Together We Are Changing Lives Through Pro Bono.
Thank You!
Click here to see photos from the evening’s celebration!
Download the 2019 Annual Dinner program.
Click here to watch video from the Dinner.
What an incredible night! Pro Bono Institute hosted its 2019 Annual Dinner, themed “Changing Lives Through Pro Bono,” on October 10 at Gotham Hall in New York. Dinner Co-Chairs Matthew W. Cooper, General Counsel, Capital One Financial Corporation**, and Amy E. Weaver, President, Legal & Corporate Affairs, General Counsel, Salesforce**, welcomed 300 pro bono leaders to celebrate and recognize the tremendous pro bono efforts and accomplishments of law firms, legal departments, and public interest partners.
Dinner Co-Chair Amy Weaver introduced the John H. Pickering Award presentation. Kimberly Parker, Partner, WilmerHale*†, presented the Pickering Award to Goodwin Procter* for demonstrating Mr. Pickering’s core values: a meaningful, organization-wide commitment to pro bono from the most senior lawyers and associates alike. David Hashmall, Partner and Chairman Emeritus, accepted the award and introduced Gary Mendell, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Shatterproof, a pro bono client of the firm, to share the impact of the firm’s pro bono efforts.
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the devastation that addiction causes families. Mendell shared his powerful personal story and how Shatterproof has benefited from Goodwin’s pro bono services. Mendell founded Shatterproof after he lost his son Brian to addiction in 2011, because he wanted to spare other families the tragedy he had suffered. “Goodwin has been there for me every step along the way, for all the pro bono legal services needed to operate a nonprofit… We have created many partnerships along the way that have required me calling someone at Goodwin at 11 o’clock at night saying I need an agreement by the next day.” Mendell received a standing ovation following his poignant remarks.
After a scrumptious meal, Dinner Co-Chair Matt Cooper introduced the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Awards. Michael O’Connor, General Counsel, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company**, presented the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award: Smaller Law to Sandra Lee Fenske, General Counsel, Sikorksy, a Lockheed Martin Company, who accepted on behalf of Sikorsky in partnership with the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and Teamsters Local 1150 for their longstanding service in support of the critical legal needs of veterans.
O’Connor also presented the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award: Large Law to Randall Ebner, Vice President & General Counsel, Exxon Mobil Corporation, who accepted on behalf of ExxonMobil in partnership with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, for their strategic collaboration breaking down barriers to legal services for immigrants in Texas.
PBI’s 2019 Annual Dinner was an inspiring reminder of the power pro bono has to positively change lives. The work done by the pro bono and access to justice champions at the Dinner and around the world serves a critical role helping those in need and making a meaningful, lasting impact on their lives.
We hope you are as inspired and energized as we are! Let’s keep the positive momentum going into the new year. And mark your calendar for PBI’s 2020 Annual Conference on Tuesday – Thursday, March 17 – 19, at the Gaylord National Resort at D.C.’s National Harbor.
* Denotes Charter Signatories to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®
**Indicates CPBO Challenge® Charter Signatory
†Indicates CPBO Challenge 100 Signatory
Annual Dinner Co-Chairs
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| Matthew W. Cooper General Counsel |
Amy E. Weaver President, Legal & Corporate Affairs, General Counsel |
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Benefit Committee
| Robert A. Angle Troutman Sanders |
Brian P. Moran Paul Hastings |
| Helen V. Cantwell Debevoise & Plimpton |
Michael J. O’Connor Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company |
| Lisa Dewey DLA Piper |
Stephen D. Otero Capital One Financial Corporation |
| Randall Ebner ExxonMobil |
Regina M. Pisa Goodwin Procter |
| Michael Fleming Merck & Co., Inc. |
Marc A. Rollo Archer & Greiner |
| Michael D. Fricklas Advance Publications, Inc. |
Faiza J. Saeed Cravath, Swaine & Moore |
| Kenneth A. Gallo Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison |
Anjan Sahni Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr |
| Bruce Goldner Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom |
John F. Schultz Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company |
| Richard R. Hays Alston & Bird |
Craig Silliman Verizon Communications Inc. |
| Caroline J. Heller Greenberg Traurig |
Dev Stahlkopf Microsoft Corporation |
| Atif Khawaja Kirkland & Ellis |
Neil A. Sternthal Thomson Reuters Corporation |
| Kimberly C. MacLeod Hunton Andrews Kurth |
Joel Unruch Accenture |
| James R. McGuire Morrison & Foerster |
J. Tracy Walker IV McGuireWoods |
| Timothy W. Millett The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. |
Elizabeth C. Wood Capital One Financial Corporation |
| Matthew J. Moore Latham & Watkins |
A celebration of stellar pro bono efforts!
2019 CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award
Large Law Department
| ExxonMobil |
| in partnership with |
| Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston |
Small Law Department
| Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company |
| in partnership with |
| Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and Teamsters Local 1150 |
Special Thanks to PBI’s 2019 Annual Dinner Sponsors
PRO BONO TRAILBLAZER
PRO BONO CHAMPION
PRO BONO LEADER
PRO BONO BENEFACTOR
Accenture
Advance Publications, Inc.
Alston & Bird
American International Group, Inc.
Archer & Greiner
DLA Piper
ExxonMobil
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Microsoft Corporation
Paul Hastings
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
PRO BONO PARTNER
Amazon
American Express Company
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
Comcast NBCUniversal
General Electric Company
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
Holland & Knight
Intel Corporation
Latham & Watkins
Mayer Brown
Murphy & McGonigle
O’Melveny & Myers
PepsiCo, Inc.
Shearman & Sterling
United Airlines
PRO BONO ADVOCATE
AT&T Inc.
Bank of America Corporation
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Buckley
Chubb
The Clorox Company
Deere & Company
Elliott Greenleaf
Entergy Corporation
Faegre Baker Daniels
Fenwick & West
Foley & Lardner
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Legal Executive Leadership, LLC
McDermott Will & Emery
Procter & Gamble Legal
The Prudential Insurance Company of America
Quarles & Brady
Eve Runyon
State Farm
Viacom Inc.
Visa Inc.
Walmart Inc.