AMY McDANIEL WILLIAMS

In 2011, Amy McDaniel Williams learned she had breast cancer. The hard-driving finance lawyer realized she needed to slow down and take care of herself.

“The diagnosis made me realize that every day is a gift,” she says.

In 2015, she created a supportive fitness community for cancer survivors, launching Amy’s Army of Cancer Warriors, which organizes cycling events to fundraise for cancer research at VCU Massey Cancer Center, which helped her during her own battle.

While Williams says she wasn’t a natural athlete while growing up, she started competing in marathons and triathlons in her 40s.

“I am an endurance athlete, one of the slowest out there, and when I finish a race, invariably someone shouts, ‘You are still smiling!’” she says. “I have an uncanny ability to find happiness no matter what.”

At work, Williams, who has been a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth since 1999, represents borrowers and lenders with structuring and closing transactions involving a variety of assets, including residential loans. She is primarily focused on the secondary market for mortgage loans and assists mortgage companies with the process of selling, bundling and securitizing loans.

“I am passionate about helping make mortgages for homeownership more affordable,” Williams says. “I feel very lucky that I truly love my work and my clients.”