Paul Lancaster Adams Selected as Recipient of 2013 Minority Business Leader Award

PHILADELPHIA – July 11, 2013 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that Paul Lancaster Adams, managing shareholder of the firm’s Philadelphia office, has been selected as a recipient of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2013 Minority Business Leader Award. The award is of particular distinction and given to top level corporate executives and advocates who play a strong role in their respective industries and the broader community.

“The Philadelphia Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award is a prestigious honor that has been awarded to a select few of the region’s top minority businessmen and women,” said Adams. “I am humbled to receive this year’s award along with a number of my peers in the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware business community.”

“Diversity and inclusion are two cornerstones of Ogletree Deakins’ core values and underlie our ability to provide premier client service,” said Michelle Wimes, Ogletree Deakins’ director of professional development and inclusion. “Paul exemplifies leadership at Ogletree Deakins. In addition to leading the firm’s Philadelphia office, Paul is very active in his community in a number of civic and youth organizations.”

A litigator with two decades of experience, Adams focuses his practice on multiple plaintiff, class action, non-competition, trade secret and wage and hour litigation. He has successfully tried to verdict more than 25 matters in federal and state courts, and handled numerous arbitrations and mediations. He also regularly represents employers in whistleblower and corporate investigations.

Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Adams served as Associate General Counsel and chief employment litigator and advisor to Microsoft Corporation where he also led the strategic and tactical handling of class actions and high-level domestic, and non-U.S., corporate investigations. As part of the company’s Legal & Corporate Affairs External Leadership, he also served as Sr. Director of Government Affairs where he supported and advised the company’s largest customer base.

Throughout his career, Adams has been praised by his peers and colleagues for his legal work. He was selected by The Legal Intelligencer as one of the 2013 Diverse Attorneys of the Year. He also has an AV “Preeminent” Peer Rating by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a “Top Pennsylvania Lateral Hire of 2012” by The Legal Intelligencer. Additionally, Adams is the recipient of the 2009 National Bar Association’s Clyde E. Bailey Award for Corporate Leadership and has been named a 40 Under 40 by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Adams earned his J.D. from the Wake Forest School of Law where he was a James A. Martin Merit Scholarship recipient.

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 650 lawyers located in 44 offices across the United States and in Europe. Ogletree Deakins was named “Law Firm of the Year” in both the Litigation – Labor & Employment and the Employment Law – Management categories in the 2013 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. For more information, please contact Ryan King or Mary Lou Baxter.