NEW YORK – Sept. 25, 2024 – Two of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s leading shareholders were recognized with Corporate Counsel 2024 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards. Lori G. Cohen was honored for Innovative Leadership, and Nikki Lewis Simon was honored as a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Champion. Honorees were celebrated at an event Sept. 24 as part of the publication’s WIPL Conference in Chicago.
The WIPL awards honor in-house and law firm women leaders and allies who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law, according to Corporate Counsel.
Cohen was recognized for finding an innovative way to communicate after losing her ability to speak in March 2022. Cohen, who is vice chair of Greenberg Traurig and leads more than 700 attorneys nationally and internationally as co-chair of the firm’s Global Litigation Practice, is nationally recognized for her trial record of 58 defense verdicts. She is also the founder of the firm’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Health Care Practice and its Trial Practice. In these roles, Cohen depends on her remarkable ability to advocate and persuade, using her voice to do so.
To regain her voice, Cohen explored many technology-driven solutions, eventually finding one that could help to a meaningful degree. Working with her long-time trial technologist Gerard Buitrago, they discovered Eleven Labs, an AI voice generation company providing the possibility of creating an AI voice that sounds like Cohen and used for presentations/courtroom work. Together, they customized the technology Cohen now uses as a trial lawyer and as a leader at Greenberg Traurig. Recognizing this innovative, ongoing work impacting voice-generating AI for those who need it in the legal industry and beyond, American Lawyer Media awarded Cohen and Buitrago its first-ever Outstanding Achievement in Legal Technology Award in 2023.
Simon, who is senior vice president of Greenberg Traurig and the firm’s chief DEI officer, was recognized for her contributions to the legal industry and to the promotion of DEI in her roles at the firm and her work with clients. Simon designs and guides strategic initiatives to deepen firmwide diversity and inclusion efforts that further enrich client engagements and community investments. Her role is indicative of, and integral to, Greenberg Traurig’s core values of collaboration and inclusion – principles that inform the firm’s operations and legal business in meaningful, positive ways.
For more than 10 years, Simon has helped in-house counsel understand how to help firms retain and develop diverse lawyers and serves as an advisor on internal DEI matters. A commercial litigator with nearly 25 years of experience, Simon utilizes her talent to create meaningful connections with clients that further advance DEI in the legal profession. Given her experience, Simon is also an active member of Greenberg Traurig’s Labor & Employment Practice’s team of diverse lawyers who concentrate on strategic DEI and employment counseling.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firm’s efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity X/Twitter: @GT_Drives.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2750 attorneys in 48 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI “Highly Recommended Law Firm” for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.