as Problem Solver” award on April 16 at the ABA’s annual dispute resolution conference in New York. Recognized for its innovative services, including collaborative law, mediation, arbitration and multi-disciplinary services, the Boston firm has a staff of seven lawyers and four paralegals. BLC’s primary focus is solving problems and resolving conflict in family, business and employment cases; taking a holistic approach to solving clients’ problems, it is one of the few firms in the United States to use multi-disciplinary personnel in both legal representation and dispute resolution work. The award was created in 2002 “to recognize individuals and organizations that use their legal skills in creative and often non-traditional ways to solve problems for their clients and within their communities.”
Cudkowicz appointed chair of Single-Plaintiff Practice Group
Ariel D. Cudkowicz, a partner in Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Boston office, was appointed chair of the firm’s national Single-Plaintiff Litigation Practice Group on April 13. The practice group defends a breadth of employment cases across the country in federal and state courts. In addition to his litigation practice, Cudkowicz lectures on wage and hour topics for human resource specialists and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Managers, the New England Human Resources Association, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and the Boston and Massachusetts bar associations.