Root Stimson Award Winner Honored for his Devotion to Buffalo
10.25.2025
David Colligan
Buffalo attorney David Colligan has been named the winner of the Root Stimson Award for his decades of service to the people and parks of Western New York.
Colligan supports the burgeoning innovation and entrepreneurial business climate in Buffalo while protecting Western New York’s natural resources. His passions range from helping start-up businesses to encouraging children to lead healthy, active lives.
“David Colligan’s work has touched the lives of nearly every resident in the Buffalo/Niagara region whether they realize it or not,” said New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet. “He has been a driving force for the success of our entrepreneurial economy and the revitalization of our natural environment.”
Colligan founded Launch NY, a nonprofit that offers pro bono mentoring and seed money for startups. His involvement has translated into 10,000 new jobs in the region since 2012. Most of the investments made by Launch NY benefited new businesses in underserved communities that faced barriers to capital investment.
As a trustee of the Ralph Wilson Foundation, Colligan used his experience in business and community advocacy to build the foundation’s governance from scratch. His guidance helped the billion-dollar foundation to deploy programs serving seniors and children across Western New York.
The Root Stimson award is given for outstanding commitment to community service and improvement of the justice system. The award was presented Oct. 25 during a meeting of the association’s House of Delegates, its governing body, at the Bar Center in Albany.
The award is named for Elihu Root and Henry Stimson and honors their commitment to public service. Root served as Secretary of State in President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration, received the Nobel Peace Prize and presided over the New York State Bar Association as its president. Stimson was Secretary of War under Presidents William Howard Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. He also served as Secretary of State under President Herbert Hoover.