32 | November/December 2021 | BAEC Bulletin PRESS RELEASE
Hilary Banker to Be Awarded 2021 Defense Trial Lawyer of the Year
The Defense Trial Lawyers of Western New York Association (DTLA-WNY) announces that local attorney Hilary C. Banker will be awarded the highest honor bestowed by that organization: the Robert M. Kiebala Memorial Award as the 2021 Defense Trial Lawyer of the Year. The award is presented to the attorney who best exemplifies the Association’s mission of “promoting the highest standard of trial conduct through member education and advocating the defense position in civil cases with the judiciary and where appropriate in the New York State legislature.” Hilary has been in practice in New York State for over 20 years and has served in many leadership roles in the legal community during that time, including as a past President of DTLA-WNY. She was appointed by the National President to serve as a National Board Representative for the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), after previously serving as President of the Buffalo Chapter of ABOTA. She was President of the University at Buffalo Law School Alumni Association GOLD Group, and the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. She is also a former director of the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association, Bar Association of Erie County, and the University at Buffalo Law Alumni Association. In 2013 Hilary received the M. Dolores Denman Lady Justice Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. In 2013, Super Lawyers Magazine named her one of the Top 25 Women in Upstate New York, and in 2011 she was named one of Buffalo Business First’s 40
Under 40.
The DTLA’s 2018 Sherwood Civility Award is bestowed upon Joseph G. Goergen, House Counsel Manager Upstate New York at Progressive Insurance. Joe is an experienced trial attorney who has taken more than sixty cases to verdict. He has handled a wide variety of matters including
lead paint, products liability, automobile accidents, toxic torts, insurance coverage disputes, fall down accidents and others. Joe has managed employees in a staff counsel setting as well as worked to develop effective litigation strategies with claims management personnel. Joe has a sterling reputation and is known for his forthright nature with opposing counsel and clients alike. These awards will be given at the annual meeting on Wednesday, December 8, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at The Mansion on Delaware. In addition, the following board members will be honored as their term comes to a close: Kevin Loftus, Nancy Long, and Stephanie Mack. President John Gaughan will turn over his duties to current vice- president, William Kennedy. Mr. Gaughan will remain on the board for a one-year emeritus term. Donations to the Neil Sherwood Education Fund are accepted at the annual meeting. •
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Brian P. Brady, AIA, is an architect with 45 years experience. For over a decade, he has been a Member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Neutrals for Construction Disputes
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