Willig, Williams & Davidson's Deborah Willig Receives 2010 Philadelphia Business Journal Woman of Distinction Award

DOYLESTOWN, PA November 05, 2010 (Press-News.org) Willig, Williams & Davidson, a Philadelphia union-side labor law firm, is proud to announce that firm managing partner Deborah R. Willig has been named a 2010 Philadelphia Business Journal Woman of Distinction.

"Philadelphia Business Journal is thrilled to honor women who are true role models in our region in professional achievement and in community service," said Craig Ey, editor of Philadelphia Business Journal. "The 2010 Women of Distinction winners, in particular, embody all of what makes the Philadelphia region great; people who are very talented, passionate about what they do and committed to personal, professional and community success."

Willig began making her mark in the legal profession even before she became a 1975 graduate of Temple University School of Law. She served as president of the Student Bar Association's board of governors, was recognized for outstanding service, was selected to the school's moot court and delivered her class' commencement address. In 1979, Willig co-founded the Philadelphia union-side labor law firm, Willig, Williams & Davidson and has been the firm's managing partner since its inception.

A staunch advocate for workers, Willig represents a wide variety of labor unions, including teachers and other school employees, public health, social and recreation workers, firefighters, teamsters and steel workers. For decades she has participated in every major contract negotiation involving the employees of the City of Philadelphia and its school district. She also keeps an active practice in employee benefit matters.

Willig has maintained an impressive array of leadership positions within the legal profession and her community. A pioneer for women lawyers, she became the Philadelphia Bar Association's first woman Chancellor in 1992. She has also sat on and chaired many of the association's committees including the Women's Rights, Labor Law, Bench-Bar Conference and Nominating committees. Willig has chaired its Task Force on Gender Fairness and was a board member of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program. She is a member of the American Law Institute, is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and is president of the French International School of Philadelphia.

A sought after speaker, Willig shares her expertise as a guest lecturer at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Temple University Beasley School of Law and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. These and other organizations frequently tap Willig to participate in panel discussions and other educational programming. Most recently, The Legal Intelligencer recognized Willig as a longtime glass-ceiling breaker and supporter of women in the profession as the publication called on her to moderate a February 2010 roundtable discussion addressing the hiring and retention of female attorneys.

Award recipients were chosen based on their outstanding professional accomplishments and active community involvement. Honorees will be recognized at an awards banquet on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at the Sheraton City Center in Philadelphia. To purchase tickets, visit http://events.bizjournals.com/13321.

Willig, Williams & Davidson is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm's accomplished and diverse legal team focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds, individual working people and their families. Its attorneys work with clients to find practical and efficient solutions to the problems that they face in a variety of legal forums, including national, regional and local contract negotiations and dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and court litigation. For more information, go to http://www.wwdlaw.com.

Furia Rubel is a certified woman-owned (WBE) Philadelphia-area public relations agency. We provide expert strategic planning and public relations / publicity services to lawyers and the legal industry, professional service firms, business-to-business organizations (B2B), education and nonprofit institutions. We also work with companies with unique service offerings such as internationally-acclaimed authors, special events and green initiatives.