NEW YORK, July 15, 2024 - Dechert has been ranked #1 internationally and #5 nationally for the firm's pro bono work by The American Lawyer's Pro Bono Scorecard.
The Pro Bono Scorecard ranks the 200 largest law firms in the U.S. based on the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who performed more than 20 hours of pro bono work. The American Lawyer has ranked Dechert in the top two spots for international work for nine consecutive years and in the top ten in the U.S. for the last three years.
"We're grateful to Dechert lawyers around the world for their efforts in providing excellent legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford counsel and helping," said Suzanne Turner, chair of the firm's pro bono practice. "We will continue to work alongside our partners in the public interest legal services community to ensure equal access to justice, using our skills to make a meaningful impact in the communities we serve."
In 2023, Dechert logged a total of more than 105,000 pro bono hours globally. At any given moment, the firm's lawyers are actively engaged in more than 1,700 open pro bono matters across a wide range of causes, including civil rights, criminal justice reform, housing and homelessness, human trafficking, nonprofit work, veterans' rights, and more.
"The spirit of giving back is deeply ingrained in our firm's culture. We are incredibly proud of our team's unwavering commitment to pro bono work, which not only benefits those in need but also enriches our own professional lives," said firm co-chairs Mark Thierfelder and David Forti.
To highlight those in the Dechert community who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to providing pro bono legal services, the firm has its annual Samuel E. Klein Pro Bono Awards. This year, individuals and teams were honored for the following matters:
The Eviction Diversion Program allows landlords and tenants, in cases where a tenant is experiencing financial hardship, to participate in a free mediation prior to an eviction complaint being filed so the parties can try to resolve their issues without having to go to court. Philadelphia-based Justin Gdula runs Dechert's involvement in Philadelphia's Eviction Diversion Program which, under his leadership, Dechert has handled over 230 mediations since 2021.
Cocoa360 is a nonprofit based in Ghana that leverages revenues from community-run farms to improve education and health outcomes for the local cocoa-growing community. Since 2015, Dechert has played an indispensable role not only with respect to Cocoa360's establishment but also with its continued growth and development, helping it to become a case study for sustainable development.
San Francisco-based Mary Kim has represented survivors of domestic violence, advocated for voting rights and prisoners' civil rights, and screened cases for the Innocence Project.
A London-based team successfully worked in collaboration with the Beirut Bar Association and a team of barristers in bringing a claim in the High Court of England and Wales against Savaro on behalf of the victims of the August 2020 explosion in the port of Beirut, in which hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, resulting in the loss of 218 lives and causing extensive damage to downtown Beirut. The litigation resulted in a liability finding and a monetary award against Savaro – the first to be obtained on behalf of the victims. The Dechert team included Camille Abousleiman, Abdul Azeem s/o Abdul Samad, Richard Herstell and Adam Silver.
Human trafficking is a crime of exploitation – impacting an estimated 25 million people worldwide at any given time. Since 2018, a cross-office team has worked to secure justice for one such survivor of trafficking, including helping the survivor navigate the immigration process and resolving a civil action for damages under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The team included Boston-based Amisha Patel; New York-based Noah Leibowitz and Bernard Powell; and Washington-based Eric Auslander and Brett Kohlhofer.
The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) is a legal advocacy organization that, working with local partners, is dedicated to advancing reproductive rights and protecting maternal health worldwide. Since 2019, a cross-office, multi-disciplinary team has worked with CRR, helping them gain a better understanding of the global legal landscape for reproductive rights and maternal health. Led by Maria Pedersen, the team included Charlotte-based Israel Rodriguez Rubio; Hong Kong-based Andrew Singer; New York-based Marcela Gómez Morin Cuevas and Juan Bautista Zambon; and Singapore-based David Good and Alan Zhang.
Dechert has a long-standing tradition of providing pro bono legal services to individuals and organizations who cannot otherwise afford legal counsel. Pro bono engagements are approached with the same energy, enthusiasm and resources as work for commercial clients. Dechert strives to find projects that make a difference in the firm's local office communities and match the interests and skillsets of its lawyers.
To learn more about Dechert's pro bono services, click here.
About Dechert
Dechert is a global law firm that advises asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital – from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and regulatory matters. We answer questions that seem unsolvable, develop deal structures that are new to the market and protect clients' rights in extreme situations. Our nearly 1,000 lawyers across 20 offices globally focus on the financial services, private equity, private credit, real estate, life sciences and technology sectors.
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