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2024 Recipients

Samir Gandhi 

Samir Gandhi of the Axiom5 Law Chambers is nominated for this award based on his truly extraordinary effort as Vice-Chair of the International Comments and Policy Committee. Recently, the Competition Commission of India adapted its rules and practices due to significant changes in its organic statute. In rapid-fire succession, CCI sought comments on proposed actions in several major areas. Samir promptly brought each to the Committee's attention, assembled and managed an expert drafting group, produced first-class comments in each area, and shepherded each through Section and ABA review and approval under especially tight deadlines. The consistency and frequency of Samir’s high-quality work, and the magnitude of these dedicated efforts especially in view of the compressed schedules, is truly worthy of special recognition.

Goldie Walker

Goldie Walker of the FTC is nominated for this award based on her years of tireless work to advance the Section's goals, and in particular in her current role as Co-Chair of the Leadership Development Committee.  Goldie is the epitome of a leader -- there is no individual she overlooks, no project that she gives less weight, no detail that she skips over.  Goldie facilitated the start of incoming Section Chair Steve Cernak’s “Building Better Leaders” program; championed and organized a new series of programs for our YLR/YER members; and supervised and supported countless panels, speaking engagements, and Section initiatives both inside and outside of the Leadership Development Committee.  She has identified numerous speakers for our Leadership Summits and Midwinter conferences, actively works to increase membership participation through multiple Section events, and has ensured that the Section’s “Membership Spotlight” publications have not only continued but flourished.  Goldie’s commitment to the work and leadership of our Section and its activities continues to be truly outstanding. 

Ian Simmons

Ian Simmons of O’Melveny & Myers LLP is nominated for this award based on his outstanding recent contributions to Antitrust Magazine. Although Ian Simmons is a longtime member of the editorial board, in the past year, he has made numerous significant contributions to the magazine deserving of special recognition.  For the forthcoming issue, Ian secured an article on DOJ's recent track record, and he led a separate team writing another article on trying two-sided platform cases.  In the summer issue, he organized and moderated a symposium on trying monopolization cases. In the past spring issue, Ian moderated a panel discussion on women in antitrust (which he had also helped organize).  Ian has been a very active and enthusiastic contributor in Editorial Board meetings, and his willingness to spearhead and execute consecutive successful Magazine projects should be commended.

Christina Ma

Christina Ma was nominated for her continued dedication to the Our Curious Amalgam podcast since its inception. During her time with OCA, she produced and co-hosted numerous episodes, mentored other committee members, showcased fresh voices, promoted diversity among hosts and guests, and worked effectively with Section staff and leadership to boost OCA's quality and visibility within and outside the Section. As a testament to her work, under her leadership, OCA went from being funded year-to-year by Section reserves to a permanently funded content platform for expanding the reach of the Section to listeners around the world. OCA has grown significantly, thanks to Christina's leadership. Podcast analytics show that to date, listeners from 97 countries have streamed or downloaded episodes published by OCA over 250,000 times. Where individual episodes once averaged 200-300 streams/downloads within the first 30 days after publication, they now average well over 600--and sometimes over 800--in the same timeframe. These results are the fruit of Christina's continuing dedication to OCA and the podcast committee since its founding days.

Jane Antonio

Jane Antonio of Baker Botts was nominated for her outstanding work to advance young leaders in the International Policy and Comments Committee. She accomplished this through a series of efforts. On her own initiative, Jane held monthly meetings with the committee's YLRs and worked with them individually to ensure that they were substantively engaged in the committee's key projects. Separately, she helped to develop and support initiatives to promote an active role for our young leaders in the committee's webinar programs. In addition, she supported these young leaders to take on management of major committee reports, such as our retrospective report, and allowed them to thrive in doing so. While Jane's work for the committee consistently far exceeds the normal responsibilities of a committee vice-chair, through these efforts, she added extraordinary value to the Section and has ensured that these young leaders will be part of the Section's firmament for many years to come.

Trisha Grant

Trisha Grant of the FTC was nominated as Vice Chair of the Privacy and Information Security Committee, a role in which she conceived of and then organized, moderated, and marketed a series on AI and privacy which drew high numbers of attendees. Her promotional efforts included publishing articles in advance of the program and pushing to make sure attendance was high. She has also been an outstanding mento to young lawyers in the section through the series, promoted diverse panelists, and has been a "rockstar networker" responsible for reaching out to other parts of the Section and the broader ABA to cosponsor programs. She has taken on more responsibility by signing on to the Taskforce on AI within the Section of Intellectual Property Law. She is the "best of the best." Nominated by Erika Douglas.

Andrew Heimert

Andrew Heimert of the FTC was nominated as Programs Committee Chair by the Meetings staff team, who wanted to recognize him for his excellent collaboration skills, high standards for programs, willingness to work hard, and effectiveness. "His forward thinking has empowered both staff and members alike to seek out creative solutions (within policy & procedures) to navigate through these unique times. His positive outlook and fun demeanor have been inspirational to the current Meetings Team (plus former team members Alex and Max). He sweats the small stuff and that helps the Section achieve the goal of producing top notch programming globally with diverse perspectives (another Section goal) with diverse experts (and another Section goal) on our panels." I really like recognizing someone that the staff view as a good citizen and good partner.

Melissa Maxman

Melissa Maxman of Cohen Gresser was nominated by Julian Perlman of Baker Botts, based on her "effort to bring new members into the Section and promote new voices into leadership. She has singlehandedly introduced so many members and leaders to one of the most rewarding professional experiences of their career. Melissa has been critical to the future of the Section and to the growth of countless attorneys." Julian says of being brought along by Melissa: "Melissa was clear that I would get out of my experience in the section exactly what I put into it - and that has been entirely true. Under her guidance I have progressed to leadership, and it has been every bit the fulfilling experience I had hoped, and she had promised. Without that experience, I don't think I would fully appreciate the civility and intellect of the antitrust bar. I have made lifelong friends in the section not to mention trusted business relationships. And I'm just one person - I know for a fact that Melissa has mentored numerous others in the same way. Her focus on bringing new under-represented voices to leadership is truly remarkable. Somehow, on top of her efforts on behalf of the ABA, Melissa has also been a mentor outside of the section for more lawyers I can count - and is presumably responsible for as many of them sticking with the practice as joining the section. Someday, 20 years from now, the leadership of this section will still reveal Melissa's imprint and mentorship - she has done more than anyone I know for the future of the section."

2023 Recipients

Julie Webb, Partner, Locke Lord

Julie Webb, nominated by Nicole Callan (FTC), has gone above and beyond as the co-chair of the Civil Practice & Procedure Committee this year. In addition to her leadership of the Committee, Julie single-handedly assembled a team to update the Indirect Purchasers Handbook, which has not been updated since Apple v. Pepper.  Julie also stepped in multiple times when Vice Chairs and YLRs had conflicts or otherwise were not able to meet deadlines for Section projects.  Most recently, Julie took over our ALD Update chapter at the eleventh hour when a Vice Chair had to unexpectedly resign from leadership shortly before the Update needed to go to publication. Julie reach out to each contributor independently, edited the chapter, and worked nights and weekends to meet the Section's deadline for publication. Julie's commitment to the Section this year has been exceptional, and I strongly recommend her for an Outstanding Performance Award this year!

Amy Gilbert, Partner, McGuire Woods

Amy Gilbert (Vice Chair, Women.Connected) was nominated by Kellie Kemp (Uber Technologies) for her integral leadership of Women.Connected and for being an enthusiastic member of the Section more broadly. Amy has spearheaded together with Carla Baumel the development of a monthly digest for members and allies of Women.Connected. The digest will be a crucial tool for keeping membership up to date and informed about the numerous projects and events sponsored by Women.Connected.  After the first installment this past week, numerous members have already reached out to praise the importance of the digest for their participation in the committee and the Section. Amy also leads Quarterly Spotlight, a regular series of Women.Connected that highlights women in the profession.

Stephanie Pearl, Federal Government Attorney, USDOJ, Vice Chair Women.Connected

Stephanie ("Stevie") Pearl (Vice Chair, Women.Connected) was nominated by Kellie Kemp (Uber Technologies) for her integral leadership of Women.Connected and for being an enthusiastic member of the Section more broadly. She was pivotal in planning our Hall of Fame-inism this past year, an annual event where we recognize women for their distinguished achievement in competition, consumer protection and economics. Stevie ensured that the event was a success by developing an energizing agenda, preparing tribute videos for each of the Hall of Fame-inism inductees, and tirelessly marketing the event.

 Stevie has also been integral in developing Women.Connected's social media strategy across LinkedIn, Instagram and Communities. She helped to develop our brand and many of our templates and styles. Her work has enabled us to connect with new and existing members, and bring new women and allies into the Section. Stevie also spearheads our "Ten Things" Initiative, which is an interview series that connects attorneys at the beginning of their careers with rock star women attorneys in antitrust and consumer protection.  

Finally, Stevie is a fabulous mentor to younger practitioners and new members of Women.Connected. She always goes above and beyond in her role as Vice Chair to raise the external profile of the Section.

 

2022 Recipients

Jesse Beringer, Senior Associate, Orrick

Jesse Beringer was nominated by Svetlana Gans for her work as Co-Chair of the Young Lawyer Taskforce in addition to her role as co-coordinator of the Section’s Young Lawyer/Economist Representative (YLR/YER) Program—duties which she took on simultaneously during the 2021-22 Section year.  In every role she has had within the Section—as co-YLR to the Programs and Teleseminars Committee and simply as a volunteer pitching in where required—Jesse has brought energy, enthusiasm organization, and imagination to her positions.  She is proactive in training and development and serves as an ambassador to many law students and lawyers looking to join the Section.  She is also very enthusiastic and also willing to lend a hand on various projects.

Patrick English, Counsel, Latham

Patrick English (Co-Chair Membership Committee, 2021-22) was nominated by Michaela Spero for his “unflagging enthusiasm for meeting and surpassing targets” over his years as Co-Chair of Membership, during which he helped transition Women.Connected and Diversity.Advanced to committees from initiatives; oversee the increasingly popular “Why Antitrust?” program as an in-person and remote event; and support the Mentoring and Law Student Ambassador program.  In addition, he has served as leader of the LGBTQ+ Squad, providing critical support for diverse members and a platform for brainstorming new initiatives, including the recent proposal for an LGBTQ+ speakers list and coaching program.  As important is Patrick’s sustained presence as a modest, inclusive, effective, and hard-working model leader, who is unfailingly pleasant to staff and quick to give credit to other ABA colleagues.

Francesca Pisano, Senior Associate, Arnold & Porter

Francesca Pisano (Vice Chair of Transportation and Energy Industries Committee, 2021-22) was nominated by Laura Collins (Chair of TEI) for Francesca’s successful effort to create opportunities for new and diverse lawyers by designing, launching, and overseeing an original five-installment speaker series.  In many instances, this series was the first time the individuals had had an opportunity to speak publicly.  By pairing the speakers with more experienced moderators, the series was able to create valuable mentorship relationships in addition to creating opportunities for new and diverse lawyers to effectively raise their professional profiles.  This is the type of innovation, in service of the Section’s broader diversity and engagement goals and facilitated by a junior and diverse member of the Section, that the OPAs were designed to recognize.

Caroline Ziser Smith, Senior Associate, Gibson Dunn

Caroline Ziser Smith (Vice Chair, Spring Meeting, 2021-22) was nominated by Jarrett Arp for her sustained commitment to the success of both the Cartel Conference over many years, starting in 2014, and her role as Vice Chair of the Spring Meeting.  Planning either of these event is a huge load but the fact that Caroline planned both in the same year is extraordinary.  Caroline assisted with all aspects of each program including speaker outreach, panel organization, marketing, and overall logistics.  Her commitment is commendable in its own right but also because of her busy law firm practice.

Christopher Yook, Partner, King & Spalding

Christopher Yook, Vice Chair of the Content Committee (2021-22) was nominated by Steve Stack for his “exceptional” work on the new Section website.  As the “prime mover” in the migration of the Section’s content over to the new website, Chris worked over many months to oversee the vendor responsible for the migration process.  Chris’s efforts saved Section leadership and staff countless hours of painstaking labor, allowing them to focus on other Section priorities.  Chris has also been a driving force in the design, testing, and launch of the site and has provided valuable advice about its future administration.  Chris’ contribution of his technological and communications expertise to the new website follows on his prior work supporting innovations like the 2020 virtual Spring Meeting and Section mobile app, in addition to significant substantive contributions to the Section as an author, panelist, and editor.

Shelley Webb, SVP and General Counsel, Pager Duty

Shelley Webb (Co-Chair of Unilateral Conduct Committee) was nominated by Jody Boudreault for her exceptional leadership of the Unilateral Conduct Committee.  Jody highlighted Shelley’s efforts to generate high quality content, including through town halls, comments, newsletters and programming, including the UCC’s “Breaking News” programming, which draws hundreds of attendees; to expand the committee’s membership to include more new and diverse lawyers; and to take the UCC to the next level through creation of an Advisory Panel.  As a leader, Shelley has created a collaborative and welcoming committee environment, and makes it “a joy” to attend committee meetings.  At the same time, she was leading, Shelley helmed a very labor-intensive Spring Meeting program involving state, federal, and international enforcers (with that labor specifically including the composition of all CLE materials).

2021 Recipients

Robert "Bob" Langer

The Section staff nominated Robert "Bob" Langer for his sustained leadership of the Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project over the course of the past 17 years.  That program creates an opportunity for first-and second-year law students to be introduced to consumer protection and antitrust law as well as careers in public service in connection with paid positions in the offices of state attorneys general. To date, under Bob's leadership, 460 students have been placed in attorneys general offices in 47 states and territories throughout the country (and in the NAAG Office, in recent years).  Bob's commitment to the Steiger Fellowship resulted in the program receiving the ABA SOC Meritorious Service Award in 2018.

Staff noted that the program is a success "because Bob works tirelessly, with his Co-Chair and Vice Chairs, to make each project year better than the previous year. He spends hours participating in student interviews to ensure potential fellows have a great understanding of who Janet D. Steiger was, become acquainted with the work of the American Bar Association and Antitrust Law Section, and appreciate the value of interning at an Attorneys General Office. He also makes personal connections with representatives from each host site to underscore how important their partnership with the Section is to creating experiences that are invaluable to both their office and the fellow."

Bob's service to the Section hits all the right notes with respect to the Outstanding Performance Award: Bob's long tenure as part of the project is extraordinary; over time it has brought in hundreds of new lawyers to the Section and to the field of consumer protection and antitrust law; and it has raised the profile of the Section within the broader ABA and the legal community.

Andrea Rivers

Svetlana Gans nominated Andrea Rivers, Vice Chair of Diversity.Advanced and a member of the ABA Antitrust Section Young Lawyer Task Force, for the Distinguished Service Award in connection with her contributions to the launch of the Section's Law School Ambassador program.  Andrea is currently an associate at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider and recent graduate of American University Washington College of Law.  In 2021, she served as Law Student Liaison during the inaugural year of Law Student Ambassador Program.  In that key role, she developed protocols and processes, held quarterly LSA calls, helped with onboarding, and conducted LSA training sessions.  After her Liaison term, she volunteered extensively with Diversity.Advanced, handling several panels and initiatives while still a law student.  This year, she has assisted with various Section LSA marketing efforts, D.A. programs, as well as a substantive training curriculum for law students and YLs.

2020 Recipients

Deona Kalala

Deona Kalala was nominated for her leadership in several roles in connection with the Section's diversity initiatives during this critical moment in history.  Deona was instrumental in mounting the Celebrating Diversity virtual reception during Virtual Spring Meeting as Vice Chair of the Membership, Diversity & Inclusion Committee; stepped up to be Co-Chair of the Diversity.Advanced Initiative when it was established in April; and has continued to provide effective leadership in her roles as Vice Chair of the Membership, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Vice Chair of the Women.Connected Initiative, and Liaison from the ABA Young Lawyers Division.  According to the Directory, Deona is the only member of current Leadership to hold four positions in the 2020-21 term.  In these roles, Deona has provided outstanding leadership and built broad support within the Section to get Diversity.Advanced off the ground; responded to the racial justice movement by leading the composition and distribution of Section member statements in June; and helped to facilitate the 21-day Diversity Challenge in September.  Other members of leadership and staff describe Deona as having an extraordinary ability to get things done, build effective teams, and generate participation in diversity initiatives across the Section.  Their endorsement of her skill and commitment to the Section was not only uniform but uniformly exuberant and unreserved.  With respect to the criteria for the Outstanding Participation Award, we think Deona's extraordinary commitment to promoting the Section's diversity initiatives on behalf of all members, and her willingness to step in to provide leadership during an extraordinarily challenging and important time, makes her a great recipient of the award.

Hollis Salzman

In recognition of outstanding service to the Antitrust Law Section’s Mentorship Program. The Hollis Salzman Mentorship Award was also raised as a potential new award.  This idea received unanimous support from the IMI group and serves the goals of the awards program overall.  The details of Hollis's commitment to mentorship have been discussed in other remembrances.  Because mentoring our younger Section members is so important, we support giving the award to Hollis posthumously and, as we recognize other Section leaders in the future for their great mentorship, that we use those future occasions to remember Hollis.  While we make this recommendation, we also recognize that it should be provided in coordination with any other efforts the Section is making to recognize Hollis and, as a newly-named award, might also require additional approvals within the ABA.

Matt Sawchak

Matt Sawchak was nominated for his leadership as Editorial Board Chair of the Antitrust Law Journal.  Matt was described as someone who has worked tirelessly-and out of the spotlight-in this demanding position, devoting an extraordinary amount of time and energy to maintaining and improving this cornerstone of the Section.  Since taking on the role of Editorial Board Chair, Matt has instituted new protocols that have improved the quality of the Antitrust Law Journal, including leadership of regular calls with members of the Board, and convening, training, and actively supervising a team of law student cite checkers.  Tina Miller described his commitment to this important function as "unbound" and said that it is key to maintaining the consistency and quality of the Journal.  By convening this team, Matt has created an effective way of connecting law students to the Section and to introducing a new generation of law students to antitrust scholarship.  Matt also established a new position on the Board, Research Editor, which allows more junior lawyers to hone their galley proofing, cite checking and editing skills in order to allow the more senior editors to focus on substantive areas critical to the Journal.  Because the Research Editors may convert to full Board members based on performance, this position has created a new pathway to leadership for junior Section members.  Matt also devotes significant energy to developing and promoting new ideas for the Journal's symposium issue, which is a key initiative that generates many of the Journal's best articles, and on top of everything, also serves on the Future of the Journal Task Force.  Matt's outstanding contributions were confirmed by Art Burke.  With respect to the criteria for the Outstanding Participation Award, we think Matt's extraordinary commitment to improving the Journal by expanding the pool of talent supporting it, and providing new ways for law students and junior lawyers to engage with the Section and scholarship in a meaningful way, would also make him a great recipient of the award.