Los Angeles Business Journal Recognizes Two Partners at 2021 Women’s Leadership Awards

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP partners Ann Marie Mortimer and Emily Burkhardt Vicente were honored with special awards by the Los Angeles Business Journal at their 2021 Women’s Leadership Awards. The award ceremony was hosted on June 23, where Mortimer was recognized as a finalist for Executive of the Year and Vicente as a Champion of Women nominee.

As co-head of the firm’s commercial litigation practice, Mortimer is an accomplished litigator and a strategic problem solver focused on achieving positive business results in complex cases. She is at the forefront of novel cybersecurity litigation threatening the fundamental business of global brands. She has first-chaired high-profile cases to resolution and her ability to decode technical allegations into common-sense themes is among the reasons clients return to her repeatedly to assist with their most complex class action, commercial and data breach cases. Mortimer has handled and successfully resolved major cases for multiple clients, including a big box retailer in one of the first alleged California Consumer Privacy Act actions and Yahoo! (now Verizon) closing the chapter in what has been reported as the largest data breach in history with a highly favorable settlement. Mortimer is firmly established as a go-to litigation attorney when clients face significant data breaches, serving as the lead attorney representing Facebook solely as plaintiff’s counsel and defending other prominent clients. As the founder and managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office, Mortimer leverages her leadership roles to better the legal profession and those around her, especially prioritizing the mentorship of young female lawyers and speaking regularly in diversity summits. In addition, Mortimer was named a 2020 MVP in Cybersecurity & Privacy by Law360, a Top Women Lawyer as well as a Top Cyber Lawyer in California by The Daily Journal. She has also been recognized multiple times by the Los Angeles Business Journal for “Most Influential Women Attorneys” and “Top Litigators in Los Angeles.”

Co-chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Group, Vicente is an accomplished trial lawyer who has defended some of the largest Fortune 100 companies in high-stakes employment litigation and has successfully taken hybrid class and collective action cases to jury trial. Additionally, Vicente serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which is dedicated to advancing the promotion, retention and advancement of diverse lawyers and staff within the firm and community. She also played a key role in establishing the Firm’s Racial Equality and Social Justice Resource Center, which is available to all firm lawyers and staff and includes a collection of materials with the goal of fostering greater awareness, education, and understanding on these important issues. Beyond the firm, she dedicates time to advancing diversity and philanthropic causes in the community. Vicente is actively involved in the LA County Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Committee. Most recently she was nominated for the Diversity & Inclusion Award by the Los Angeles Business Journal, named among the 2020 Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal and listed as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2021 Women of Influence.

All nominees, including Mortimer and Vicente, were profiled in the Women’s Leadership Series throughout the month of June. A full list can be viewed here.