Susan E. Rich Award
Each year, Baker Donelson recognizes an attorney for excellence in the promotion of and commitment to women in the legal profession through the Susan E. Rich Award. Baker Donelson established the Susan E. Rich Award in honor of Susan Elliot Rich, a shareholder in the Firm's Chattanooga office, who was the Firm's first woman shareholder, the first woman to be appointed as an office managing shareholder and the first woman appointed to the Firm's board of directors. Tim Lupinacci was named the recipient of the 2016 Susan E. Rich Award for excellence in the promotion of and commitment to women in the legal profession.
"Tim's dedication to the advancement of women at Baker Donelson makes him incredibly deserving of the Susan E. Rich Award," said Christy Tosh Crider, chair of Baker Donelson's Women's Initiative. "During his three years as co-chair of the Women's Initiative's Pathways to Leadership Committee, he has been a tireless advocate for sponsoring women at Baker Donelson to ensure they can reach their highest potential. As chair of our Financial Institutions Group, he has led by example, consistently increasing the percentage of women in leadership positions."
A shareholder in Baker Donelson's Birmingham office, Mr. Lupinacci serves as chair of the Firm's Financial Services Group, comprised of more than 90 attorneys representing clients across a broad spectrum of the financial sector. He concentrates his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and restructuring, financial services and transactions, and health law. He represents special servicers, indenture trustees, banks, financial institutions and asset-based lenders in loan workouts and insolvency, with an emphasis on health care insolvency, restructures and workouts. Mr. Lupinacci has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2005, Alabama Super Lawyers since 2008, and Chambers USA since 2009. In 2015, he was named the Birmingham Bankruptcy Litigation "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers. He is a frequent author and lecturer on creditors' rights, workouts and insolvency and is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute as well as the American, Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations, and is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
Work-Life Warrior Award
Baker Donelson established the Work-Life Warrior Award to honor an attorney in the Firm who demonstrates an ongoing commitment to excellence in maintaining a healthy work-life balance or has advocated on behalf of work-life balance issues for the benefit of others. Angie C. Davis is the recipient of the Firm's 2016 Work-Life Warrior Award.
"Angie is widely recognized as a leader in her field and provides exceptional service to her clients, all while managing the demands of being a single mother with two very active boys," said Christy Tosh Crider. "Whether she's addressing client concerns with her usual calm, take-charge approach or handling business from the soccer sidelines, basketball court bleachers and football field, she is a true example of what it means to have a work-life balance."
A shareholder in the Firm's Memphis office, Ms. Davis partners with clients on all aspects of employment issues. Her practice includes providing counsel to executives, human resources managers and other clients regarding a range of employment issues, developing employee handbooks and policy and procedure manuals, and representing clients in cases filed in both federal and state courts and in matters pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® in labor and employment law since 2011, and has also been included in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers. Since 2009, Ms. Davis has been listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, which also named her among the top 50 female attorneys in the Mid-South (2011 – 2015) and among the top 50 and top 100 attorneys in the Mid-South (2014).