Women in Business Law Awards Americas 2024: shortlist announced

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Women in Business Law Awards Americas 2024: shortlist announced

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The finalists for the 13th annual awards revealed

The Women in Business Law Awards is excited to have released the full list of finalists for its 2024 Americas awards.

The awards bring together to recognize the leading women lawyers on both continents and celebrate the law firms that have impressive initiatives to promote diversity and women in the legal industry.

Winners will be announced on June 13, 2024 at the Union League Club in New York.


A preview of the financial and corporate specialism finalists can be found below and the full list of the finalists is available on the awards website.

The Women in Business Law Awards research team carefully selected each finalist after a thorough research period which included an analysis of direct submissions, client feedback, and much deliberation.

If you have any questions regarding our research process, please contact awards editor John Harrison.

The Women in Business Law Awards will be announcing the winners on June 13th at a live awards gala. To find out more – and to find out about how you can promote your success – please contact George Reeves

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Preview of the Women in Business Law Awards Americas 2024 shortlist:

Lawyer of the Year

  • Banking & Finance

    Analía Battaglia, Bruchou & Fuenes de Rioja
    Eliza McDougall, White & Case
    Elizabeth Yahl, Cahill Gordon & Reindel
    Jennifer St John Yount, Paul Hastings
    Kate Day, Bracewell
    Lauren Hanrahan, Milbank
    Teresa Harmon, Sidley Austin
    Vanessa Jackson, Davis Polk & Wardwell
    Ye (Cecilia) Hong, Baker McKenzie
  • Equity Capital Markets

    Anna Pinedo, Mayer Brown
    Barbra Broudy, Weil Gotshal & Manges
    Camila Goldberg, BMA Advogados
    Fabiana Sakai, Milbank
    Faiza Rahman, Ropes & Gray
    Hillary Holmes, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
    Jessica Chen, White & Case
    Leticia Galdino Wanderley, Demarest
    Roshni Banker Cariello, Davis Polk & Wardwell
  • Investment Funds

    Elizabeth Shea Fries, Sidley Austin
    Isabel Dische, Ropes & Gray
    Jane Goldman Nusbaum, BMA Advogados
    Liza Lenas, Cleary Gottlieb
    Marissa Wiley, Nixon Peabody
    Stephanie Srulowitz, Weil Gotshal & Manges
  • Private Equity

    Beatriz Seixas, TozziniFreire Advogados
    Carolyn Vardi, Ropes & Gray
    Luciana Felisbino, Madrona Fialho Advogados
    Luciana Tornovsky, Demarest
    Manuela Lisboa Gentil Monteiro, Machado Meyer
    Marissa Wiley, Nixon Peabody
    Marni Lerner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
    Megan Spelman, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
    Ramona Nee, Weil Gotshal & Manges
  • Restructuring & Insolvency

    Alice Eaton, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
    Debra Dandeneau, Baker McKenzie
    Giuliana Schunck, Trench Rossi Watanabe
    Lisa Schweitzer, Cleary Gottlieb
    Madlyn Primoff, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    Naomi Moss, Akin
    Natasha Tsiouris, Davis Polk & Wardwell
    Rachel Strickland, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
    Shari Heyen, Greenberg Traurig
  • Debt Capital Markets

    Camila Goldberg, BMA Advogados
    Catherine Clarkin, Sullivan & Cromwell
    Deanna Kirkpatrick, Davis Polk & Wardwell
    Leticia Galdino Wanderley, Demarest
    Lillian Tsu, Cleary Gottlieb
    María Angélica Grisolia, ZBV Abogados
    Meghan McDermott, Cahill Gordon & Reindel
    Risë Norman, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
    Susan Rabinowitz, Mayer Brown
  • Financial Regulation

    Jane Goldman Nusbaum, BMA Advogados
    Jennifer Morton, Shearman & Sterling
    Melissa Bender, Ropes & Gray
    Sara Weed, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
    Valecia McDowell, Moore & Van Allen
  • M&A

    Amanda Fenster, Weil Gotshal & Manges
    Amy O'Keefe, Nixon Peabody
    Anna Mello, Trench Rossi Watanabe
    Cheryl Chan, Davis Polk & Wardwell
    Débora Sejtman Gartner, Demarest
    Kimberly Petillo-Décossard, White & Case
    Kimberly Spoerri, Cleary Gottlieb
    Marni Lerner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
    Michelle Heisner, Baker McKenzie
  • Project Finance

    Camila Goldberg, BMA Advogados
    Carolina Walther-Meade, Milbank
    Marcela Silva, Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría
    Vanessa Franyutti J, Nader Hayaux & Goebel
  • Structured Finance

    Anastasia Peterson, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
    Anna Carolina Malta Spilborghs, BMA Advogados
    Anna Pinedo, Mayer Brown
    Audrey Sung, Holland & Knight
    Kathryn (Katie) Weiss, Milbank
    Leslie Plaskon, Sidley
    Yan Zhang, Davis Polk & Wardwell

Latin America Lawyer of the Year

  • Corporate

    Ana Sofia Rios, Chevez Ruiz Zamarripa
    Andrea Ometto Bittar Tincani, Finocchio & Ustra Sociedade de Advogados
    Anna Mello, Trench Rossi Watanabe
    Isabel Costa Carvalho, Hogan Lovells
    Liliana Espinosa, Estudio Echecopar
    Michelle Sutter, LatinAlliance
    Miyanou Dufour, Hernández & Cía
    Nathalie Paredes, Miranda & Amado
    Verónica Franco, FERRERE
  • Financial

    Camila Goldberg, BMA Advogados
    Jimena Gonzalez de Cossio, Chevez Ruiz Zamarripa
    Luciana Denegri, Beccar Varela
    Marcia Cicarelli, Demarest
    María Angélica Grisolia, ZBV Abogados
    María Fernanda Diago Romero, Brigard Urrutia
    Nydia Guevara, Rodrigo Elías & Medrano Abogados
    Rosemarie McLaren Magnus, Galicia Abogados
    Vivian Liberman, BLP

Rising Star

  • Corporate

    Anusha Simha, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
    Bruna Pacheco, Demarest
    Elizabeth Bieber, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    Kelly Padgett, Paul Hastings
    Kristen Rohr, White & Case
    Mallory Craig-Karim, Weil Gotshal & Manges
    Roxana Schaffer, Galicia Abogados
    Sali Wissa, Baker McKenzie
    Shanu Bajaj, Davis Polk & Wardwell
  • Financial

    Danielle Santucci, Holland & Knight
    Emily Banse, Bracewell
    Joyce Shin, Paul Hastings
    Juliana Azem Turini, BMA Advogados
    Lauren Tauro, Weil Gotshal & Manges
    Maria Angélica Meneses, Rodrigo Elías & Medrano Abogados
    Rebeca García López, White & Case
    Sophia Agathis, Seward & Kissel
    Thaís Ambrosano, Mello Torres

The Basics

Individuals are judged not only on the complexity of the work the nominees completed in 2023, but also on their advocacy, influence, and thought leadership in relation to the promotion of women in the practice of law and within their practice area specialisms and involvement in ESG initiatives.

Law firm initiatives are recognised across various categories, including for gender diversity and work-life balance.

All of the work accepted for shortlisting closed during the research period, which was from January 1 to December 31 2023. The awards do not recognise cases, deals, or transactions completed outside of the research period.

The Women in Business Law Awards is supported by IFLR, but run independently from IFLR1000 research.

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