Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
honored Foley Hoag LLP partner Michele Whitham as a Top Woman of Law during a
ceremony today at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in
Boston.
The fourth annual Top Women of the Law awards honored legal educators,
trailblazers and role models who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments
in social justice, advocacy and business. Whitham is both a former co-managing
partner of Foley Hoag and a widely respected employment law practitioner, with a
particular focus on workplace and corporate data security and privacy.
"This award is well deserved. Michele is widely recognized as a leader not
only in her practice and within our firm, but also in pro bono and community
involvement and mentoring the next generation of lawyers," said Adam Kahn, Foley
Hoag co-managing partner.
Whitham represents employers in federal and state courts, administrative
fora, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. She has been lead counsel
in employment law cases throughout Massachusetts, New England and more than a
dozen states nationwide. She has particular strength in litigating claims
involving computer fraud and abuse by employees (including electronic theft of
proprietary information and other system incursions); defending complex EEO,
ERISA, and wage and hour claims (including class actions); enforcing
non-competition and non-solicitation agreements; and resolving executive
compensation disputes.
Based on her experience in litigating and advising on data theft, systems
breach and cyber-attack cases dating back to 2005, Whitham founded and is a
co-chair of Foley Hoag's Security and Privacy Practice Group. She conducts
internal investigations of alleged employee misconduct and protects companies
from internal and external threats to computer systems and proprietary
information. Her work reflects advanced knowledge of computer forensic discovery
and recovery techniques, and she has successfully litigated to interrupt cyber
attacks and identify cyber attackers.
In addition to her legal practice, Whitham is active in community service and
fundraising efforts, including co-chairing various fundraising events for public
service organizations. Among her community commitments, she is a director and
past president of Heading Home, an organization that provides permanent housing
for homeless families, and a trustee of Wentworth Institute of Technology.
About Foley Hoag LLP
Foley Hoag is a dynamic law firm that represents
public and private clients in a wide range of disputes and transactions
worldwide. We have expertise in industries such as life sciences and healthcare,
technology, energy and renewables, investment management, and professional
services. We also offer our clients market-leading international litigation and
arbitration and corporate social responsibility services. From our offices in
Boston, Washington, D.C. and Paris, and our Emerging Enterprise Center in
Waltham, Massachusetts, we provide strategic legal advice that is tailored to
each of our clients' unique goals. Foley Hoag combines powerful regional,
national and international practices that share a common emphasis on client
service. We are focused on what we do best: helping our clients succeed through
the delivery of exceptional legal service. For more information, visit www.foleyhoag.com.