Akerman is proud to announce that Crain’s New York Business has named Gina DelChiaro and Barbara Edwards "Notable Women in Law." Crain's New York selected the individuals for this list based on their outstanding professional achievements and pro bono work or involvement with industry and community organizations.

DelChiaro is a partner and Akerman's Director of Pro Bono Initiatives. She has nearly 15 years of experience working on pro bono initiatives, including several years at Akerman and before that at Lawyers Alliance for New York where she served as corporate engagement counsel, managing pro bono projects for in-house counsel from corporate legal departments to assist nonprofit organizations. She also helped organize pro bono projects with a national network of pro bono providers, serving nonprofits in 15 cities around the United States, and advancing the field of business law pro bono nationwide. Gina also spent many years at Human Rights First, where she launched and managed a pro bono program with law firms and corporations, focusing on providing pro bono legal representation to refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants.

Edwards is a partner in Akerman's Corporate Practice Group with over two decades of experience guiding public and private corporations, Fortune 500 and middle market companies, hedge and debt funds, fintechs and other enterprises in transactional matters. She has counseled clients across a broad spectrum of industries that present unique challenges including solar energy, healthcare and life sciences, retail, power, natural and renewable resources, industrials, gaming, and sports. As part of her practice, Edwards also works with clients – both at the individual and corporate levels – to advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals. Her advice and guidance is informed by many sources, including representation of professional athletes, extensive transactional legal experience, and a deep appreciation of some of the nuances of working on DEI objectives.