COURTNEY MOATES PAULK

Not only is Courtney Moates Paulk the first woman president of Hirschler law firm and ranked among the top construction lawyers in Virginia, but she is a record-setting ultra-distance, open-water marathon swimmer.

In 2021, Paulk became the first person to complete a two-way crossing of the English Channel, a two-way crossing of the Catalina Channel, and a double circumnavigation of Manhattan Island. She was awarded the “Double Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming” for her achievement.

Paulk attributes her success and endurance to not being afraid to fail and breaking down daunting tasks into smaller, manageable goals.

“To do great things, you have to be willing to take a risk,” she says. “Without risk, there can be no success and no failure.”

Paulk, who has worked at Hirschler for almost 22 years, leads more than 90 attorneys across her law firm’s offices in Richmond, Fredericksburg and Tysons. She focuses on elevating the firm’s client service, recruiting, mentorship, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Additionally, she has successfully defended commercial clients in many significant claims into the tens of millions of dollars.

In 2021 to 2022, she was ranked among the top 50 female attorneys by Super Lawyers. She is also included in Best Lawyers’ list of the nation’s top attorneys.

Read more about the 2023 class of Virginia Business Women in Leadership Award winners.