Munck Wilson Mandala’s co-chair of the litigation section Jenny Martinez was honored as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion in the Law Firm category of the 2021 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards, sponsored by Corporate Counsel, an American Lawyer Media publication. The 2021 WIPL Awards were held in Washington, DC on Oct. 7, bringing together law firm leaders, in-house counsel, and corporate executives from around the country. To see the 2021 list of honorees, click here.
The WIPL Awards 2021 (formerly known as the National Women in Law Awards) honors top women lawyers who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession — whether in shaping the law, achieving outsized results for their clients, being an outstanding leader or assisting those in need of legal services.
Martinez was recognized for her leadership, influence, and recruiting efforts that led to significant increases in women attorneys, especially lateral women partners at her law firm. Martinez’s decision to leave a name partner position at a firm where she had worked for 12 years and join a regional firm that faced challenges in recruiting strong women partners demonstrated to candidates that she endorsed the culture of her new firm and was willing to take risks in her legal career, something many partners established in their careers tend to avoid.
By taking a risk and stepping outside of her comfort zone, Martinez became a catalyst that led MWM to successfully recruiting several prominent women attorneys who had established careers at other firms. The first woman attorney Martinez recruited to MWM was Alison Battiste who made partner in December 2020.
When Martinez joined MWM in October 2018, the firm only had four women partners and women made up 23 percent of all attorneys. Today, MWM has 14 women partners, and the women make up nearly 40 percent of all attorneys, a significant achievement and testament to the influence Martinez has demonstrated as a strong woman leader and endorser of the firm’s family-first culture.
At MWM, Martinez, a senior partner, serves on the executive committee and plays a critical role in helping the firm recruit and retain legal talent. She understands the challenges faced by women lawyers having accomplished an impressive list of career milestones while raising four children. Martinez has been instrumental in recruiting strong women and men laterals, including a longtime colleague who brought 27 years of litigation and project management experience to the firm when she joined MWM this past December.
“Jenny is a tremendous part of Munck Wilson’s successes, both in the courtroom and growing our firm,” said managing partner William A. Munck. “We have strengthened the ranks of our litigation section through her guidance and input and her management and mentoring skills have been key in developing our younger attorneys.”
Frequently honored for her legal and business skills, Martinez is listed as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, a Best Lawyer in America by Woodward White, a Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyer in America, and a Best Lawyer in Dallas by D Magazine. She received her J.D. cum laude from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and Marshall, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and is currently opening an office in Miami, Florida. Listed as an Inc. Best Workplace in 2020 by Inc. Magazine, the firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property portfolio development, corporate transactions and securities, real estate, and employment law. Munck Wilson Mandala represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Learn more about the firm at http://www.munckwilson.com.
