Jones Day was recognized across five categories in The Legal Intelligencer's 2021 Professional Excellence Awards, including four lawyer recognitions in the Firm's Pittsburgh Office. Each year, The Legal Intelligencer's Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and lawyers who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession.
In all, the five recognitions Jones Day earned were:
- Law Firm of the Year – Finalist (winner to be announced at awards program on June 24, 2021)
- Distinguished Leaders – Rebekah (Becky) Byers Kcehowski
- Best Law Firm Mentors – Margaret (Meg) C. Gleason
- Most Effective Dealmakers – David (Dave) Grubman
- Lawyers on the Fast Track – Diana Y. Defino
Law Firm of the Year
Jones Day was named as a finalist for "Law Firm of the Year." The winner will be announced on June 24, 2021, with the award going to the firm in Pennsylvania that has demonstrated talent depth and a broad spectrum of achievements in litigation, deals, mentorship, and associate development over the past year.
Distinguished Leaders - Becky Kcehowski
Ms. Kcehowski is the Partner-in-Charge and head of litigation for Jones Day's Pittsburgh Office. A partner in the Firm's Business & Tort Litigation Practice, Becky leads complex consumer and commercial matters. She is well-known for her class action defense work and has defeated class certification in consumer and business-to-business cases seeking hundreds of millions of dollars. Long active in Pittsburgh, Ms. Kcehowski serves on multiple nonprofit boards, with executive committee leadership roles at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Junior Achievement. In 2021, Becky became co-chair of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh, restructuring the organization as it works to promote inclusive growth and economic revitalization in the 10-county region in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Best Law Firm Mentors - Meg Gleason
Ms. Gleason is a partner in Jones Day's Business & Tort Litigation Practice and the Hiring Partner for Jones Day's Pittsburgh Office, where she leads the Recruiting Committee, mentors junior lawyers, and is a member of the Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement Committee. As a Business & Tort Litigation Partner, Ms. Gleason litigates high-stakes commercial matters in state and federal court and arbitral tribunals. In addition to her litigation practice, she maintains an active pro bono practice, including previously leading the trial of a successful international child abduction case in federal court. She is active in the local federal court professional community and has served as co-chair of the federal local rules advisory committee and as chairperson of a federal judicial merit selection panel. She currently serves on the board of directors of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.
Most Effective Dealmakers - Dave Grubman
Mr. Grubman is a partner in Jones Day's M&A Practice and has long been a trusted advisor to numerous public company and private-equity backed clients in their most strategically significant transactions. He currently represents, among others, U.S. Steel Corporation, Shiseido Co. Ltd, Coronado Global Resources Inc., FirstEnergy Corporation, NEP Group, Inc., Tekni-Plex, Inc., Hornblower Group, CNX Resources, and Calgon Carbon Corporation. Notably, during the height of the pandemic, General Motors turned to Mr. Grubman to lead Jones Day's representation of GM's groundbreaking Project V partnership with Ventec Life Systems to manufacture ventilators for the U.S. government. Mr. Grubman runs the Pittsburgh Office M&A Practice, is co-head of Business Development, and is a member of the Recruiting Committee. He is also very active in his community, serving in leadership positions on the board of directors of Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, where he is the immediate past board chair, and the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
Lawyers on the Fast Track – Diana Defino
Ms. Defino is an associate in Jones Day's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice. Her practice focuses on complex employee benefits and executive compensation matters, including in acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, and executive transitions. She has counseled clients on more than 70 completed transactions, including Alcoa's recent sale of its rolling mill business to Kaiser Aluminum for $670 million; Shiseido's acquisition of the Drunk Elephant skincare brand for $845 million; and LORD Corporation's acquisition by Parker Hannifin, valued at $3.675 billion. Diana regularly prepares and negotiates employment, separation, bonus, and change-of-control agreements. Ms. Defino also chairs a subcommittee of the Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement Committee in Jones Day's Pittsburgh Office and has served the office in a number of different roles, including as co-chair for the upcoming Pittsburgh Summer Associate Program.
Jones Day is a global law firm with more than 2,500 lawyers in 42 offices across five continents. The Firm is distinguished by: a singular tradition of client service; the mutual commitment to, and the seamless collaboration of, a true partnership; formidable legal talent across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions; and shared professional values that focus on client needs.
