“We congratulate Michelle and Lauren for this national recognition of their contributions to Reed Smith and unwavering support of women in the legal profession that the WIPL awards represent,” said Casey Ryan, Reed Smith’s global managing partner and a former WIPL honoree. “We are proud Corporate Counsel has turned a spotlight on their accomplishments,” she added.
The WIPL awards honor in-house and law firm women leaders and their allies who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. Mantine and Hakala will be recognized with the other 2024 WIPL honorees as part of the publication’s Women, Influence & Power in Law conference, which takes place Tuesday, Sept. 24 in Chicago.
Mantine, a partner in Pittsburgh and chair of the firm’s global Antitrust & Competition Team, is one of nine lawyers selected in Corporate Counsel’s law firm Mentor & Mentee Collaboration category. Her nomination included anecdotes shared by women lawyers she has mentored and whom she continues to inspire and guide both as a friend and trusted advisor.
A 2006 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law, Mantine is Reed Smith’s Pittsburgh hiring partner; has led the office’s summer associate program; co-chaired its Women’s Initiative; and led the firm’s program that helps lawyers successfully return from leave. She has been a dedicated and influential formal and informal mentor to dozens of women.
The WIPL award is Mantine’s second recent recognition for exceptional mentoring: In 2023, she was named Best Law Firm Mentor by The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards.
New York-based Hakala is one of eight individual winners from seven firms recognized in the WIPL’s law firm Talent Development category. As Reed Smith’s senior director of global learning and development, she provides leadership for its lawyer and professional staff learning, mentoring and coaching programs. Since joining Reed Smith in 2022, she has significantly advanced the development of the firm’s global learning and development offerings. Reed Smith’s professional development program is now managed by a global team of talent development professionals, using a state-of-the-art global learning management system called Reed Smith Campus, a central hub which includes in-person events, e-learning, continuing education, and data collection.
A 2004 graduate of New York University School of Law, Hakala is also an International Coaching Federation accredited executive coach. In 2023, she joined the board of directors for the Professional Development Consortium, an association of legal talent development professionals.