Jones Day's Laura Ellsworth named Lifetime Achievement Award Winner by Law.com’s Corporate Counsel
Jones Day's Laura Ellsworth has been named a Lifetime Achievement Award Winner by Corporate Counsel / Law.com as part of its 2026 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards. This honor recognizes women who have made a profound and lasting impact on the legal profession through years of dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment.
A trial lawyer for more than 40 years, Ms. Ellsworth has achieved remarkable success as both a litigator and leader. While serving as Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Pittsburgh Office from 2004-2015, she led high-stakes landmark litigation for major clients with billions of dollars on the line. As Jones Day's first head of Global Community Service Initiatives with a mandate to drive global public service impact, Ms. Ellsworth spearheaded international initiatives to combat human trafficking and has shown a resolute devotion to fighting hate. Following the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in 2018, she co-founded Eradicate Hate® which has become the most comprehensive organization of global anti-hate experts in the world, attracting more than 1000 participants from around the globe. She also has worked to convert the house of the former Commandant of Auschwitz into the Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization, and her leadership of the Eradicate Hate Sports Working Group—a collaboration between the United Nations and Eradicate Hate—brought representatives of every major U.S. sporting league to the United Nations for the launch of their program to combat hate through sports.
"Laura exemplifies the best of the legal profession—demonstrated legal excellence coupled with a commitment to public service," said Greg Shumaker, Managing Partner of Jones Day. "She has achieved success as both a litigator and a leader, but what truly sets Laura apart is her tireless dedication to making a difference beyond the courtroom. Her work to combat hate—from co-founding the Eradicate Hate Global Summit to her efforts on the international stage—reflects her extraordinary character and her belief that lawyers have a responsibility to serve the greater good. All of us at Jones Day are incredibly proud of Laura and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition."
Throughout her career, Laura has served on the boards of more than 20 nonprofits, involving education, health, economic development, the legal profession, workforce, and the arts. She played a leading role in the creation of the Hear Foundation—founded jointly by a young Black man rendered paraplegic in a police shooting after a mistaken identity stop and by the Chief of Police—which today brings together Pittsburgh police and community members to foster education, workforce, and public safety initiatives in a setting of mutual trust and respect.
Becky Kcehowski, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Pittsburgh Office, added: "Laura's impact cannot be overstated. She has been a great mentor to generations of lawyers and, through her tireless work strengthening a broad range of civic organizations, she has instilled in all of us a deep commitment to excellence and service."
