NEW YORK – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is pleased to announce that Morgan V. Manley, a Partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice, has been named a 2025 recipient of the Honorable Judith S. Kaye Commercial & Federal Litigation Scholarship, presented by the New York State Bar Association’s Commercial & Federal Litigation Section.
The prestigious scholarship recognizes five women lawyers across the state who exemplify exceptional skill, leadership, and commitment to advancing women in commercial litigation. The award honors the legacy of former New York Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, a pioneering jurist and advocate for gender equality in the legal profession. The scholarship provides recipients with full registration to the NYSBA’s Commercial Litigation Academy and supports the development of women attorneys as first-chair trial counsel in commercial cases. The honor is one of the Section’s most competitive professional-development awards and is designed to elevate women litigators poised to lead complex commercial trials.
Ms. Manley will be honored at the “Taking the Lead 2025: Winning Trial Strategies and Techniques for Commercial Cases” program on November 19, 2025. The program will celebrate women litigators through a live mock trial and judicial critique, culminating in the presentation of the Kaye Scholarships.
“I am deeply honored to receive this scholarship and to be recognized among such an inspiring group of advocates,” said Morgan V. Manley. “Judge Kaye’s career demonstrated that excellence, leadership, and service are strengthened by inclusion. This award reaffirms my commitment to mentorship, representation, and to advancing women in litigation.”
Ms. Manley’s practice encompasses a wide range of complex commercial litigation. She represents clients in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration, in matters involving high-stakes contract and business disputes, art-law-related issues, management-side employment litigation, creditor- and debtor-side bankruptcy matters, corporate governance challenges, and fiduciary litigation. She regularly represents lenders, developers, boards, and private entities in multimillion-dollar disputes and provides strategic guidance on risk mitigation and litigation strategy in connection with large-scale transactions.
In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Manley is Co-Chair of Smith, Gambrell, & Russell’s Summer Associate Program, where she recruits, trains, and mentors future attorneys on trial practice and professional development. She also serves on the firm’s Pro Bono Committee, on which she helps drive initiatives focused on expanding access to justice. Beyond the firm, she is a member of the Young Fellows Steering Committee of The Frick Collection, reflecting her longstanding commitment to civic and cultural engagement, and the Governance Committee of the Alumni Association of Foxcroft School, an all girl’s high school in Middleburg, Virginia, reflecting her continued dedication to mentorship. Her combined legal, community, and mentorship work exemplifies the core values the Kaye Scholarship seeks to recognize.
About Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is a full-service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The Firm’s nearly 350 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 50 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, insurance/reinsurance, construction, employment law, international, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, Smith Gambrell has 14 domestic and international offices, including Atlanta; Austin; Charlotte; Chicago; Jacksonville; London; Los Angeles; Miami; Milan; Munich; New York; Southampton; Tampa; and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit: https://www.sgrlaw.com/