16 October 20241 minute read

North American Pro Bono Award Winners

Across the country, our lawyers and business professionals have been recognized for their commitment to pro bono. We are proud of the regional and national recognition we have received for our dedication to serving our communities.

Cara Edwards

Cara Edwards, Litigation Partner and New York Office Managing Partner, is recognized as a North American Pro Bono Award Winner for assisting with name changes for transgender individuals, working on expungement matters, helping veterans, and obtaining asylum for a client and her son who fled their home country.
Watch the video

Brad Rock

North American Pro Bono Award Winner Brad Rock, Corporate Partner in San Francisco, focuses his pro bono work on nonprofit corporate organizations and small businesses from underserved communities with a special focus on women of color entrepreneurs.
Watch the video
Ute_Krudewagen_personality_web_crop

Ute Krudewagen

Palo Alto-based Partner Ute Krudewagen, Chair of International Employment, focuses her pro bono work on immigration and nonprofit employment matters. She currently represents an Afghan woman judge and 15 of her family members in their humanitarian parole applications. Ute also works with multiple nonprofits in the areas of environmental protection and women’s rights and serves as a mentor to junior lawyers. She volunteers at the local food bank and bakes custom-made birthday cakes for underprivileged children through nonprofit Cake4Kids. We honor Ute as a North American Pro Bono Award Winner.
Watch the video

Alex Cates

North American Pro Bono Award Winner Alex Cates, Employment associate in Seattle, assisted in securing parole for a client sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a crime he committed when he was a child. After 27 years in prison, he was released. His mother was in hospice care at the time. He was able to visit her and hug her before she passed away.
Watch the video

Fahim Barmaki

North American Pro Bono Award Winner Fahim Barmaki, a paralegal in our Palo Alto office, centers his pro bono work on helping refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders from Afghanistan. Fahim has dedicated his pro bono time to helping Afghan women judges and their families.
Watch the video

Marjorie Schaffner

Marjorie Schaffner, Knowledge Manager, is recognized as a North American Pro Bono Award Winner for her contributions to a project promoting access to justice, including creating and maintaining a database of self-help resources.
Watch the video

Elisabeth Cappuyns

North American Pro Bono Award Winner Elisabeth Cappuyns, Director of Knowledge Management, consulted with the United Nations’ World Food Programme, which operates in more than 120 countries, on how to digitalize and integrate information systems. She provided advice on the creation, launch, and operation of WFP’s case and knowledge management systems to optimize their internal and external resources.
Watch the video

Dominique Gonzales

Dominique Gonzales, a Real Estate associate in Chicago, focuses her pro bono work on helping migrants and refugees in need of immigration assistance. She was named a 2022 Rising Star by the National Immigrant Justice Center in recognition of her work. Dominique was part of a team that successfully obtained asylum for a mother and daughter after their claims were pending for more than seven years.
Watch the video

Nominees

Vanessa Adriance Amie Aldana Amadi Anene
Brent Bridges Bethany Bunge
Victoria Barker Busch
Judy Calderon Virginia Callahan
Francisco Cerezo
Jacob Clubb
Kimberly Curry Mariah DiGrino
Kristin Franceschi
Dave Freeburg
Karen Hallock
Justin Hewett David Horniak
Christina Houston
Rachael Kessler
Bill Kiniry
Cody Koblinsky
Natalie Lewis
Paul Lewis
Steve Lozner
Lea Lurquin
Jessica Masella
Oriana Montani
Benjamin Mulcahy
Isabella Neal
Jackie Park
Stephanie Peatman Joseline Rodriguez Joe Roselius
Bernadette Senyana
Bing Sun
Craig Tighe
Philipp Tsukanov
Mary Williams
Print