NAPABA Awards - Law Firm Community Champion

Law Firm Community Champion Award

The Law Firm Community Champion Award honors a law firm that exemplifies excellence in the legal profession and demonstrates a commitment to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. This award celebrates a firm that invests in the next generation of leaders by cultivating a robust pipeline of legal talent, creates meaningful and inclusive pathways for career advancement, and champions the mentorship and promotion of attorneys into leadership roles.

The recipient of this award models what it means to lead with purpose, inclusion, and impact—fostering an environment where attorneys of all backgrounds are supported, empowered, and elevated. Through its vision and actions, the firm plays a critical role in advancing opportunities for a more representative legal profession. NAPABA may select up to three (3) firms for this award to recognize the leadership and contributions of solo and small firms, mid-size firms, or large law firms. Nomination deadline is June 4, 2026.

Submit a Nomination

Award Qualifications

The law firm has been in continuous operation for a minimum of 5 years as of October 1, 2026;
At least one law firm attorney is a member of NAPABA; and
The law firm is present at the NAPABA Convention to receive the award.

Selection Criteria

The awardee will be selected on the basis of the following factors:

Statement of Support of the nominee (maximum of 5 pages). The statement should include:
- Demonstrated legal excellence through client service, thought leadership, innovation, and/or impact in the legal industry. Pathways the firm has established to support leadership, advancement, and professional development for attorneys at all levels. Internal efforts to foster an inclusive, mentorship-driven workplace culture where all attorneys experience belonging and support. Strategic partnerships or programs that advance the legal pipeline, particularly with schools, bar associations, or community-based organizations.
- The firm’s engagement with and support of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community—through recruitment, leadership, partnerships, programming, or sponsorship.
A brief profile that includes the firm’s size, practice areas, office locations, and leadership.
Maximum of three letters of support from individuals or organizations (internal or external to the firm) who can speak directly to the firm’s leadership, culture, and impact—including partners, associates, clients, community partners, or bar association leaders.

Questions? Contact membership@napaba.org.

Nominations are Now Open

2025 Awardee | Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Seyfarth Shaw LLP Seyfarth Shaw LLP is a global firm of more than 950 attorneys across four continents, known for pairing legal excellence with client-centric innovation. Under Chair and Managing Partner Lorie Almon, the firm has accelerated a long-standing focus on better, faster service delivery—launching tools like its sAI Chat platform for document insight and risk management, a streamlined Trademark Clearance Solution for global brand owners, a first-of-its-kind Innovation & AI Training Program for incoming associates, and a strategic collaboration with Stanford’s CodeX. This culture of continuous improvement has earned Seyfarth recognition as a 2024 Financial Times top-ten innovator and a 2025 BTI “Innovation Icon.”

Seyfarth invests deeply in pathways to leadership and advancement. Its award-winning Triad Mentoring Program pairs senior associates with both a mentor and a sponsor—64% of alumni have been promoted to partner—while the Attorney Leadership Program, Women’s Network business development series, and active participation in LCLD Fellows and Pathfinders build skills and visibility across the talent pipeline. A firmwide inclusion infrastructure—led by Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer Mira Dewji and the D&I Action Team—supports six national business resource groups, office-level action teams, a Lawyer Development Committee spanning every office, and long-standing one-on-one coaching.

Seyfarth’s engagement with the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community is broad and sustained. Firm leaders serve in key AANHPI bar roles (including a current NAPABA Board officer), and the AANHPI Business Resource Group—led by partner Stacy Paek and senior counsel James Yu—amplifies access to meaningful work and leadership. The firm supports AANHPI-serving nonprofits through philanthropy and hundreds of pro bono hours, and in 2025 partnered with NAPABA and 49 affiliates to research, draft, and file amicus briefs in multiple circuits defending birthright citizenship, accompanied by firmwide education programming.

Rooted in purpose and belonging, Seyfarth’s blend of legal excellence, inclusive talent development, and community partnership reflects the spirit of the Law Firm Community Champion Award.