2023 Chief Justice’s Law Firm Commendation Pro Bono Service Award
Press Release
January 26, 2023
Miami, FL - Bilzin Sumberg is proud to announce it has been awarded the 2023 Chief Justice’s Law Firm Commendation Pro Bono Service Award in recognition of the firm’s outstanding efforts in support of pro bono services in the state of Florida.
Presented by the Chief Justice of Florida’s Supreme Court, the statewide award recognizes one law firm annually that has demonstrated a significant contribution in the provision of pro bono legal services to individuals or groups that cannot otherwise afford the services. Recipients of the award have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to provide access to the courts for all Floridians.
Environmental attorney David Jessup, Jr. spearheaded Bilzin Sumberg’s consideration for the award by highlighting to the award committee the extraordinary breadth of Bilzin Sumberg’s pro bono engagement during 2021. The lengthy roster of attorneys engaged in 2021 pro bono work includes Javier F. Aviñó, Enza G. Boderone, Daniel R. Bumm, Brittany Chung, Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Kenneth Duvall, Misbah Farid, Adrian K. Felix, Raquel M. Fernandez, Jennifer E. Fine, Danielle Hall, Sara Barli Herald, Kayla M. Hernandez, David Jessup, Jr., Joshua A. Kaplan, Rena Kelley, Kelly Ruane Melchiondo, Benjamin Mitchel, Nicholas Noto, Andres T. Rivero, Eric Singer, Shalia M. Sakona, Philip R. Stein, John C. Sumberg, David W. Trench, and Hal J. Webb.
Bilzin Sumberg’s robust pro bono program has expanded and thrived under the chairmanship of Litigation Partner Raquel Fernandez. In recent years, the firm’s attorneys have poured time and resources into individual, local, and national pro bono matters, such as the guardianship of vulnerable minors, supporting non-profits that house homeless women and children and others that promote the educational and recreational activities of children in historically under-served neighborhoods, facilitating the provision of children’s savings accounts to students in the Miami Dade County public school system, and participating in a law firm coalition that works for gun control and against gun violence.
The firm also hosts its own pro bono awards program to honor the commitment and dedication of its attorneys, the Matters of the Heart awards. Each year, Matters of the Heart recognizes pro bono services provided in two categories. The One-to-One Category highlights pro bono work that directly touches the lives of individual pro bono clients and their families. The One-to-Many Category acknowledges pro bono work aimed at assisting organizations that have an impact on entire segments of the community.
“The Chief Justice’s pro bono service award is one of the greatest recognitions the firm, and by extension our attorneys, could receive for its tireless efforts in serving those in need of counsel,” says Raquel M. Fernandez, Chair of Bilzin Sumberg’s Pro Bono Program, “Our pro bono work is one of a number of ways in which Bilzin Sumberg realizes its core value of service to the community. We are excited to redouble our pro bono engagements in the years ahead.”
About Bilzin Sumberg
Bilzin Sumberg counsels clients whose business and legal opportunities and challenges span the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm's growth has paralleled that of its Miami home base, a region known for its rich cultural, social, and professional diversity. Bilzin Sumberg stands at the center of virtually every major transaction shaping Florida and is at the forefront of the state’s most pressing economic issues – from infrastructure, transit and mobility, to affordability and the diversification of the state’s economy. Bilzin Sumberg lawyers concentrate on services at the heart of both regional and international commerce, including real estate, land development and government relations, environmental, construction, corporate and securities, finance, joint ventures, domestic and international tax and private wealth planning, antitrust, business litigation, and public-private partnerships. For more information, please visit bilzin.com.
Presented by the Chief Justice of Florida’s Supreme Court, the statewide award recognizes one law firm annually that has demonstrated a significant contribution in the provision of pro bono legal services to individuals or groups that cannot otherwise afford the services. Recipients of the award have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to provide access to the courts for all Floridians.
Environmental attorney David Jessup, Jr. spearheaded Bilzin Sumberg’s consideration for the award by highlighting to the award committee the extraordinary breadth of Bilzin Sumberg’s pro bono engagement during 2021. The lengthy roster of attorneys engaged in 2021 pro bono work includes Javier F. Aviñó, Enza G. Boderone, Daniel R. Bumm, Brittany Chung, Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Kenneth Duvall, Misbah Farid, Adrian K. Felix, Raquel M. Fernandez, Jennifer E. Fine, Danielle Hall, Sara Barli Herald, Kayla M. Hernandez, David Jessup, Jr., Joshua A. Kaplan, Rena Kelley, Kelly Ruane Melchiondo, Benjamin Mitchel, Nicholas Noto, Andres T. Rivero, Eric Singer, Shalia M. Sakona, Philip R. Stein, John C. Sumberg, David W. Trench, and Hal J. Webb.
Bilzin Sumberg’s robust pro bono program has expanded and thrived under the chairmanship of Litigation Partner Raquel Fernandez. In recent years, the firm’s attorneys have poured time and resources into individual, local, and national pro bono matters, such as the guardianship of vulnerable minors, supporting non-profits that house homeless women and children and others that promote the educational and recreational activities of children in historically under-served neighborhoods, facilitating the provision of children’s savings accounts to students in the Miami Dade County public school system, and participating in a law firm coalition that works for gun control and against gun violence.
The firm also hosts its own pro bono awards program to honor the commitment and dedication of its attorneys, the Matters of the Heart awards. Each year, Matters of the Heart recognizes pro bono services provided in two categories. The One-to-One Category highlights pro bono work that directly touches the lives of individual pro bono clients and their families. The One-to-Many Category acknowledges pro bono work aimed at assisting organizations that have an impact on entire segments of the community.
“The Chief Justice’s pro bono service award is one of the greatest recognitions the firm, and by extension our attorneys, could receive for its tireless efforts in serving those in need of counsel,” says Raquel M. Fernandez, Chair of Bilzin Sumberg’s Pro Bono Program, “Our pro bono work is one of a number of ways in which Bilzin Sumberg realizes its core value of service to the community. We are excited to redouble our pro bono engagements in the years ahead.”
About Bilzin Sumberg
Bilzin Sumberg counsels clients whose business and legal opportunities and challenges span the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm's growth has paralleled that of its Miami home base, a region known for its rich cultural, social, and professional diversity. Bilzin Sumberg stands at the center of virtually every major transaction shaping Florida and is at the forefront of the state’s most pressing economic issues – from infrastructure, transit and mobility, to affordability and the diversification of the state’s economy. Bilzin Sumberg lawyers concentrate on services at the heart of both regional and international commerce, including real estate, land development and government relations, environmental, construction, corporate and securities, finance, joint ventures, domestic and international tax and private wealth planning, antitrust, business litigation, and public-private partnerships. For more information, please visit bilzin.com.
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