Epstein Becker Green (EBG) is pleased to announce that the winners of the firm’s 2024 Annual Core Values Champion awards are Wendy G. Marcari, Member of the Firm; Genevieve M. Murphy-Bradacs, Senior Counsel and Zachary (Zach) Taylor, Associate; and Elizabeth (Liz) Lynch, Legal Secretary.
Seven years ago, attorneys and staff worked together to define and express the firm’s values, creating a Values Commitment that outlines the intangible qualities of EBG that have shaped and continue to define our culture. To date, hundreds of colleagues at all levels throughout the firm have been nominated by their peers and recognized internally as monthly Core Values Champions. From those sincere and genuine nominations, we recognize annual honorees in three overall categories for their contributions to our culture—one Staff, one Non-Partner, and one Member of the Firm. Each honoree receives a gift acknowledging the award.
James P. Flynn, Managing Director of EBG, underscored the critical role of reflecting on our foundational values. “Annually, we seize this moment to acknowledge the steadfast support that our team members extend to one another. By reviewing the nominations, we identify those whose actions have truly exemplified our Core Values. The 2024 Annual Core Values Champions epitomize our dedication to serving others, be it family, friends, colleagues, clients, or those in need. We extend our deepest gratitude to these individuals for their exemplary leadership and for upholding the high standards at EBG.”
We congratulate the following outstanding colleagues for their important role in creating an inclusive, rewarding, and values-based culture.
Wendy Marcari
Wendy's unwavering dedication to exceptional client service rightfully earned her a Core Values nomination, a testament to her commitment and professionalism. In one notable instance, she devoted long hours to address a complex issue, even extending her efforts to an unplanned overnight stay in Wilmington. The situation arose after a lengthy court session, where both Wendy and the client found themselves unable to retrieve their vehicles from a closed parking garage. The client expressed profound gratitude, stating, “We feel like old friends ... we wouldn’t want to be in the fox hole with anyone else.” This scenario exemplifies Wendy's resilience and client-focused approach, which are integral to our Core Values.
Genevieve Murphy-Bradacs and Zachary Taylor
Genevieve and Zach exemplified outstanding teamwork and fierce client advocacy, setting a high standard for the firm. Working on a difficult pro bono assignment, Genevieve assured her client was spared further prison time and lightened the financial burden of the sentence. Her meticulous analysis and relentless pursuit of justice demonstrates a commitment to leave no stone unturned. “Perhaps most importantly, conversations like when you spoke about how fulfilling the assignment was and how your client was ready to move on from a place of positivity tend to make us recall why we were drawn to do this work in the first place. You should be very proud of this representation,” wrote her nominator. We also extend our appreciation to Zach, who consistently embodies EBG’s Core Values by providing invaluable advice in the highest tradition of our mission. Their work together reminds us of the profound impact we can make.
Elizabeth Lynch
Liz was nominated for her exceptional dedication to our clients, their cases, and the mission behind our representation. Her commitment shone brightly in a crisis involving a nationally recognized fitness company franchisee: a manager was running charitable donation fitness classes and misapplying funds received through his personal Venmo account. He failed to provide proof that the donations reached the charities and attempted to evade accountability, but apparently did not realize Venmo was set to Public, allowing anyone with an account to see records of his receipt of the victims’ money transfers, some with memos identifying intended charities, going back years. “While working quickly to onboard an eDiscovery vendor to collect this public-source data, we tasked Liz late one afternoon to take screenshots in a belt-and-suspenders effort in case the malfeasant changed his settings. Upon learning of the employee’s reprehensible conduct, Liz asked to stay late to complete the task and captured several years’ worth of screenshots. The next morning, when Liz undertook to go back even farther, she was involuntarily logged out of Venmo. Once logged back in, he had changed his settings to Private and the transaction history was lost.” Liz’s acute attention to the urgency of the situation, combined with her compassion and relentless support, not only secured crucial and admissible evidence but also assured our client of our dedication to their cause.
Original source can be found here.