BOSTON — Aug. 10, 2015 — Barbara A. Jones, Corporate & Securities shareholder with international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, was named to the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2015 list of "Top Women of Law." This prestigious award is given to an elite group of women lawyers who have made important contributions to the legal community through outstanding leadership, vision, passion, and advocacy. Jones will be honored Oct. 28, 2015, at an awards event at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston.
Jones is being recognized for her leadership in complex international legal issues as well as her dedication to advancing the missions of nonprofit legal, business, and community organizations. She coordinates Greenberg Traurig’s Global Securities Practice and serves as co-coordinator of the firm’s interdisciplinary Conflict Minerals Compliance Initiative. Jones is a highly-seasoned corporate and securities lawyer with extensive international experience, and is a trusted advisor to executive management and boards of directors, capitalizing on her private practice and in-house experience. She specializes in complex international and domestic transactions, including private and public financings; M&A/recaps; and licensing, joint venture, and distribution arrangements; as well as regulatory reporting and compliance. In addition to her prior in-house experience, she now regularly serves as outside general counsel for public and private companies, working closely with management and boards on strategic initiatives. Her clients include companies in the life sciences, technology, entertainment/media, and energy sectors, as well as financial institutions. Jones also represents Olympic and national team athletes, typically on a pro bono basis.
As an advocate for the professional development of women lawyers, Jones is on the Steering Committee of Association of Corporate Growth’s (Boston Chapter) Women’s Connection and a member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative Task Force of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts. She is an Executive Council member of Ellevate (formerly known as 85 Broads) and active in mentoring women entrepreneurs. Jones has served on the Board of Visitors of the Pepperdine University School of Law for over 15 years and is past chair of the ABA’s Subcommittee on International Securities Matters.
Jones utilizes her legal training and advocacy skills in the community to tackle controversial matters and influence positive social change, particularly when it relates to issues of fairness and equality. In 2013, Jones successfully advocated for, and authored, important changes to the U.S. Rowing Rules of Rowing to promote the fairer treatment of athletes at U.S. regattas. Her collaborative style won her the respect of the U.S. Rowing leadership and she was invited to join the referee corps, becoming licensed the following year. In 2007, Jones facilitated the initial formation of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the study, treatment, and prevention of concussions, particularly in athletes. Under the passionate leadership of Executive Director Christopher Nowinski, SLI’s work has led to major changes in the prevention and treatment of concussions in athletes at all levels, including changes in “return to play” rules, and the advancement of medical research in the understanding of the causes of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Jones has been a member of the SLI Board of Directors since 2010 and served as President of the Board in 2014.