Ben Edwards Receives Corporate Counselor’s Award
Ben Edwards of Greensboro recently became the fourth recipient of the Corporate Counselor’s Award, which was established by the NCBA Corporate Counsel Section to honor “superstars” of the profession.
The award was presented in April during the section’s annual meeting by Christine Mazzone, section chair.
Edwards serves as vice president and senior counsel for Lincoln Financial Group, which he joined in 2005. He has held his present position since 2017 and previously practiced with Nexsen Pruet from 2003-05.
A past chair of the Corporate Counsel Section, Edwards is a 2003 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and public policy (1998) and a master’s degree in teaching (1999) from Duke University.
When asked to describe how it felt to receive this honor from his peers, Edwards responded, “It’s an amazing honor and incredibly humbling when I think about some of the past recipients of this award – people who are tremendous leaders in their communities, in the corporate legal world and in the NCBA.
“I have been involved in the section for a number of years, and there is always a deep bench of incredible talent emerging in section leadership. It’s a real honor to be a small part of the section legacy.”
Edwards currently serves on the NCBA Board of Governors and the NCBF Board of Directors, and as a member of the Audit & Finance Committee of both organizations. Combined with his experiences as an active member of the Corporate Counsel Section, he has great appreciation for the opportunities engaged membership has afforded him.
“One of the great things about the Corporate Counsel Section is that it gives in-house attorneys a chance to connect that we might not otherwise have,” Edwards said. “We counsel companies that have incredibly different missions, sizes and geographic footprints, but we all face some of the same challenges. Having a network of colleagues to bounce ideas off of is a wonderful luxury.
“And it has been personally rewarding to make connections through the section as well. As we emerge from the pandemic, I’m really looking forward to getting back together with everyone in person.
Edwards is the fourth recipient of the Corporate Counselor Award, preceded by Guy Brooks (2016), Tamara J. Stringer (2017) and Clayton Morgan (2021).
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.