PHILADELPHIA – Stradley Ronon is pleased to announce that Partner Ellen Rogoff and Legal Administrative Assistant (LAA) Helene Miskell are the firm’s inaugural Excellence in Mentorship Award honorees. The Excellence in Mentorship Award was designed and implemented by the firm’s newly established Talent Development & Mentorship Committee, which was created to draw together a variety of different perspectives and experiences from across the firm to help drive Stradley Ronon’s talent development strategy for lawyers and business professionals. The committee considered the nominees and made recommendations for this year’s winners.
“We are very proud to recognize Ellen and Helene, two longtime members of the firm,” said Michael D. O’Mara, partner and member of the firm’s board of directors. “Mentorship has always been an integral part of our Stradley culture, and we are excited to spotlight and give back to the individuals who have supported and impacted so many throughout the years.”
The Excellence in Mentorship Award is given annually to two individuals – one attorney and one business professional or paralegal – who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to outstanding mentoring and have made an appreciable difference in the lives of others at Stradley Ronon. Both winners will receive a trophy and a monetary prize of $5,000. The award is designed to honor and recognize mentors who:
- act as leaders and trusted advisers
- support others in relationship building and serve as a career and professional growth advocate
- take the time to listen and understand the experiences, aspirations and concerns of others
- create formal and informal mentorship opportunities at any stage of a professional career
- offer flexible, empathetic and respectful assistance in helping others develop their own solutions
“The launch of this award represents our commitment to the core values of mentorship, relationship-building, professional development and career advancement,” said Chief Talent Officer Ryan P. Galvin. “Our Talent Development and HR teams are currently developing Career Champion and firmwide mentoring programs to help support the aspirations of our attorneys, paralegals and business professionals. These efforts – coupled with skill-building workshops, rewards and recognition strategies and an emphasis on continuous feedback – are designed to drive continued engagement and demonstrate our investment in a promising path forward for everyone.”
A member of Stradley Ronon for 26 years, Rogoff focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and employment law. She regularly represents corporate clients in a broad spectrum of discrimination, sexual harassment, restrictive covenant and termination cases. She is an adjunct professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, teaching about employment discrimination. Rogoff also litigates product liability and mass tort claims, sophisticated corporate disputes, and insurance matters in state and federal courts nationwide. As lead counsel, she has represented medical and pharmaceutical manufacturers as lead or regional counsel in hundreds of mass tort and individual products liability cases, as well as numerous insurance companies in mass disaster cases.
Nominators referred to Rogoff as a “seasoned and trusted adviser to many as they rise through the ranks.” They also noted that “Ellen tirelessly looks for ways to help associates, partners and business professionals navigate their professional careers with a short and long-term eye, considering their personal goals alongside their professional, and providing sound advice for challenges along the way.”
For over 45 years, Miskell has provided comprehensive support to the firm’s business department, including more than 70 attorneys across a diverse array of transactional and advisory disciplines. Since joining the firm in June 1976, Miskell has handled administrative duties in a fast-paced environment, provided exceptional client service and communication and worked collaboratively as part of a team. Currently, Miskell serves as the LAA to three partners and one counsel in the firm’s Philadelphia office.
Miskell was recognized by her peers as a “gifted teacher, role model and trusted advisor.” She was noted as “continuously demonstrating her care for others, showing patience and kindness to everyone. She has mentored countless people during her long career, not only other business LAAs but LAAs across the firm as well as attorneys who are starting their careers at Stradley Ronon.”
About Stradley Ronon
Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon has helped private and public companies – from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations – achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel. With offices in seven strategic locations, our responsive team of more than 200 attorneys seamlessly addresses the full spectrum of our clients’ needs, ranging from sophisticated corporate transactions to complex commercial litigation.