Annual Awards Dinner
JALBCA's Annual Awards Dinner is held every year in May with the mission to raise funds for providing grants to various nonprofit organizations in the Tri-State area, to support legal and social services to cancer patients and their families, particularly those who could not otherwise afford them, as well as education and training efforts and early detection initiatives. Each year, the Maite Aquino Memorial Grant Award is presented to a recipient in the private sector, and the Leadership Achievement Award is presented to a recipient in the public sector.
The 2024 Maite Aquino Memorial Grant Award was presented to the Litigation Department of Morgan Stanley and James Mangan, Managing Director & Global Head of Litigation, and the Leadership Achievement Award was presented to the Honorable Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Jaci P. Flug received the Volunteer Services Award for her many years of dedicated service to JALBCA.
This year, the 2025 Maite Aquino Memorial Grant Award is being presented to the Legal, Tax, and Compliance Department of Apollo Global Management and accepted by Whitney Chatterjee, Partner and CLO.
More information and registration details for the 2025 Annual Awards Dinner will be available soon.
2024 Annual Awards Dinner
Previous Award Recipients
Maite Aquino Memorial Award—Private Sector
2024 - Morgan Stanley
2023 - Pfizer Inc.
2022 - Tony West and the Legal Department at Uber
2021 - Martha S. Samuelson and Analysis Group
2020 - The IBM Legal Department
2019 - The AIG Global Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Department
2018 - Citi Legal Department
2017 - John Goggins & The Moody's Legal Team
2016 - Barclays Global Litigation Team
2015 - Gregory K. Palm, EVP & General Counsel - The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
2014 - Jill Centella & The JPMorgan Chase & Co. Litigation Team
2013 - US Litigation Team, UBS
2012 - Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP
Leadership Achievement Award—Public Sector
2024 - Honorable Rowan D. Wilson
2023 - Judges of the Surrogate's Courts of the First & Second Departments
2022 - Judges of the Southern District of New York
2021 - The Matrimonial Judges of the State of New York
2020 - Hon. Jenny Rivera, Associate Judge of the NY Court of Appeals
2019 - The Justices of the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department
2018 - Hon. Paul G. Feinman, Associate Judge, NY Court of Appeals
2017 - Hon. Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals & NYS
2016 - The Presiding Justices of New York's Appellate Divisions
2015 - The Women Justices of New York's Appellate Division
2014 - Hon. Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of NY
2013 - The Commercial Division Judges of NY County
2012 - Hon. Gail A. Prudenti, Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of NYS
Volunteer Award
2024 - Jaci P. Flug
2023 - Sandra Lespinasse, Esq.
2022 - JALBCA Founders & Past Presidents
2021 - Sharon L. Nelles
2019 - Edward S. Kornreich & Hon. Shirley Werner Kornreich
2018 - Hon. William Thompson
