Kelly Waters, managing partner of WSHB's New Jersey office, is well-known to clients throughout the nation for her sage counsel and thought leadership. This well-deserved reputation will be center stage during an awards ceremony on October 7, 2021 in Washington, D.C., when she will be honored for “Thought Leadership” by Corporate Counsel.
Waters is being recognized as a “Thought Leader” in Corporate Counsel's 2021 Women, Influence & Power in Law ("WIPL") Law Firm category. This highly coveted honor is bestowed upon general counsel, in-house counsel and law partners who exhibit commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in the law. “This is a group of powerful women being recognized for bringing business strategy and complex problem solving to every case they handle, and championing female lawyers both in and outside of the firm,” said Tracy Abatemarco, co-managing partner of WSHB’s New York office. “You have to be an outstanding, top flight lawyer to be considered for this award, and Kelly meets and exceeds that bar by a long-shot.”
“I am thrilled to be recognized and so proud to be honored for championing women both in and outside of our firm,” said Waters. “Diversity is a core value for me and the work we do at WSHB does make a difference both in our firm and others. I’m thrilled to join this group of smart, talented women who share my passion about making diversity in the workplace happen.”
An AmLaw 150 law firm, WSHB enjoys a reputation for diversity, having won the prestigious Diversity Award given by the DRI in 2014. Since that time, WSHB has been named in the top ten of all firms nationally for diversity, female lawyers, female partners and Hispanic lawyers.
“Kelly is so deserving of this recognition, she shares my passion and drive when it comes to diversity and empowering female lawyers – Kelly is a mentor, champion and advocate for female lawyers both inside and outside the firm, she is what makes our profession better,” said Janice Michaels, managing partner of WSHB’s Las Vegas office. “We both are so pleased our firm is consistently ranked nationally in the top ten for diversity, top ten for female lawyers and other top ten accolades.”
About Kelly Waters:
Kelly is a Partner in WSHB’ s New York office and Managing Partner of the firm’s New Jersey office. With more than 25 years of experience successfully defending complex litigation matters, Kelly is the lawyer to whom General Counsel and claims professionals turn to when they face a “bet the company” lawsuit. In addition to her extensive litigation experience, Kelly serves as a Municipal Court Judge in the Townships of Union and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Kelly is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society limited to 3,500 fellows, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. For more than twenty years Kelly served as a Trustee for the New Jersey Metro Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and is one of the Founders of the Women on the Move Luncheon which raises money to fund research and provide services for people diagnosed with MS. She is a founder and the former President of the Board of Directors of the Vanguard Theater Company, a community theater located in New Jersey dedicated to bringing diversity to the stage. She is also a member of the Ad Hoc Committee advising the Union County Office of LGBTQ Affairs.