Deborah R. Willig Receives Inquirer Influencer of Law Honor

Philadelphia, PA (March 27, 2019) – Deborah R. Willig, Esq., managing partner of the Philadelphia labor law firm of Willig, Williams & Davidson, received the Inquirer Influencer of Law lifetime achievement award from the Philadelphia Media Network at its March 26 awards luncheon in Philadelphia. The event honored Philadelphia’s leading lawyers.

Willig was recognized as a trailblazer for women in the legal profession, a role model for attorneys who want to use the law to secure dignity and rights for all people, a fierce advocate for working individuals and their families, and an admirable community leader.

When asked what influenced her decision to get into law, Willig said, “As a ‘child of the sixties,’ I went to law school to make the world a better place. My grandfather, a proud union officer, showed me that unions do exactly that. I hope that in some way, my representation of labor unions and working people, and that of our law firm, have contributed as well.”

A panel of experts selected award recipients based upon their professional accomplishments, community involvement and overall impact upon our region.

Willig has fought for the rights of working people and their families since she founded Willig, Williams & Davidson in 1979. As a labor and employment lawyer, she represents a wide range of labor unions including public school teachers, public health workers, firefighters, Teamsters, and orchestra musicians. Her work for both public and private sector unions includes handling contract negotiations, presenting interest and grievance arbitrations, and advising clients on internal union governance and staff matters.

Willig has been recognized with a wide array of prestigious awards and honors including the Agent of Change Award from Women’s Way; the Sandra Day O’Connor Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association; the Labor Human Rights Award from the Jewish Labor Committee; the Jewish National Fund’s Attorney of the Year Award; and a Lifetime Achievement award from The Legal Intelligencer, an ALM publication.

A member of the Philadelphia Bar Association since 1975, Willig became the Philadelphia Bar Association’s first-ever woman Chancellor in 1992. She is a past board member of the Women’s Law Project and the Juvenile Law Center, and is the immediate past Board Chair of the French International School of Philadelphia. Willig, Williams & Davidson, is a leader in providing services to those without access to justice and was the winner of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation’s 2018 Pro Bono Award recognizing the firm for providing pro bono legal services to those in need.

About Willig, Williams & Davidson – Willig, Williams & Davidson (www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Jenkintown and Harrisburg, Pa., as well as Haddonfield, N.J., and Chicago, Ill. Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people and their families on a variety of legal fronts, including national, regional and local contract negotiations; dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation; tax and benefit law compliance issues; discrimination and other employment matters; prepaid legal services for union members; and workers’ compensation matters in Philadelphia and beyond.

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