We are proud to introduce our Wellbeing Excellence Awards to be given at the fall 2026 Annual Brink Dinner.
These awards recognize employers and leaders within the Massachusetts legal community who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing employee wellbeing, psychological safety, and a healthy workplace culture within their organizations.
Legal Employer Wellbeing Excellence Awards
We are recognizing two legal employers that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to fostering employee wellbeing, psychological safety, and a healthy workplace culture. Nominees should demonstrate meaningful efforts to support attorney and staff wellbeing, including burnout prevention strategies, flexible workplace practices, inclusive culture-building initiatives, leadership engagement, professional development opportunities, and innovative wellbeing programming.
Legal Employer Wellbeing Excellence Award – Private Sector
Given to organizations that have embedded wellbeing into organizational values and demonstrated measurable or sustained positive impact on employees, including increased use of mental health resources and recovery support.
Jackson Lewis
Focused on labor and employment law since 1958, Jackson Lewis P.C. has more than 1,100 attorneys in major cities nationwide. The firm partners with employers to navigate the evolving intersection of workplace law and business, developing proactive strategies, practical policies and business-oriented solutions that support engaged, stable and high-performing workforces. Jackson Lewis shares its clients’ commitment to fostering workplaces grounded in belonging and respect for every employee’s contributions. To learn more, visit jacksonlewis.com.
Legal Employer Wellbeing Excellence Award – Public Sector
Given to organizations that engaged innovative strategies despite the unique demands and resource constraints often present in public service environments.
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s Office is an advocate and resource for the people of Massachusetts in many ways, including protecting consumers, combating fraud and corruption, investigating, and prosecuting crime, and protecting the environment, workers, and civil rights.
Leadership IN Wellbeing Excellence Awards
We are recognizing two leaders who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing employee wellbeing, psychological safety, and a healthy workplace culture within their organizations. Nominees should demonstrate leadership in promoting and inspiring or implementing progress of attorney and staff wellbeing through advocacy, culture-building, mentorship, burnout prevention efforts, support for mental health and recovery, and a visible commitment to creating a healthy and supportive workplace environment.
Leadership in Wellbeing Excellence Award – Private Sector
Given to a leader in a managerial or administrator role who has implemented or inspired policies that have positively impacted employee wellbeing or been successfully incorporated into a supportive work environment.
Luke Cadigan, Partner-in-Charge, Cooley LLP Boston
Luke Cadigan is a partner in the Securities Litigation and Enforcement Group at Cooley LLP, where he is Partner in Charge of the Boston Office and Head of Business Litigation. Luke also co-chairs Cooley’s Mental Health & Wellness Committee and the Boston Bar Association Law Firm Leadership Forum. An experienced trial attorney, Luke concentrates his practice on securities enforcement matters, shareholder disputes, complex commercial litigation, internal investigations, and advice on regulatory compliance. He is Chambers-ranked in both the Securities Litigation and White-Collar Criminal and Internal Investigation categories. Among other trial victories, this past month he secured a judgment of over $150 million, one of the largest such awards ever in Delaware Chancery Court. Prior to joining Cooley, Luke was first a Senior Trial Counsel and then an Assistant Director in the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Luke also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Edward F. Harrington of the United States District Court in Massachusetts and as a Special Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Boston College Law School.
Leadership in Wellbeing Excellence Award – Public Sector
Given to a leader in a managerial or administrator role, or who has otherwise implemented or inspired policies that produced innovative strategies despite the unique stresses, and resource constraints often present in public service environments.
David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney
David E. Sullivan has served as the Northwestern District’s District Attorney since 2011, representing Hampshire and Franklin counties and the town of Athol. With more than 39 years of legal experience, he has dedicated his career to public service, community safety, and access to justice. As District Attorney, he has advanced a community prosecution model that combines fair and effective prosecution with crime prevention, law enforcement partnerships, and community collaboration. He has also established initiatives focused on domestic violence, child protection, and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery. In 2013, he co-founded the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and North Quabbin, as well as Hampshire HOPE, both committed to addressing the opioid crisis. He also co-founded the Western Mass Veterans Treatment Court in 2015 serving court-involved veterans. Sullivan is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
LCL announced our “Stomp Out Stigma” campaign at OUR ANNUAL Brink Dinner IN September 2025.
In 2023, the NORC study surveyed Massachusetts lawyers about burnout, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use. The results revealed critical concerns within the profession: 42% of lawyers reported hazardous or unhealthy alcohol use, yet only 2% reported seeking help. Additionally, 21% reported depression, 77% reported feeling burnout, 26% reported anxiety, and 7% reported having thoughts of suicide.
The most commonly reported barriers to seeking help were stigma, lack of time, and fear of punitive consequences — with stigma emerging as the most significant. These findings make clear that stigma remains one of the greatest obstacles preventing lawyers from getting the support they need.
That is why we launched our campaign: “Stomp Out Stigma”. At LCL, we believe that one of the most powerful ways to fight stigma is to stand with those who experience it. Sometimes, stigma arises not from others but from our own self-talk — the quiet doubts and judgments we turn inward. By standing together and speaking openly about mental health and substance use, we can replace silence with support and give one another renewed courage to seek help and to offer it.
Join us and lend your voice to helping us “Stomp Out Stigma”. If you have a story of recovery to share and you are interested in participating on a panel, please contact Amy Levine, Director of Programs & Volunteers amy@lclma.org.
stand with us and show your support BY PURCHASING our limited edition merch.
