PERSONNEL FILE: Jackson Kelly receives Gold Standard Certification by Women in Law Empowerment Forum

CHARLESTON – Jackson Kelly PLLC has been awarded “Gold Standard Certification” by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), a designation for law firms that have integrated women in top leadership positions.

The certification process, which is more in-depth than looking at the percentage of women employed, focuses on if there are a significant number of women represented in positions of power, decision making positions and top-earning attorneys. WILEF is dedicated to assisting women in law to assume leadership roles.

Jackson Kelly has a long reputation of including women in leadership roles. Ellen S. Cappellanti is the firm’s Deputy Managing Member and CEO-elect for 2015. More than 20 years ago, Laura E. Beverage spearheaded the establishment of the firm’s Denver office.

Other female leaders include Erin E. Magee, leader of the Labor and Employment Practice Group and Michelle Elmore Wooton and Elizabeth B. Elmore, Co-Leaders of the Land and Natural Resource Development Practice Group. Elmore is also the leader of the firm’s Oil and Gas Industry Group. Shayne M. Madsen is leader of the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group and Kelley Goes is leader of the Chemical Industry Group. A number of women also hold chair positions in the Firm’s committees.

Cappellanti is the firm's Deputy Managing Member. Located in the firm’s Charleston office, she assists clients in a wide variety of commercial transactions, including financings, leasings, acquisitions and real estate development projects. She also regularly represents debtors, creditors and trustees in business bankruptcies and out of court restructurings.

Beverage is a member of Jackson Kelly in the Firm's Denver office.  She practices in the Occupational Safety and Health Practice Group.  Beverage represents general industry, construction and mining clients in compliance issues, policy, legislative and regulatory matters, civil and criminal enforcement issues, accident investigation and whistleblower claims on both state and federal levels.

Magee is a member in the firm’s Charleston office and Leader of the Labor and Employment Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm’s Commercial Law Practice Group and the Coal and Oil and Gas Industry Groups.  Her practice focuses on labor and employment consultation and litigation, ERISA matters and commercial litigation for energy‑industry clients.

Wooton is a member in the firm’s Charleston office and the Co‑Leader of the Land and Natural Resource Development Practice Group.  Her practice focuses on real estate law and includes assisting clients in a wide variety of commercial and real estate transactions, including those involving mineral rights, title work and curative actions and leases.  Her practice also centers on banking, corporate and adoption law.

Elmore is a member in the firm’s Charleston office and Co‑Leader of the Land and Natural Resource Development Practice Group. She is also Leader of the firm's Oil and Gas Industry Group.  Elmore focuses her practice on energy law, including claims of underpayment of royalties, joint ventures between producers for the acquisition and development of oil and gas leases and rights of way for pipeline systems.

Madsen, a member in the firm's Denver office is the Leader of the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group.  She practices in the public policy and government affairs area, in election and campaign finance law, and in real estate development law.

Goes is a member in the firm’s Charleston office practicing in the Environmental Practice Group in the Charleston office.  She has wide legal experience, including litigating patent infringement cases for one of the world's largest energy companies.  She has negotiated to structure land and financial deals for location and expansion of businesses and mediated commercial litigation, mineral lease disputes, contract disputes and tort cases.  Goes also has extensive experience in government relations for energy and business clients, having served at high levels in both state and federal government.

Jackson Kelly is a national law firm with more than 200 attorneys located in 12 offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Colorado and the District of Columbia.