James M. Wadsworth Named Buffalo Renaissance Foundation’s Man of the Year

James M. Wadsworth, a partner at the law firm Hodgson Russ and former chair and managing partner of the firm, was honored as 2013 Man of the Year by the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation at the organization’s Spring Luncheon, May 9.

Buffalo Renaissance Foundation’s Man of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual or individuals who exemplify outstanding community leadership and service to the Buffalo region.

Mr. Wadsworth chairs the largest foundation in the Buffalo area, the John R. Oishei Foundation. He is a trustee of Forest Lawn Cemetery and chairman and trustee of the Shaw Festival Foundation. He is also a trustee of the Robert and Patricia Colby Foundation, a trustee of the Mulroy Family Foundation, a trustee of the Carlos and Elizabeth Heath Foundation, and member of the advisory board of Waste Technology Services. Formerly, Mr. Wadsworth was a commissioner and vice chair of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, a member of the board of governors of the Shaw Festival Theatre, and a trustee of Nichols School and the Elmwood Franklin School. He was also a director of the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society, the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo and Erie County, the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association, the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, the Institute for Arts in Education of Western New York, and the Stanford University Law School Board of Visitors. He also formerly was president and a member of the board of the Buffalo Club, the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club, and Cherry Hill Club.

Mr. Wadsworth concentrates his law practice in complex estate planning for high-net-worth individuals and their families. He also has extensive experience counseling clients on structuring planned and estate gifts to charitable organizations.

Founded in 1981, Buffalo Renaissance Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to moving Buffalo forward, to help future generations realize the best opportunities to enjoy a high-quality of life in Western New York.