WIN, (formerly the Women's Investment Network), the Greater Philadelphia region's only organization specifically for women who are leaders of and investors in high-growth businesses, today announced that Kathleen M. “Kate” Shay, Senior Partner at Duane Morris, LLP, has been chosen as this year's recipient of the Iris Newman Award.

The award was established in honor of Iris Newman, a founding member of WIN and a successful entrepreneur whose life-long goal was to support her fellow women entrepreneurs.  The Iris Newman Award is presented annually by WIN to a woman business leader in the Greater Philadelphia area who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to helping advance women entrepreneurs.

The Iris Newman Award will be presented to Kate Shay at WIN’s fourth Leadership Series event, to be held on Wednesday, November 15, 2006, at the Union League of Philadelphia. Monica McGrath, Ph.D., Former Director of the Wharton Center for Leadership and Principal of Resources for Leadership, Inc., will be the keynote speaker.

Ms. Shay is a member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association and the Corporation, Banking and Business Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is the former Chair of the Executive Committee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.  She serves on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth; as a Board Member of the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group; and on the Steering Committee for the Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference.  Kate is also involved with PA Biotech, The Eastern Technology Council, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Ms. Shay is the recipient of the Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for service to the Villanova University School of Law, 2006; named a SuperLawyer by the publishers of Law and Politics Magazine, 2004-2005, and Recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2004-2005.

Ms. Shay is an alumna of Villanova University School of Law.

For more information about the Iris Newman Award, the WIN 10th Anniversary Leadership Speaker Series and WIN membership please visit www.winwomen.org or contact the WIN office at 484.945.2112.