McGuireWoods Richmond partners Erin Ashwell and Janet Peyton have been honored as Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s Influential Women of Law for 2026. The award recognizes outstanding women lawyers and judges who are making a difference in the legal profession and their communities. Recipients were profiled in a special section of Virginia Lawyers Weekly and celebrated at an awards program Feb. 26, 2026, in Richmond.
Ashwell was one of five lawyers selected for the awards program’s “Circle of Excellence” for continued impact and outstanding leadership. Ashwell, part of the firm’s nationally ranked Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation Practice Group, assists clients with litigation, as well as federal and state investigations. Her practice spans subject matters, including education, consumer protection, and healthcare. She joined McGuireWoods after serving as Virginia’s chief deputy attorney general from 2020 to 2022, where she managed the office’s day-to-day operations and set legal strategy for more than 500 employees. Virginia Lawyers Weekly also honored Ashwell in its Influential Women of Law program in 2022.
Peyton is managing partner of the firm’s Richmond office. Her practice focuses on intellectual property and data privacy and security. She provides worldwide brand protection, enforcement, licensing and transactional IP services, and assists clients with preventive data security and compliance issues in the aftermath of a data breach. Among her past honors, Virginia Lawyers Weekly named Peyton to its Leaders in the Law list in 2024. In addition, BTI Consulting named Peyton a Client Service All-Star and The National Law Journal recognized her as a Technology Trailblazer. Peyton is a past chair of the Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Section.
“Erin and Janet exemplify the kind of leadership, excellence and dedication to service that define McGuireWoods,” said J. Tracy Walker IV, the firm’s managing partner. “We are immensely proud to see them recognized among Virginia’s most influential women in law.”