NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recognition of its steadfast commitment to pro bono service, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has received the Pro Bono Institute's prestigious Pickering Award for 2008. The award was presented at the Pro Bono Institute's annual gala in New York City on November 13, 2008.
Accepting the award, Weil chairman Stephen J. Dannhauser stated, "It is gratifying to accept this award in recognition of Weil's far-reaching and longstanding commitment to pro bono services. I am very proud of the countless hours and dedicated efforts our attorneys provide on behalf of the communities we serve worldwide."
A trailblazer in pro bono activity, Weil, Gotshal & Manges' efforts span a broad array of matters, including civil, human and voting rights; political asylum; and community and economic development. The firm provides pro bono services to clients around the globe, from micro-entrepreneurs in Harlem to weavers in Varanasi, India. The first firm to establish a pro bono policy on a global basis, Weil has established a goal that every lawyer perform 50 hours of pro bono service each year, with the expectation that every partner will work on a pro bono matter every year. In addition, every new attorney - from first-year associate to lateral partner - is required to take on a pro bono matter within his or her first two years at the firm.
Presented annually by the Pro Bono Institute and its Law Firm Pro Bono Project, the Pickering Award is given to a major law firm demonstrating consummate dedication to pro bono service. The award is given in honor of John H. Pickering, a distinguished appellate lawyer and a leader in the legal profession, known for his extraordinary commitment to pro bono and public interest law. The Pickering Award was established jointly by WilmerHale (John Pickering's law firm) and the Pro Bono Institute.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges (www.weil.com), an international law firm of over 1,300 lawyers, including approximately 300 partners, is headquartered in New York, with offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Budapest, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Miami, Munich, Paris, Prague, Providence, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Warsaw, Washington, D.C. and Wilmington.
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