The Orange County Business Journal General Counsel Awards

Acting as the chief legal officer and corporate secretary for Parex, a transnational chemical manufacturer, Matthew E. Syken has international legal experience in countries that include China and France. In 2017, Matthew Syken was nominated for General Counsel of the Year by the Orange County Business Journal.

A weekly publication that focuses on Southern California’s companies and businesspeople, the Orange County Business Journal has held its General Counsel Awards to honor the top lawyers in Orange County for the past eight years. In late 2017, more than 400 people in the region’s legal and corporate communities gathered at Hotel Irvine to recognize the 50 nominees and top lawyers. The University of California, Irvine School of Law founding dean Erwin Chemerinsky served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. 

To nominate an attorney or team for the Orange County Business Journal’s General Counsel Awards, the nominator must complete a nomination form with the nominee’s consent to participate. The nominator must submit a photo of the potential nominee and supporting materials that highlight his or her successes. The Orange County Business Journal is accepting applications until August 29, 2018, and winners will be announced at the next General Counsel Awards ceremony on November 13 at Hotel Irvine.

OCBJ Awards Recognize General Counsel Contributions

Matthew E. Syken serves as the general counsel and chief legal officer of Parex USA, where he holds the responsibility of overseeing international trade compliances, real estate holdings, and national and international securities. A legal professional with more than a decade of experience, Matthew Syken received a nomination for the Orange County Business Journal’s (OCBJ) 2017 General Counsel Awards. 

OCBJ’s General Counsel Awards celebrate the contributions of general counsels in the business community and the role they play in achieving success. The annual program provides awards in four categories: General Counsel of Public Company, General Counsel Privately Held Company, Specialty Counsel, and In-House Legal Team. The Specialty Counsel Award recognizes an attorney who focuses on a certain area of law, and the In-House Legal Team applies to teams with two or more members. 

General counsel professionals and legal teams must receive a nomination to win an OCBJ Award and subsequently consent to participation in the award program. OCBJ releases nominee finalists in a special General Counsel Advertising Supplement and announces the winners at an awards dinner.