Shawn M. Wright Receives Blank Rome’s Inaugural Bonnie Glantz Fatell Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award
Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Partner Shawn M. Wright, who serves as co-chair of the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Firm’s Bonnie Glantz Fatell Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award. Presented by Blank Rome’s Women’s Forum, the award was created to recognize attorneys and professionals for their significant contributions to women’s advocacy and leadership, both at the Firm and in their communities. Earlier this year, Shawn was also recognized as an Emerging Women Leader in Private Practice by DCA Live and was named to the Lawyers of Color Power List.
“We are so proud to present our first annual Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award to Shawn and to honor our colleague and dear friend Bonnie in this very special way,” said Deborah A. Skakel, Partner and Chair of Blank Rome’s Women’s Forum. “As Bonnie did before her, Shawn has carried the Blank Rome banner with pride and grace and has endeared herself to attorneys and staff across our Firm with her exemplary demeanor, mentorship, and leadership approach. We are excited to honor future recipients of this award and to continue promoting forward-thinking policies and programs aimed at advancing women in law.”
“I’m deeply humbled and honored to be the inaugural recipient of this distinguished and meaningful award,” said Shawn. “Bonnie was an outstanding attorney, advocate for women, and compassionate human being, who not only did good, but also reminded us to be good for the right reasons. I look forward to honoring Bonnie’s legacy by continuing the work of charting a path for women to be wildly successful at our Firm, the legal industry, and in our communities.”
The Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award is named in honor of Blank Rome’s late colleague, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, and is a lasting tribute to her legacy and contributions to Blank Rome and the countless lives she touched during her nearly 35 years with the Firm. Bonnie was a true trailblazer: she served as chair of our Business Restructuring and Bankruptcy group (one of the first women attorneys in the country to chair a national bankruptcy group), was the recipient of dozens of recognitions for her incredible professional and personal accomplishments, and committed significant time and effort to mentoring attorneys throughout their careers.
A deserving recipient of this distinguished honor, Shawn is a nationally recognized attorney, mentor, community leader, and fierce supporter of women. At Blank Rome, she previously led the Firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations practice group and has served on numerous Firm-wide leadership committees over the past five years alone. Shawn has also served as a career development advisor for five women associates from across four practice groups and has been a mentor and confidant to a countless number of attorneys throughout the Firm over the years.
Outside of the Firm, Shawn serves as vice chair of the board of directors of My Sister’s Place, one of the oldest domestic violence shelters in the District of Columbia, and is a member of the Women President’s Organization – Greenbelt Chapter, which supports and promotes women-owned companies. She was also recently elected to the board of directors of the National Capital Bank of Washington and is active in numerous bar associations and other professional organizations, including the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia.