Gibbons P.C. Honored with Inaugural Empowering Women Award from NJBIZ

Gibbons P.C. has been recognized for its commitment to encouraging and inspiring women in the legal field and beyond with an inaugural Empowering Women Award from NJBIZ, New Jersey’s premier business publication. Christine A. Amalfe, Chair of the firm’s Employment & Labor Law Group and a founder of the award-winning Gibbons Women’s Initiative (GWI), accepted the award on behalf of the firm at a reception held August 1 at the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset, New Jersey.

“Through various programs, partnerships, and policies, Gibbons has supported women at all levels of their careers,” noted Ms. Amalfe. “We are proud of all we have accomplished to date and look forward to continuing this important work.”

Gibbons remains steadfast in elevating women, a core value of the longstanding GWI, which in recent years has concentrated its efforts on advancing women within the firm and supporting external leadership opportunities. Additionally, in 2022, Gibbons began the Mansfield Certification process, designed to increase the number of historically underrepresented attorneys in leadership by requiring consideration of diverse attorneys for leadership roles and client activities.

The firm has also continued to partner with organizations seeking to move women forward in the legal profession, and Gibbons attorneys have served in leadership roles for such organizations; for example, Kristin D. Sostowski, a Director in the Employment & Labor Law Group, served as President of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) and has been NAWL’s liaison to the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession since 2021; Susan L. Nardone, also a Director in the Employment & Labor Law Group, is a past Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Women in the Profession Section; and Ms. Amalfe, who also served as Chair of the NJSBA Women in the Profession Section, has progressed through leadership within the NJSBA and will serve as its President for the 2025-2026 term.

This leadership focus has shown dividends, with women now accounting for 40 percent of the firm’s Executive Committee, chairing nearly half of its practice areas, and holding three of five C-suite positions.

“We are dedicated to uplifting women at Gibbons and in the communities we serve by providing them with opportunities and facilitating their advancement,” said Peter J. Torcicollo, the firm’s Managing Director. “This honor from NJBIZ both serves as a testament to our commitment and motivates us to further nurture gender diversity.”

“Gibbons firmly believes that strengthening women’s positions should be a broader goal, one that has positive impact internally as well as externally,” adds Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Gibbons’s Executive Chairperson. “We are very pleased to be among the recipients of this inaugural recognition.”