Devon Galloway Receives the American Bar Association’s “On the Rise” Award
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP is pleased to announce that associate Devon W. Galloway has been awarded the American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division’s “On the Rise–Top 40 Young Lawyers” Award. The annual recognition honors young ABA members who exemplify high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service.
Throughout Mr. Galloway’s career, he has made a powerful mark on the legal industry, his clients, and his peers. Mr. Galloway has a broad range of litigation, pro bono, and leadership experience as he represents clients in matters ranging from high-stakes multi-million-dollar litigation to bringing petitions for incarcerated individuals seeking compassionate release.
Mr. Galloway’s practice includes a mix of complex commercial litigation, health insurance coverage disputes, and white collar defense work. Notably, he has played a lead role in the firm’s nationwide representation of a Fortune 50 corporation facing thousands of suits by state and local governments seeking to recover costs alleged to have been caused by the distribution of prescription opioids.
In his active pro bono practice, Mr. Galloway is a passionate advocate for his clients. He often represents vulnerable populations and provides training opportunities for other attorneys on how to do the same. For example, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Galloway was one of the few attorneys considering the risk posed to incarcerated individuals by the virus. Many of those individuals lived in close quarters and did not receive proper medical treatment when infected with COVID-19. Recognizing the dire situation, Mr. Galloway dedicated himself to using the federal First Step Act to obtain the release of health-compromised prisoners, and in so doing, became a pioneer and innovator in obtaining orders granting compassionate release to incarcerated individuals. Through his determined advocacy for federal prisoners with significant health risks, Mr. Galloway secured court-ordered early release for four incarcerated people who were elderly, terminally ill, or at heightened risk severe illness from COVID-19. To this day, Mr. Galloway continues to represent clients in similar cases.
Not only did Mr. Galloway take on more compassionate release cases than most private practice attorneys nationwide during the pandemic, but he also became a leader in this space by dedicating his time to assist others with difficult cases and to equip other attorneys with the necessary skills and knowledge to engage in this work. Mr. Galloway’s efforts included recruiting more pro bono attorneys and presenting on compassionate release issues at events organized by the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse, the Federal Bar Association, the D.C. Bar, and the Pro Bono Institute.
In addition to the accomplishments on behalf of clients and contributions to the broader legal community, Mr. Galloway is a member of Zuckerman Spaeder’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and is closely involved in the firm’s recruiting strategy to attract and retain top candidates with diverse backgrounds to the firm. As a senior associate in Zuckerman Spaeder’s New York office, Mr. Galloway is a leader among the associate class and has taken on a mentorship role to support the integration of and provide guidance to the firm’s junior associates.
In recent years, Mr. Galloway has been honored with several recognitions, including being named a 2022 finalist for The American Lawyer’s Young Lawyer of the Year–Beyond Practice Award and receiving the New York State Bar Association’s 2021 President’s Pro Bono Service Young Lawyer Award. His efforts also significantly contributed to Zuckerman Spaeder being named to The National Law Journal’s Pro Bono Hotlist and being awarded the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Beacon of Justice Award in 2021 and 2022. Mr. Galloway has also been recognized as a “One to Watch” by the Best Lawyers in America since 2021.