Doneene Damon Chosen for Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Lawyers
September 16, 2021
Firm News| Corporate Trust & Agency Services
WILMINGTON, Delaware (September 16, 2021) – Doneene K. Damon, president of Richards, Layton & Finger, has been honored as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2021 “Most Influential Black Lawyers.” Identifying lawyers who are exemplary leaders and advocates, Savoy’s annual list features African-American partners from top law firms and general counsel from Fortune 1000 companies who have demonstrated exceptional achievement, expertise, and community outreach. Doneene was also named to the Most Influential Black Lawyers list in 2018.
Doneene’s leadership within Richards Layton, the legal profession, and the community at large sets the standard for community involvement and professional excellence. In addition to serving as Richards Layton’s president, she is co-chair of the firm’s Business Department and chair of the Corporate Trust and Agency Services Group. Doneene focuses her legal practice on the use of Delaware and New York trusts in a wide range of commercial transactions, and represents banks and trust companies in connection with their trust and agency services under Delaware and New York law.
In addition to twice being named among Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Lawyers, Doneene’s many awards include the 2021 “Managing Partner of the Year—Law Firm” Women, Influence & Power in Law Award, the 2021 Philadelphia Business Journal Diversity Leaders in Business, the National Association of Professional Women VIP Woman of the Year Circle, the American Bar Association’s Jean Allard Glass Cutter Award, the National Diversity Council Leadership Excellence in the Law Award, and the International Women’s Review Board for Excellence in Law. Doneene is also regularly named in Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America, including as the 2022 Wilmington, DE Securitization and Structured Finance Lawyer of the Year.
Long an advocate for diversity, Doneene is a member of the Steering Committee for the Delaware Bench and Bar Diversity Project. She previously served on the board of directors for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. Doneene has chaired several ABA committees focusing on diversity issues, including serving as co-chair of the Committee on Corporate Director Diversity, which is committed to promoting the placement of women and minorities on boards of directors.
Doneene is the chair of the board of directors of Christiana Care Health System, Inc., Delaware’s largest health system. She also serves on the boards of the Forum of Executive Women, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, the Structured Finance Association, the First State FinTech Lab, the Cameron Kravitt Foundation, and two privately held companies.
About Richards, Layton & Finger
Delaware’s largest law firm and one of its oldest, Richards, Layton & Finger helps sophisticated clients navigate complex issues and the intricacies of Delaware law. We advise global companies, business partnerships, leading financial institutions, local businesses, and individuals across a wide range of practices, including corporate law, alternative entities, commercial law, bankruptcy and restructuring, and litigation.