Pamela Bresnahan
Pamela Bresnahan of Annapolis, Maryland and Key Largo, Florida passed away peacefully in her home on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. She was a native Washingtonian born to Harry and Marilyn Bresnahan.
Pam was a triple graduate of the University of Maryland, graduating from its law school in 1980. She is survived by her loving husband, Peter F. Axelrad, her long-time assistant and dear friend, Teresa Shoemaker, and her adored labs Charlie and Prince. She is also survived by her cousins Peter Colie, Barbara Brown Wallick (Jon), Valerie Bynum, Vikki Bresnahan, Keira Bresnahan, Bill Bresnahan, Brian Bresnahan and Joe Holland and her sister-inlaw Joy Rosenbloom as well as many more cousins and family members.
Pam’s amazing legal career spanned over four decades. For the past twenty-six years, she was a Partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, where she served as head of the Litigation Practice Group in its Washington, D.C. office. She loved practicing law and leaves behind a legacy of professional success and invaluable contributions to the legal profession. She was a fierce advocate and a skilled trial lawyer. Among her many achievements, she was named as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America and one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in America by the National Law Journal, and was recognized as one of Washington’s top lawyers by the Washingtonian Magazine and The Washington Post. She has been named in The Best Lawyers in America in Legal Malpractice, Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation and Ethics and Professional Responsibility. She testified before the United States Senate as a member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, during the confirmation hearings of now Chief Justice John Roberts.
Pam devoted many years of dedicated service to the American Bar Association as Chair of the House of Delegates’ Rules and Calendar Committee, member of the Board of Governors, and many other leadership roles. She was the Chair of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy Board of Trustees, a member of the National Judicial College Board of Trustees, a member of the Board of the American Bar Endowment and was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers as well as a number of other professional organizations throughout her long career.
She was a member of the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, The Golf Club at South River in Edgewater, Maryland and The Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland.
Pam’s contributions to the legal community cannot be overstated. She had an amazing ability to bring people together and to form lasting and close friendships with all who knew her.
Pam’s family will have a private interment in accordance with the current restrictions in place due to the pandemic. A private celebration of her life will be held at a time to be determined in the future. Donations in her memory can be made to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, 1815 Bay Ridge Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403 or ABA Fund for Justice and Education at ambar.org/donatebresnahan.
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