Benesch’s B-Sharp, a networking and professional development group for women in-house counsel, is honored to receive The Benchmark Award from the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law.
The award recognizes a corporate legal department or law firm that demonstrates passion and commitment to leading the advancement of women’s issues. The honored organization must demonstrate its unique approach to increasing gender diversity in the legal profession and efforts to inspire and educate the members of its firm to understand the importance and value of gender parity in the legal profession.
B-Sharp was founded last year by partners Margo Wolf O’Donnell, co-chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, and Tara Kamradt, partner in the firm’s Health Care & Life Sciences Group. O’Donnell and Kamradt saw the need for additional professional development opportunities for women in-house counsel. The group is now led by all eight of the women partners in Benesch’s Chicago office.
With seven events in the last 18 months, an active LinkedIn group, a 1,000+-person membership list, and plans to innovate with additional service offerings, B-Sharp is growing exponentially and helping to fill a gap in the industry for women in-house counsel.
“B-Sharp is an excellent series of opportunities to network, strategize, and problem solve with peers without having to plus/minus the feedback for bias or gender exclusive perspective. It’s a much needed development space and we are all better for its existence,” said Wendy Webb Williams, B-Sharp Member and Chief Legal Officer at Sara Lee Frozen Bakery.
The group’s latest event, Management Skills for Women Attorneys, held in partnership with the Association of Corporate Counsel Chicago, attracted over 100 attorneys to the Woman’s Athletic Club in Chicago. The attendees heard from a panel of top women general counsel and Benesch moderators O’Donnell and Kamradt.
“We are extremely proud of the B-Sharp group and what these women have accomplished in a short amount of time. Benesch is a firm that believes that when we provide the means for diverse groups to improve upon their skills, we work to better the practice of law as a whole,” said Gregg Eisenberg, Benesch’s Managing Partner and Executive Committee Member.
The Benchmark Award will be presented to Benesch’s B-Sharp on October 15 at the Coalition’s Annual Leadership Forum in Chicago.
Latest News
Benesch Welcomes Liz Bray as Partner in Executive Compensation & Benefits Practice Group
Explore the legal and business implications of Benesch welcomes Liz Bray as partner in executive compensation benefits practice group, including recent developments, risks, and key considerations for organizations.
Benesch Advances 11 Places to #116 on 2026 Am Law 200
Benesch is proud to announce that the firm has advanced 11 places on the 2026 Am Law 200 list, rising from #127 in 2025 to #116. Since first appearing on the Am Law 200 in 2017 (FY 2016), Benesch has climbed an impressive 79 places in just nine years.
Benesch Advises COEO Solutions on its Acquisition of S-NET Communications
Benesch represented COEO Solutions, which is backed by private equity firm, Riata Capital Group, in its acquisition of S-NET Communications, a provider of managed network and cloud communications services to multi-location mid-market enterprises.
Benesch Partner David Hudson Named Among New York Real Estate Journal’s 2026 Ones to Watch: Industry Leaders
Benesch is pleased to announce that Real Estate Partner David Hudson has been named to the 2026 Ones to Watch – Industry Leaders list by the New York Real Estate Journal (NYREJ). This annual recognition honors senior professionals who have made meaningful contributions to New York’s commercial real estate industry.