Morgan Lewis Earns Multiple Distinctions at The Legal Intelligencer’s 2026 Pennsylvania Legal Awards

PHILADELPHIA, April 22, 2026: Morgan Lewis has earned seven category honors, including four wins and three finalist recognitions, at The Legal Intelligencer’s 2026 Pennsylvania Legal Awards. The firm was named Litigation Department of the Year – Labor & Employment and recognized for its Talent Management Initiative, with individual honors awarded to partners Barbara Murphy Melby (Distinguished Leader) and Avryl Klich (Lawyer on the Fast Track). The firm was also named a finalist in three additional categories: Litigation Department of the Year – General, Managing Partner of the Year, and Most Effective Dealmaker.

The Labor & Employment practice recognition is part of the publisher’s Litigation Departments of the Year category and acknowledges the Morgan Lewis team’s approximately 300 lawyers who consistently rank among the most respected in the United States. The accolade for Morgan Lewis’s Talent Management Initiative reflects the firm’s eight in-person academies, part of a broader portfolio of proprietary programs developed entirely in-house, ranging from summer and new lawyer academies to mid-level, senior associate, and those focused on developing skill sets within specific practice areas such as M&A, intellectual property, class action, and trial programs.

The awards also recognized the achievements of individual practitioners. Partner Barbara Murphy Melby was named a Distinguished Leader in recognition of her pioneering work in the technology, digital transformation, and outsourcing legal markets for more than 30 years, which has helped position Morgan Lewis as a global leader in these areas. Partner Avryl Klich was named a Lawyer on the Fast Track, an honor recognizing lawyers under the age of 40, based on her strategic and tactical guidance for clients across multiple industry sectors, including life sciences, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and sports.

In addition, Morgan Lewis is a finalist in the following categories:

• Litigation Department of the Year (General) for the firm’s record of success in complex commercial and pro bono litigation.
• Managing Partner of the Year for Steven R. Wall, whose career leadership has supported the firm’s dynamic global growth and talent expansion, including industry-leading retention rates for lateral hires, as well as his advocacy for lawyer mental health and efforts to address substance use challenges within the profession.
• Most-Effective Dealmaker for Aaron D. Suh, in recognition of multiple recent marquee transactions demonstrating both scale and precision.

Honorees will be recognized and winners will be announced at an awards dinner on June 11 in Philadelphia.