North Carolina Lawyers Weekly selected McGuireWoods partner Kate W. Hardey and senior counsel Angie Zimmern for its annual Leaders in the Law list honoring attorneys across the state for leadership in the legal profession and the community. Hardey and Zimmern, both based in Charlotte, were profiled in a special North Carolina Lawyers Weekly supplement.
Hardey is a member of McGuireWoods’ nationally recognized healthcare practice and has more than 25 years of law firm, in-house and healthcare industry experience. She plays a key role guiding clients through legal and business challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. She also is a leading voice on how businesses can thrive in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry and navigate regulatory uncertainty. The National Law Journal recently named Hardey a “Cannabis Law Trailblazer.”
Hardey, a domestic violence survivor, serves on the board of the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project, an organization dedicated to providing legal justice for survivors and protection for their children. She contributes to the organization as a speaker, an advocate and legal counsel for domestic violence survivors in North Carolina and across the nation.
“I am proud to be included in this group of respected lawyers and to join Angie in representing McGuireWoods in this year’s Leaders in the Law class,” Hardey said.
Zimmern is McGuireWoods’ pro bono director, leading efforts to devise and execute initiatives that have been recognized nationally for innovation and impact. She works with leaders in McGuireWoods offices nationwide to expand local pro bono programs and build productive partnerships with corporate law departments.
Zimmern co-leads the management committee that oversees Charlotte Triage, a groundbreaking program that expands pro bono services for low-income residents and eases burdens on legal aid organizations. McGuireWoods collaborated with clients Bank of America, Duke Energy and Wells Fargo on the program, which outsources critical legal aid work to law firms and corporate law departments. The Pro Bono Institute honored Charlotte Triage with its 2020 Corporate Pro Bono Partner Award. Business North Carolina recognized Zimmern earlier this year with its Women in Business Achievement Award.
“I am honored to receive this recognition and grateful to my McGuireWoods colleagues and our pro bono partners for their commitment to serving our communities,” Zimmern said.