November 13, 2024
Wesley Powell, Co-Chair of both Willkie’s Antitrust & Competition and Pro Bono Practice Groups, has been profiled as a finalist for The American Lawyer’s 2024 “Attorney of the Year” award.
The article discussed Wes’s path to the law, his leadership in pro bono advocacy, and his recent accomplishments in a series of landmark cases that have expanded access to healthcare. The American Lawyer highlighted how Wes’s upbringing in rural Tennessee and experience as a law student instilled a passion for pro bono service, and noted the ways his corporate and pro bono practices are complementary and have helped him become a more effective lawyer.
"The more 360-degree view you acquire when thinking about problems your clients may have, the better it equips you to deal with the next problem," Wes told The American Lawyer.
The American Lawyer recognized Wes for his work with The Legal Aid Society in leading a federal class action suit, Ciaramella v. McDonald, that secured expanded dental coverage for millions of Medicaid-eligible New Yorkers. It also noted his work in Lange v. Houston County, in partnership with the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, that won a historic Georgia federal court ruling that held that employers who refuse to cover gender-affirming care violate federal law. The 11th Circuit subsequently affirmed the decision.
The publication also highlighted Wes’s success in securing a class settlement with the ACLU in Toomey v. State of Arizona that prohibits the state of Arizona from excluding gender-affirming care from its employee health plan. In addition to personally leading major pro bono litigations, the article noted that as co-chair of the practice, he oversees the efforts of more than 600 Willkie lawyers across 15 offices who have contributed approximately 80,000 hours to pro bono representation this year.
Wes will be recognized among the “Attorney of the Year” finalists at The American Lawyer 2024 Industry Awards in New York on November 13, 2024.
Read the full profile here (subscription may be required).
The article discussed Wes’s path to the law, his leadership in pro bono advocacy, and his recent accomplishments in a series of landmark cases that have expanded access to healthcare. The American Lawyer highlighted how Wes’s upbringing in rural Tennessee and experience as a law student instilled a passion for pro bono service, and noted the ways his corporate and pro bono practices are complementary and have helped him become a more effective lawyer.
"The more 360-degree view you acquire when thinking about problems your clients may have, the better it equips you to deal with the next problem," Wes told The American Lawyer.
The American Lawyer recognized Wes for his work with The Legal Aid Society in leading a federal class action suit, Ciaramella v. McDonald, that secured expanded dental coverage for millions of Medicaid-eligible New Yorkers. It also noted his work in Lange v. Houston County, in partnership with the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, that won a historic Georgia federal court ruling that held that employers who refuse to cover gender-affirming care violate federal law. The 11th Circuit subsequently affirmed the decision.
The publication also highlighted Wes’s success in securing a class settlement with the ACLU in Toomey v. State of Arizona that prohibits the state of Arizona from excluding gender-affirming care from its employee health plan. In addition to personally leading major pro bono litigations, the article noted that as co-chair of the practice, he oversees the efforts of more than 600 Willkie lawyers across 15 offices who have contributed approximately 80,000 hours to pro bono representation this year.
Wes will be recognized among the “Attorney of the Year” finalists at The American Lawyer 2024 Industry Awards in New York on November 13, 2024.
Read the full profile here (subscription may be required).
