The American Lawyer Names McGuireWoods an Award Finalist for Litigation and Best Business Team

November 12, 2019

McGuireWoods is a finalist for The American Lawyer’s Global Legal Awards and Industry Awards, earning recognition for winning a landmark judgment against North Korea and developing an innovative strategy to generate deal opportunities for the firm’s corporate practice.

The American Lawyer’s annual awards program honors exceptional work in categories across the legal services spectrum. Winners will be announced at a Dec. 4 gala in New York. 

McGuireWoods is a finalist for Litigation/Dispute Resolution of the Year in the Global Legal Awards for winning a half-billion-dollar judgment for the parents of Otto Warmbier. In their lawsuit, they alleged North Korea’s regime tortured and killed their son, who died days after being released from a North Korean prison in 2017. Partner Richard Cullen led the McGuireWoods team representing the Warmbiers.

The lawsuit was filed in 2018 after McGuireWoods persuaded the State Department to restore North Korea to its list of state sponsors of terrorism. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found North Korea liable for “torture, hostage-taking and extra-judicial killing” and ordered North Korea to pay $501 million.

The American Lawyer also named McGuireWoods a finalist for Best Business Team in the Industry Awards for creating a business development strategy that enables lawyers to introduce companies and investors to deal opportunities. The internal service sources deal leads for private equity lawyers to pursue them. The strategy has helped McGuireWoods solidify its standing as a leading law firm for M&A transactions, including private equity deals.

“This recognition is another affirmation of McGuireWoods’ reputation for excellence in high-profile litigation and delivering innovative, business-oriented solutions to help our clients achieve their goals,” said Jonathan Harmon, the firm’s chairman.

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