AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
June 18, 2026
Read time: 4 min
June 18, 2026 Global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte is proud to share that Bill Boies has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 ABA Pro Bono Publico Award presented by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Services.
For more than five decades, Bill has built a distinguished career as a nationally recognized litigator, focusing on the defense of complex financial class action litigation. Alongside his professional success, he has led groundbreaking efforts to expand funding for legal aid organizations serving low-income communities across the United States.
A pioneer in the use and defense of cy pres awards – residual funds from class action settlements – Bill has spent over twenty years advocating for these resources to be directed toward legal aid and nonprofit organizations. His leadership has helped establish cy pres funding as a critical financial lifeline for legal services nationwide.
Bill played a key role in developing Illinois legislation that channels unclaimed class action settlement funds to organizations that promote access to justice. That framework has since become a national model, influencing similar rules now adopted in 27 states. He has also advised jurisdictions across the country and supported national efforts encouraging broader adoption of these practices.
In addition to his legislative and policy work, Bill has been instrumental in defending cy pres awards in courts across the country. Through amicus briefs filed in multiple U.S. Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court, he has helped safeguard millions of dollars intended to support legal aid organizations. He also advises national and state IOLTA programs about political challenges to IOLTA interest going to fund legal aid providers.
His impact extends beyond litigation. Bill is a frequent author and speaker on access-to-justice issues and continues to mentor lawyers and advocate for systemic solutions that expand legal services for underserved populations.
Reflecting his humility, Bill has said, “What legal aid organizations can do with the money is awfully important. What I know how to do is get the money for the people who do the work and make an impact.”
The Pro Bono Publico Award celebrates lawyers who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for the poor and disadvantaged. Bill Boies’ decades of leadership, innovation, and dedication exemplify the very spirit of the award.
Read more about the 2026 honorees.
About the ABA Pro Bono Committee
The ABA’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service works to ensure access to justice through the expansion and enhancement of the delivery of legal and other law-related services to the underserved through volunteer efforts of legal professionals nationwide. The Committee fosters the development of pro bono programs and activities by law firms, bar associations, corporate legal departments, law schools, government attorney offices and others; analyzes the scope and function of pro bono programs; and proposes and reviews policy that affects lawyers’ ability to provide pro bono legal services.
Leading organizations turn to global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte for a better way to address legal challenges, connect with those at the forefront, and drive stronger outcomes. Working across more than 20 offices globally, our 1,700+ lawyers act on data-driven insights, deep relationships, and unmatched industry experience to deliver on our commitment of Always Better.
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McDermott Will & Schulte named D.C. Bar’s 2026 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year
AWARDS & RANKINGS
April 10, 2026
Read time: 3 min
April 10, 2026 — International law firm McDermott Will & Schulte has been recognized as the Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year as part of the D.C. Bar’s 2026 Annual Awards.
Demonstrating a strong commitment to expanding access to justice, protecting human rights, and empowering individuals and organizations driving change, the firm’s Washington, DC office contributed 21,059 hours of pro bono service in 2025.
The D.C. Bar’s Annual Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose exceptional work benefits Bar members, strengthens the legal community, and broadens access to justice. This year’s honorees have made significant contributions to advancing the legal profession while providing critical support to the District’s most vulnerable populations.
Read more here.
Leading organizations turn to global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte for a better way to address legal challenges, connect with those at the forefront, and drive stronger outcomes. Working across more than 20 offices globally, our 1,750+ lawyers act on data-driven insights, deep relationships, and unmatched industry experience to deliver on our commitment of Always Better.
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McDermott supports privacy rights nonprofits in United States v. Chatrie
PRESS RELEASE
March 11, 2026
Read time: 7 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Schulte represented the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Rutherford Institute in filing two Supreme Court amicus briefs in United States v. Chatrie, a case carrying significant weight for Fourth Amendment privacy protections and location history data.
“The Center for Democracy & Technology was proud to submit a brief in the Chatrie case, which could have a huge impact on Fourth Amendment protections for location privacy and have a pivotal impact in how ‘reverse warrants’ for sensitive digital data are treated,” said Jake Laperruque, Deputy Director for the Security and Surveillance Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “We’re grateful to McDermott Will & Schulte for its invaluable assistance in helping us highlight the importance of protecting privacy rights in the digital age.”
The briefs urge the Supreme Court to overturn a Fourth Circuit decision in United States v. Chatrie, which, if left intact, would erode Fourth Amendment protections in a person’s location history data. The Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether reverse dragnet warrants are permissible under the Fourth Amendment. These warrants would allow the government to request location history data from all people in an area of a crime without particularity or probable cause.
Demonstrating a unified and powerful stance to protect privacy rights in location data for all Americans, the Center for Democracy and Technology, joined by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Defending Rights & Dissent, submitted a joint brief, with the Rutherford Institute submitting a separate complimentary brief, requesting the Fourth Circuit decision be overturned and the geofence warrant at issue found unconstitutional.
“If a warrant can be obtained to search the movements of everyone in a given area based on the likely fact that someone who was in that area probably has a cell phone, the government effectively has carte blanche to demand site-tracking information on anyone at any time,” said the Rutherford Institute in its brief. “The intrusive power of government surveillance may be applied to any unfortunate person who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time carrying a cell phone. Such intrusion based on a general warrant is not only plainly unconstitutional, but a threat to the fundamental right to privacy.”
“By compelling the disclosure of location data for every device within a defined area, geofence warrants resemble the very general warrants the Fourth Amendment was designed to prohibit,” echoed the Center for Democracy and Technology in its brief. “If upheld without meaningful limits, geofence warrants could normalize suspicionless digital dragnets as a routine investigative tool.”
Digital location history data can be some of the most sweeping, granular, and comprehensive information about a person. By creating a journal of one’s movements, it can reveal the “privacies of life” including “familial, political, professional, religious, and sexual associations.” In this case, law enforcement requested a geofence warrant requesting anonymized user data of every person who was in a 150-meter radius of the crime for a one-hour period. Then, without an additional warrant, the government demanded location information for a period of time before and after the set duration of the geofence, without any limit to its geographic bounds. Finally, the government demanded and received deanonymized information for multiple devices.
Geofence warrants are effectively “digital dragnets” that permit searches of broad swaths of private individuals’ movements without the constitutionally mandated particularization of place or person. The amicus briefs emphasize that the Fourth Amendment’s protections must adapt to technologies that can reveal intimate details about individuals’ associations, movements, and activities. Geofence warrants lack the required constitutional particularity because they authorize searches of every account meeting a broad set of criteria without requiring individualized probable cause.
Permitting such warrants would enable pervasive surveillance without meaningful judicial oversight – not only of criminal suspects, but of innocent bystanders who happen to be in the area at a particular time.
Relying on the reasoning of Carpenter v. United States, detailed location data reveals intimate information about a person’s movements, associations, and daily life, warranting robust constitutional protection even when held by a third party. Additionally, indiscriminate collection of location data raises First Amendment concerns, risking exposure of individuals’ attendance at religious services, political gatherings, protests, or other expressive and associational activities, thereby chilling the exercise of free speech and assembly. These arguments frame geofence warrants as a constitutional inflection point for how courts reconcile modern digital surveillance practices with foundational protections against government overreach.
A ruling invalidating geofence warrants on constitutional grounds could signal heightened Fourth Amendment protection for digital data, reinforcing privacy expectations for users of location-based services and influencing how technology companies respond to law enforcement demands. Conversely, if the Court affirms their use, it may embolden broader government access to detailed digital records under warrant authority. This has potential to reshape investigative practices and opens the door to other forms of reverse-search warrants, including keyword queries, AI chatbot prompt disclosures, and IP address searches – tools that seek information about individuals based on online activity rather than individualized suspicion. The decision may also clarify the continued scope of the third-party doctrine in an era where vast amounts of sensor-derived and cloud-stored personal data are routinely collected, with implications extending well beyond geofence warrants. A definitive ruling could therefore reshape digital privacy law for years to come, either reinforcing robust constitutional limits on digital surveillance or endorsing expanded law enforcement authority in the digital sphere.
Oral arguments in Chatrie are scheduled for April 27, 2026, with observers monitoring the Justices’ approach to reasonable expectations of privacy in digital records, the application of traditional Fourth Amendment principles to evolving technologies, and the continued vitality of the particularity requirement.
The McDermott team representing Center for Democracy and Technology includes Alex Southwell, Katelyn Ringrose, Tyler Henry, Sagar Ravi, and Jon Hawk.
The McDermott team representing Rutherford Institute includes Ethan Townsend and Maura Cremin.
Leading organizations turn to global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte for a better way to address legal challenges, connect with those at the forefront, and drive stronger outcomes. Working across more than 20 offices globally, our 1,750+ lawyers act on data-driven insights, deep relationships, and unmatched industry experience to deliver on our commitment of Always Better.
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McDermott Sponsors Equal Justice Works Fellow to Advocate for Immigrant Rights
PRESS RELEASE
July 8, 2024
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has partnered with Equal Justice Works (EJW) to facilitate projects for its Fellowship Class of 2024, which includes more than 84 law school graduates. Through the partnership, the Firm will sponsor Fellow Annie Whitney, who plans to spend her two-year fellowship at New York Legal Assistance Group challenging egregious due process violations in Immigration Court.
Annie’s work will ensure respect for the right to seek asylum and protect the rights of those fleeing persecution. It is among the many critical initiatives that McDermott and other firms, nonprofits and legal organizations seek to address through the EJW Fellowship program to increase equal access to justice for underserved communities.
Since the spring of 2022, more than 160,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City from Texas. Despite legal protections, New York’s Immigration Courts face significant challenges, including overburdened caseloads and systemic due process violations. Many asylum seekers are wrongly deported, potentially forced to return to places where they fear persecution.
Annie will take a multifaceted approach to address these issues:
- Direct Representation: Challenging wrongful deportation orders through direct legal representation, advocating for fair hearings and due process rights.
- “Know Your Rights” Sessions: Hosting workshops at migrant shelters and community centers, empowering asylum seekers with essential information.
- Toolkit Development: Building resources for lawyers and pro se litigants, equipping them to effectively challenge due process violations in Immigration Court.
“We are thrilled to sponsor Annie, and we firmly believe that her advocacy will significantly benefit our communities and beyond. This partnership underscores our shared commitment to fighting for the protection of rights for all,” said Elizabeth Lewis, Firm-wide pro bono and community service partner at McDermott. “We stand behind EJW’s mission to activate lawyers’ passion for equal justice and inspire a lifelong commitment to public service.”
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McDermott Receives National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Beacon of Justice Award 2024
AWARDS & RANKINGS
April 18, 2024
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has received the 2024 Beacon of Justice Award from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA). The recognition is awarded to law firms that are addressing civil and human rights issues through their pro bono work.
At the heart of McDermott’s pro bono practice is a dedication to ensuring equal access to justice for all. The Firm partners with nonprofits and community-based organizations to advocate for asylum seekers; champion human and civil rights; and fight for housing, education, food, benefits and economic justice for individuals in our communities.
“We emphasize three key global initiatives: providing legal services to displaced persons around the world; fighting wrongful convictions; and supporting nonprofits, small businesses and entrepreneurs from traditionally marginalized communities,” said Elizabeth Lewis, McDermott’s pro bono and community service partner. “Acknowledging the Firm’s commitment to equality and justice, this award further inspires us to strengthen our collaboration with pro bono partner organizations.”
Our pro bono efforts have yielded impactful results, with recent examples highlighted below.
- Supreme Court Win Gives Hope to Transgender Immigrant, Clarifies Legal Requirements
- Pro Bono Class Action Settlement Safeguards Low-Income Families
- Historic Black Church Secures Permit to Operate in Texas
- After Tragedy, Nigerian Teenagers Secure Path to US Citizenship
- Standing in Support of LGBTQ+ Health Insurance Rights
- Tennessee Agrees to Provide Immigration Services to Foster Youth in State Care
- Collaborating With the National Health Law Program in Research Supporting Black Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Intersex Individuals
NLADA is the oldest and largest nonprofit association in the United States devoted to delivering legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. It provides advocacy, guidance, information, training and technical assistance for members of the equal justice community, particularly those working in public defense and civil legal aid.
View NLADA’s press release.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Provides Pro Bono Support to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Initiative
PRESS RELEASE
April 2, 2024
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery collaborated with the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) on the High-Risk Communities Protection effort to defend high-risk communities, including civil society organizations, against cyberattacks. With insights from industry, civil society and interagency participants, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and JCDC have launched a new website that aims to improve the coordination and collaboration among federal agencies, state and local governments, private sector entities and nonprofit organizations.
In 2023, McDermott wrote a special report on cyber volunteering to address the state of volunteer cybersecurity activity and models in the US. In the report, the Firm made recommendations for a cyber volunteer strategy, including establishing a national website listing cyber volunteer resources.
Through JCDC’s High-Risk Communities Protection effort, CISA leveraged insights from this report and partnered with cyber volunteer programs, as well as civil society and industry participants, to develop a website that helps high-risk organizations identify cyber volunteer resources.
“We are proud to support CISA’s commitment to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity posture and resilience for these organizations and to foster a culture of cyber awareness and response,” said Mark Schreiber, senior counsel in McDermott’s global privacy and cybersecurity practice. “These resources will help high risk organizations identify and obtain cyber volunteer services to implement cyber assessments and precautions, as well as react to cyberattacks.”
The McDermott team members providing support include Mark Schreiber, Brian Long and Peter Scheyer.
If you’re interested in learning more about the cyber volunteer force, or if you want to get involved as a volunteer or a beneficiary, please visit the JCDC website. CISA also has a website with cybersecurity resources for high-risk communities.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott’s Miami Office Receives Equal Justice Pro Bono Large Firm Award from Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE
October 26, 2023
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has been honored with Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.’s (Legal Services) Equal Justice Pro Bono Large Firm Award.
The Firm was selected for its continued contributions to Legal Services and its clients through initiatives like the Transactional Equal Justic Clinic, taking on full-representation matters and its active pro bono volunteerism through legal clinics. For example, in September 2023, McDermott and Assurant hosted a Transactional Equal Justice Program (TEJP) clinic with Legal Services, where more than 30 lawyers participated in a variety of transactional focused cases for 10+ deserving clients. Through TEJP and other programs, McDermott has provided meaningful and much-needed legal assistance to individuals, non-profits and low-to-moderate income small business owners, helping them to launch, manage or operate a business.
“McDermott’s ongoing support of Legal Services has made a tremendous impact in our community, touching the lives of families and their neighborhoods,” said Legal Services CEO Monica Vigues-Pitan. “I would like to thank McDermott for being part of the Legal Services’ family and for its leadership and commitment to building a community of equal justice.”
“Our partnership with Legal Services is an important one,” said Michael Bruno, Partner in McDermott’s Tax Practice Group and founder of Legal Services’ Transactional Equal Justice Program. “We appreciate the opportunity to have our corporate, healthcare, tax, private client and other transactional lawyers work collaboratively cross-practice to help serve the Miami business community.”
The team members recognized for their work with Legal Services include Dana Dombey, Michael Bruno, Asra Chatham, Michael Chu, Justin Aiello, Sarah Bro, Matthew Friendly, Michael Hacker, Steven Hadjilogiou, Elvira Kras, Maria Navarro, Elena Otero, Arianne Plasencia, Melissa Moszkowski Price, Jay Scharf, Andrea Zazulia, Lester Perling, Ryan Forman, Saniya Ahmed, Bradfield Biggers, Daniel Fernández, Sama Kaseer and Courtney Seams.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES OF GREATER MIAMI
Legal Services of Greater Miami is the largest provider of broad-based civil legal services for the poor in Miami-Dade and Monroe and is recognized in the state and in the nation as a model legal services program. In any given year, Legal Services provides services which benefits almost 20,000 vulnerable members of our community who have nowhere else to turn for help – women, children, seniors, veterans returning from combat, people with disabilities, low wage workers and those experiencing homelessness–who have problems in the areas of tenants’ rights, homeownership, health and income maintenance, employment, special education, tax and consumer rights. For more information, visit www.legalservicesmiami.org and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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McDermott Honored by Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyers in the Classroom Program
PRESS RELEASE
October 16, 2023
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery and William H. Brown Elementary School are being recognized with a Civic Education Appreciation Award from the Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyers in the Classroom Program (LIC). The award highlights the unique partnership and the team’s work to help youth understand how the law applies to them, their community and their lives.
For more than 30 years, the LIC program has provided civic and social justice education to Chicago elementary and middle school students. The program pairs law professionals with teachers and students in Chicago area schools to provide early and critical access to civic education and reaches nearly 5,000 students in sixty Chicagoland schools each year.
“We’re honored to be a long-time partner of the Chicago Bar’s LIC Program and Brown Elementary School,” said Elizabeth Lewis, McDermott’s Pro Bono and Community Service Partner. “As a young lawyer who participated in the program years ago, I can say first-hand that the LIC program is a deeply fulfilling, learning experience for both our lawyers and the students.”
The team members involved in the partnership include: Evelyn Atwater, Catherine Battin, William Butler, Ryan Clarke, Joshua Cohrs, Michael Ferrara, Gregory Fosheim, Dexter Golinghorst, Nick Greiner, Timothy Halleron, Lindsay Heyen, George Houhanisin, Emily Keil, David Saunders, Christopher Stacker, Teal Trujilo, Bernardo Vaz, Monica Wallace and Evan Walters.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott’s Longstanding Pro Bono Partnership Prominently Featured in Mattachine Society Founder’s New Memoir
PRESS RELEASE
October 11, 2023
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is proud to be prominently featured in the newly released book Archive Activism: Memoir of a “Uniquely Nasty” Journey, (University of North Texas Press, 2023). i.e. Archive Activism: Memoir of a “Uniquely Nasty” Journey (University of North Texas Press, 2023), by Mattachine Society of Washington, DC President Charles Francis. McDermott has been a pro bono partner of the organization for more than a decade, supporting its “archive activism” mission to uncover and preserve LGBTQ+ American history.
Charles co-founded the new DC-based Mattachine with Pate Felts in 2011. Charles’ memoir tells the story of his life as an LGBTQ+ advocate and the Mattachine Society’s work to recover forgotten, sealed and often deleted LGBTQ+ history. The book also details the contributions of McDermott partners Paul Thompson and Lisa A. Linsky, who have co-led the cross-office, cross-practice teams of lawyers and staff professionals to achieve impactful outcomes on behalf of the Mattachine Society, including:
- Submitting an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case in which the Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriage.
- Winning a motion for summary judgment against the Department of Justice, which was required to disclose historical documents related to a 1953 Executive Order that provided the government with the legal authority to purge gay and lesbian employees from the federal employment rolls.
- Publishing a white paper on the legal and political history of conversion therapy in the US and the damage it causes.
- Publishing a white paper that outlined the history of US government discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, which resulted in a Congressional Resolution calling for Congress to acknowledge and apologize for long-standing mistreatment.
“Charles’ memoir is a tribute to the unsung heroes and heroines of the LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Movement who fought for full civil equality when doing so put their lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. It is a must-read for all those interested in American history to understand the culture of animus that was created and the many ways in which this animus was perpetrated against LGBTQ+ Americans at the hands of their government,” said Lisa.
“The stories are particularly relevant today given the state of emergency that the LGBTQ+ community and its allies face in the current political and social climate. McDermott has been proud to partner with the Mattachine Society and is deeply honored to have our work recognized by Charles.”
McDermott was also featured in the Mattachine Society’s 2018 documentary produced and directed by Mike Isikoff, an award-winning investigative journalist. The film recounts our joint work to uncover forgotten and buried LGBTQ+ American history. The documentary earned the Edward R. Murrow Award.
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McDermott Recognized for Pro Bono Case Seeking Asylum for Guatemalan Minor
PRESS RELEASE
October 4, 2023
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has been named Pro Bono Team of the Year by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) for its work to help a teenage refugee who fled Guatemala to pursue asylum in the United States (US).
The teenager, who endured persecution by Guatemalan gang members, fled to the US with no family to accompany her. Led by an all-female McDermott team, a declaration was built, an application for asylum was filed and the teenager obtained a work permit so she could start building a life in her new home country. In addition to the pursuit of asylum, the team collaborated with KIND to secure a host of additional resources for the teenager, including mental health and social services.
KIND’s mission is to protect the rights of children who seek safety in the US. They work to ensure that no child appears in immigration court without top legal representation, advance laws and policies that ensure children’s protection and promote durable solutions to child immigration.
“KIND is a wonderful organization, and our team is humbled to be recognized for making an impact on the people it serves. We’re grateful for the opportunity to help this young woman and to dedicate our resources to advocate for children in need,” said Cecilia Choy, an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group and lead on the project. “We will see this case through and look forward to seeing our client thrive and build the life she deserves.”
The McDermott team members involved in this case include Cecilia Choy, April Weisbruch, Anisa Noorassa and Fabiola Díaz Vera.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
