Katten announced today that the firm awarded its John P. Sieger Excellence in Mentoring Award to partner Kenya S. Woodruff and paralegal Tyson Lamoreaux.
The award, created last year, celebrates the mentorship legacy of the firm’s late Insolvency and Restructuring practice chair and longtime partner John P. Sieger. This year marked the first time that both an attorney and a business professional were recognized for exemplifying Sieger’s dedication to mentorship and the highest ideals of the legal profession.
“Our award recipients share the same commitment John had for mentoring and supporting colleagues at the firm to foster a nurturing, positive culture that encourages personal and professional growth,” said Katten Chairman Roger P. Furey. “Kenya and Tyson are true Kattenambassadors who have offered helpful guidance and meaningful advice, and in doing so honored John’s memory.”
Dozens of nominations were reviewed by the internal selection committee, consisting of firm leaders and representation from Katten affinity groups and other firm committees.
Woodruff, who is based in Dallas, is the national co-chair of the Health Care practice and national chair of Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum, which supports the growth and advancement of women attorneys through various initiatives, programs and events.
“Kenya is an inclusive and warm leader who puts her people first and says their names in the rooms where important decisions are being made, which was one of the behaviors that also made John so special,” according to one mentee.
In accepting the award at a virtual ceremony, Woodruff said she is in a season of gratitude. “I am thankful for my wonderful mentors, and thankful to have found Katten in my career,” she said, adding,“I encourage you to care about somebody else and invest in someone, so you, too, can share in John’s legacy.”
Lamoreaux was recognized for making a difference as a paralegal in the Insurance and Health Care Fraud Litigation practice in the Chicago office.
“[Tyson]will pick up every phone call and answer every email when one of [the] paralegals needs help. He is selfless and really wants every single paralegal on his team to succeed,” according to a nomination.
Lamoreaux thanked his colleagues for their support and the stories they shared about the lasting impact Sieger had on them. “Listening to everything today, all I can think about is how he took the time to care about others and helped them be seen and heard. Like John, we can all do the same,” Lamoreaux said.
More than 80 attorneys and business professionals were nominated for the firm award. “The people who were nominated all made a difference in someone’s career, made a difference in someone’s life. That is quite an accomplishment if we can all do that,” Furey said.
Katten is a full-service law firm with approximately 700 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai. Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm’s core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals. For more information, visit katten.com.
