Page 62 - Delaware 222 - 2025

LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
William “Bill” Laff erty was named
the leader of Morris Nichols, the fi fth
largest fi rm in Delaware with 100
attorneys, in 2021. He came to the role
with a more than 30-year career at
Morris Nichols focusing on Delaware
corporate and commercial litigation
and an emphasis on cases involving
mergers and acquisitions, proxy
contests and consent solicitations,
and shareholder class and derivative
actions. Th e lifelong Delawarean serves
on the University of Delaware’s Board
of Trustees.
William M. Lafferty
Morris, Nichols,
Arsht & Tunnell LLP
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Thomas McGonigle
Barnes & Thornburg
As a former Delaware deputy attorney
general, chief legal counsel and policy
director to then-Gov. Tom Carper and
chief of staff to then-Gov. Jack Markell,
Tom McGonigle has been at the heart
of First State law and politics for
decades. Today, he serves as partner
in charge of Barnes & Th ornburg
Wilmington offi ce and represents
governmental entities and private
sector clients in complex commercial
litigation, related transactions and
regulatory matters before state courts
and governmental boards. McGonigle
notably worked with the Diamond
State Port Corp. in drafting the new
concurrence agreement with Port
of Wilmington operator Enstructure.
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60 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
60 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
60 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
Catherine Lyons
Lyons Companies
While it is rare for a woman to be
the owner and the president of an
independent insurance brokerage fi rm,
Kate Lyons became that woman after
the sudden passing of her husband
David in 2018. Th e company has since
kept up her husband’s legacy for the
eventual transition of the business to
their sons Dave and Tim. Th e Lyons
Companies provide a space where
employees can perform their job and
be rewarded for good work while
feeling confi dent in its viability, she
explained. Since 2004, the family-
owned Lyons Companies has partnered
with Assurex Global, an exclusive
network of independent brokers
worldwide, who were selected for their
ability to provide innovative, customer-
driven insurance, risk management
and employee benefi ts services. It has
also partnered with the University
of Delaware to present Economic
Forecast, one of the top economic
events in the area.
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Lisa Schmidt
Richards, Layton & Finger
Longtime corporate litigator Lisa
Schmidt was named president of
Richards, Layton & Finger, the largest
law fi rm in Delaware with more than
160 attorneys, in 2022. As only the
second woman to lead the storied fi rm,
Schmidt is continuing to push diversity,
equity and inclusion eff orts at the
fi rm that is often a bellwether for the
Wilmington legal industry. Joining the
fi rm more than 30 years ago, Schmidt
has grown an acclaimed personal
practice before the Court of Chancery
and other venues involving major
companies like Walt Disney, General
Motors, AbbVie, CVS, Nokia, ConAgra,
and Expedia, among others.
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