Ann M. Guinn Receives Lifetime Service APEX Award │ Sept. 27, 2019
Beloved Legal Practice Consultant Recognized for Her Extensive Contributions to Solo and Small Firms
SEATTLE, WA [Sept. 27, 2019] — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) presented Ann M. Guinn the 2019 APEX Lifetime Service Award. This is a special award given for a lifetime of service to the legal community and the public. WSBA President William D. Pickett presented the award at the annual WSBA APEX (Acknowledging Professional Excellence) Awards Dinner on Sept. 26 at the Sheraton Seattle.
As one of the most widely known and respected legal-practice consultants in this state and beyond, Guinn has been irreplaceable in her work to help lawyers achieve independent success.
Guinn started her career working in large and small law firms, and through her interactions with legal professionals discovered she had a knack for finding commonsense solutions that help grow businesses and empower small- and solo-practice lawyers. Guinn soon transitioned into an unexpected consultancy role that has kept her at the forefront of experts who can assist small and solo practitioners.
“With the cheerfulness of Mary Poppins and the strategic acumen of Gen. George Patton, Ms. Guinn was instrumental in creating a new framework for my practice operations,” Bellevue attorney Jeanette Bowers Weaver said. “She helped me refocus my energies in such a way that I was able to continue to meet the needs of my family as well as my clients.”
Guinn’s storied career has been replete with similar praise. In addition to her core consultancy work, Guinn volunteers on a variety of WSBA section executive committees, regularly serves as faculty on WSBA CLEs, and has developed lauded educational materials, such as her book, Minding Your Own Business: The Solo and Small Firm Lawyer’s Guide to a Profitable Practice, in addition to articles in a variety of widely read legal publications.
“Ann Guinn has dramatically improved my professional satisfaction,” said Andrew L. Benjamin, partner of a Seattle-based law firm. “At a juncture when many of my peers seem to be coasting to conclusion or counting the days to retirement, I have never been happier as a lawyer.”
About the Washington State Bar Association
The WSBA operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court and exercises a governmental function authorized by the Court to license and regulate the state’s nearly 40,000 legal professionals, including lawyers, limited practice officers, and limited license legal technicians. The WSBA both regulates legal professionals under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. The WSBA administers the Bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; administers the lawyer discipline system; and provides continuing legal education for legal professionals, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities. The Bar’s mission is to serve the public and its members, to ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.
