ABA honors top nonprofit lawyers.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)

The Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Business Law unveiled the recipients of its annual Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Awards for 2009.

The 2009 recipients are:

Vanguard/Lifetime Achievement Award for distinguished lifetime achievement in the nonprofit sector: Marion R. Fremont-Smith, Senior Research Fellow, Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Outstanding Lawyer Award for distinguished service by an attorney practicing nonprofit law at a law firm or as a solo practitioner: Seth J. Perlman, Perlman & Perlman, LLP, New York, N.Y.

Outstanding In-House Counsel Award for distinguished service by an attorney employed in a legal role at a nonprofit organization: Douglas S. Brown, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, UMass Memorial Healthcare, Inc. (Worcester, Mass.)

Outstanding Academic Award for distinguished academic achievement contributing to the nonprofit sector through scholarly work: Stephen Schwarz, University of California Hastings School of Law, San Francisco, Calif.

Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for distinguished service to the nonprofit sector by a young lawyer under 35 years of age or in legal practice for less than 10 years: Melissa C.Tai, Patton Boggs, LLP, Washington, D.C.