American International Group, Inc. (AIG)
and
Lucy Fato
Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Global Head of
Communications and Government Affairs
Pro Bono Institute was pleased to honor American International Group, Inc. (AIG) and Lucy Fato, AIG’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Global Head of Communications and Government Affairs, with the 2020 Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award. PBI presents its Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award each year to an individual or organization that has provided exemplary pro bono service.
A charter signatory to PBI’s Corporate Pro Bono Challenge® initiative, AIG has supported pro bono efforts by its global team for more than 10 years. AIG’s pro bono program enjoys a high level of support from its leadership, including Brian Duperreault, AIG’s Chief Executive Officer, and Lucy Fato, AIG’s Executive Vice President & General Counsel, and includes a pro bono committee of seven lawyers with a chairman, Deputy General Counsel Eric Kobrick, who has served in that role since the inception of the program. In 2012, the department formalized its program, developing an infrastructure that has led to expanded pro bono offerings in the U.S. and around the globe and a significant increase in pro bono engagement. In the past five years alone, AIG volunteers have provided approximately 20,000 hours of pro bono legal services to a broad range of clients, including domestic violence survivors, veterans, nonprofit organizations, and low- to moderate-income micro-entrepreneurs.
AIG has helped refugees whose lives are in imminent danger by virtue of working with the U.S. military, often as interpreters, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones. AIG has worked on cases for autistic children and children with other special needs to secure vital educational services. Additionally, AIG has worked with first responders and senior citizens on estate planning matters. This is just a sampling of the wide variety of AIG’s pro bono projects. Pro bono is voluntary at AIG, but participation is strongly encouraged. AIG offers a wide variety of pro bono opportunities to ensure there are options for attorneys and legal professionals alike, including both short-term and long-term representations. The program provides ample support and training for pro bono volunteers. AIG has also innovated ways to encourage greater engagement in pro bono, such as publishing a pro bono newsletter distributed to the entire Legal, Compliance and Regulatory Department and articles on its company-wide internal website to feature accomplishments and recognize volunteers. AIG also designates a pro bono month in which legal services organizations come to AIG throughout the month to present on pro bono opportunities.
About Lucy Fato
Lucy Fato is responsible for overseeing the Global Legal, Compliance and Regulatory groups at AIG. Prior to joining the company, Fato was Managing Director, Head of the Americas & General Counsel of Nardello & Co., a global private investigative firm, where she remains on the Advisory Board. Previously, Fato was Executive Vice President & General Counsel of S&P Global. Prior to that, she was Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Marsh & McLennan Companies. She began her legal career at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell where she spent 14 years, including five as a partner in the capital markets group.Fato was recognized by Crain’s New York as a 2019 Notable Woman in Law. In 2018 and 2019, Fato was included in NACD Directorship magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the boardroom community, including directors, corporate governance experts, regulators and advisors. Fato was recognized in 2017 as an “Outstanding Woman in the Legal Profession” by the New York County Lawyers Association. In 2015 and 2017, she was named by Ethisphere Magazine as one of the “Attorneys Who Matter” for her dedication to furthering corporate ethics, and in 2009, she was inducted into the YWCA-NYC Academy of Women Leaders.PBI applauds AIG and Lucy Fato for their continuing dedication to pro bono and access to justice.
