A large and enthusiastic crowd gathered Thursday, March 30, 2023 at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix to honor the finalists and winners of the 2023 Arizona Corporate Counsel (ACC) Awards.
LEARN MORE: Here are the finalists for the 2023 Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards
DEEPER DIVE: The Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona for 2023
Each year, Az Business magazine — in partnership with the Association of Corporate Counsel, the State Bar of Arizona, and title sponsors Cresa and Ogletree Deakins — recognizes the important and vital role in-house counsel plays with the Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards.
“Coming off a global pandemic and economic highs that we had never seen before, there are a lot of challenges in the business world today,” said AZ Big Media Publisher Amy Lindsey. “We know that corporate counsel today are expected to do more with less, even while operational costs rise and compliance risks grow. That’s why I am honored to be here tonight, honoring those attorneys and legal teams who have helped their companies navigate these uncertain waters with skill and savvy.”
In addition to title sponsors Cresa and Ogletree Deakins, sponsors of the 2023 Arizona Corporate Counsel Award included beverage sponsor Greenberg Traurig; production sponsor Merestone; and signature sponsors APS; Avnet, Bashas’ Family of Stores, a division of The Raley’s Companies; Benchmark; CopperPoint Insurance Companies; Desert Diamond Casinos; Desert Financial Credit Union; Forever Living Products; Meritage Homes; Plexus Worldwide; SRP; Sandor Development; TruWest Credit Union; and Vitalant.
Here are the winners of the 2023 ACC Awards
Arizona Corporate Counsel Judges’ Award: Plexus Worldwide Legal Department
General Counsel of the Year in the Medium Private Company Category: Darin Reber, executive vice president and general counsel at Forever Living Products International
Corporate Counsel of the Year in the Small Private Company Category: Justin M. Ruggieri, general counsel for the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise and Desert Diamond Casinos
General Counsel of the Year in the Government and Education Category: Lisa S. Loo, senior vice president and general counsel for Arizona State University
Public Company General Counsel of the Year: Stephen Beaver, senior vice president, general counsel and chief legal officer for Benchmark.
Private Company Legal Department of the Year: SRP legal department
General Counsel of the Year in the Financial Services Sector: Sara Regan, general counsel and senior vice president of enterprise risk at Desert Financial Credit Union
Up-and-Comer of the Year: Marissa Thielen, senior employment counsel at Achieve
General Counsel of the Year in the Large Private Company Category: Steve Sinquefield, senior vice president and general counsel at Standard Aero
Legal Department of the Year in the Public Company Category: Avnet legal department
