Deborah R. Willig, managing partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson, has been named to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers guide. The recognition highlights her exceptional work in labor and employment law, underscoring her role as one of the nation’s foremost advocates for workers and civil rights.
Championing Workers’ Rights
Lawdragon selects attorneys based on extensive research, peer recommendations, and notable case achievements. Willig has dedicated her career exclusively to labor and employment law, representing unions across education, public health, social services, emergency services, and hospitality sectors. Her expertise includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements for organizations such as the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association.
Trailblazer for Women in Law
Willig has consistently broken barriers for women in the legal profession. She was the first woman president of the Temple University Beasley School of Law Student Bar Association, the first woman chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the first woman to manage one of the largest women-owned law firms in the U.S. Her advocacy earned her the 2023 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award.
Recognized Excellence and Lifetime Achievement
Her accolades include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Legal Intelligencer Lifetime Achievement Award, the Sandra Day O’Connor Award, and the Philadelphia Business Journal Women of Distinction Award, among others. Willig is also a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, a testament to her sustained excellence and integrity in the field.
About Willig, Williams & Davidson
Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson (www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. With offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Haddonfield, and Chicago, the firm represents labor unions, employee benefit funds, and working individuals in areas including contract negotiations, dispute resolution, employment matters, and workers’ compensation
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