PHILADELPHIA, October 16, 2026—Duane Morris partner Wendy M. Simkulak has been named the Best in State Leader – Pennsylvania winner at the IFLR Americas Awards 2026, presented by The Lawyer.
The IFLR Americas Awards recognize legal innovation and excellence in cross-border dealmaking throughout the Americas, honoring leading law firms, lawyers, teams and transactions shaping the legal and business landscape across the region.
Simkulak was selected for the individual Best in State Leader honor for Pennsylvania after being named to the 2026 shortlist earlier this year. Duane Morris received a total of 10 shortlist honors for the 2026 awards, including four firm nominations and six individual recognitions.
Winners were announced at the IFLR Americas Awards ceremony on October 15, 2026, at Capitale in New York City.
Wendy M. Simkulak is co-chair of the firm’s Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group and chair of the group’s Insurance Rights Division. She also serves as a team lead for the firm’s Insurance & Reinsurance Industry Group and is a member of the firm’s governing Partners Board. Simkulak practices in the areas of bankruptcy, corporate reorganization, creditors' rights, commercial finance, secured transactions and international commerce. She represents insurance companies, financial institutions, trade creditors, lessors, liquidating trustees and debtors in debt restructurings and in all aspects of a bankruptcy case. Simkulak has served as counsel to insurance companies providing pre-petition and/or post-petition insurance coverage to debtors in complex Chapter 11 cases. She has also represented lessors, mortgagees and assignees of nonresidential leases in large Chapter 11 cases. In addition to counseling clients regarding out-of-court restructurings, she has advised clients regarding structuring security arrangements and managing risks prior to and during the bankruptcy of a relationship party. Simkulak has represented debtors from the commencement of case through confirmation of a plan and liquidating trustees in various causes of action and commercial lenders and borrowers in secured lending, asset-based lending, leasing and other types of commercial transactions and assisted creditors in enforcement of remedies through commercial litigation in federal and state court.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.
