Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
e-mail: communications@probonoinst.org
website: www.probonoinst.org

PBI Honors Latham & Watkins for Outstanding Pro Bono Service

Washington, D.C. – The Pro Bono Institute (PBI) announced today that it will present Latham & Watkins LLP with the 2012 John H. Pickering Award in recognition of the firm’s exemplary pro bono service. Latham will receive the award at the 2012 PBI Annual Dinner on November 15 in New York.

More than 1,900 Latham attorneys and staff in 28 offices across 13 countries participated in the firm’s pro bono program in 2011, working on a variety of issues in both the U.S. and abroad. Logging 173,000 hours of pro bono service last year, the firm provided legal services and worked to effect positive change in the U.S. justice system and in countries with growing pro bono cultures. The firm has performed more than 1.8 million hours of pro bono over the past decade.

“Latham & Watkins is to be commended for both the critical pro bono work that it does domestically and abroad, but also for fostering a pro bono culture that is well integrated into the firm’s goals and provides a diverse set of opportunities for its lawyers and staff,” PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent said. “Latham’s work sends a very powerful message that pro bono is crucial to the maintenance and development of justice systems everywhere.”

Latham’s pro bono projects span various aspects of the law. The firm has helped hundreds of Holocaust survivors secure reparations and pensions from the German government, providing pro bono support to more than 400 survivors in 2011 alone. Latham also undertook a comprehensive investigation of the U.S. immigration court system and produced a report with recommendations on how it can be improved. The firm’s attorneys also work on multiple fronts to promote civil liberties and combat human trafficking in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

“Latham & Watkins thanks the Pro Bono Institute for its invaluable guidance and support over the years, and is deeply honored by this recognition,” Latham & Watkins Chairman and Managing Partner Robert M. Dell said. “Our firm’s commitment to pro bono is best reflected in the dedication, compassion and diligence our lawyers bring to each of the hundreds of pro bono matters we take on each year. Our program and the results we achieve for our clients are a tremendous source of pride for everyone at our firm.”

Given annually by PBI and the firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (now WilmerHale), the award honors the memory of John H. Pickering, a founding partner and distinguished appellate lawyer known for his extraordinary commitment to pro bono and public interest law.


About Latham & Watkins LLP
Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys in 31 offices, including Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the website at www.lw.com.

About the Pro Bono Institute
Established in 1996, PBI is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to explore and identify new approaches to the poor and disadvantaged unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems. PBI identifies and develops innovative programs and undertakes rigorous evaluations to ensure that these new approaches are workable and effective.

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