Terry Mutchler and Melissa Atkins Recognized among The Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Award Winners

Obermayer congratulates partners Terry Mutchler and Melissa Atkins for their inclusion in The Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Award Winners list. 

Terry, the Chair of Obermayer’s Transparency and Public Data Practice, was recognized in the Law Firms Innovators category. Founding Executive Director, Office of Open Records, appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell, Terry created an agency to enforce the state’s Right-to-Know Law, writing the policies and procedures that govern records access for more than 10,000 units of state and local government. Many of these policies are still in use today. Terry is the first woman to argue at Independence Hall when the Supreme Court opened the hallowed hall to legal argument. She is on the national board of the Freedom of Information Coalition, having been inducted into their National Heroes Hall of Fame. Terry is also the first person to be named Illinois Public Access Counselor under the Illinois Attorney General. She Started the Nation’s first Transparency Law Practice. 

Melissa was recognized in the  Lawyers on the Fast Track category. She is a partner in Obermayer’s Labor and Employment department. Melissa represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including employment-related agreements, union negotiations, Act 111 negotiations, grievance hearings, executive compensation, internal investigations, wage and hour matters, employee benefits, as well as employment litigation. Melissa is a former team captain of a Division 1 NCAA basketball team. 

The Legal Intelligencer Professional Excellence honorees will be recognized in special editorial sections. The winners will be honored at an awards dinner set for June 29, 2022, at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

See the full list of this year’s recognized attorneys here.