Mountain View, CA (October 21, 2014) - Fenwick & West is pleased to announce that the law firm, and senior litigation associate Liwen Mah, were honored with API Legal Outreach’s 2014 Legal Impact Award at the nonprofit organization’s 39th anniversary celebration, which took place in San Francisco on October 17.
Fenwick was recognized for “exemplifying the spirit of volunteerism” through its outstanding efforts to promote a commitment to community service and social justice work firmwide and in the legal profession generally.
Mah was honored for “going beyond the normal scope of pro bono” legal work in his support of API Legal Outreach clients. Through his pro bono work, Mah represents some of the organization’s most vulnerable clients: immigrants who have experienced domestic violence or other violent crimes and whose uncertain immigration status has hampered their ability to move forward with their lives.
Fenwick’s work with API Legal Outreach is part of a large and active pro bono practice vital to the law firm’s culture.
“We are proud of our commitment to making a difference to individuals and organizations in our community and are honored to be receiving this award from an important community-based organization like API Legal Outreach,” said Patrick Premo, chair of Fenwick’s pro bono program.
Mah, who has been working with API Legal Outreach since 2007, greatly values the opportunity he has to provide pro bono services to the organization’s clients and to see the positive impact his support can have on their lives.
“By helping these clients navigate the thicket of immigration laws, we can help them make a new start,” noted Mah. “For these clients, just the modest step of clarifying their immigration rights gives them the stability they need to build a promising life in the U.S.,” he added.
Fenwick’s nationally recognized pro bono program includes civil rights, child advocacy and political asylum work, as well as impact litigation and death penalty cases, and advocacy for the Appellate Project and Street Law. Through this thriving corporate and transactional pro bono practice, Fenwick attorneys and staff have completed nearly 50,000 pro bono hours valued at roughly $20 million in legal fees, over the past five years.
Fenwick has received several awards in 2014 for its exemplary commitment to pro bono work, including the San Francisco Business Times’ Community Impact Award, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Beacon of Justice Award and the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society’s Guardian of Justice Award. The National Law Journal selected Fenwick for its 2014 Pro Bono Hot List; Fenwick was one of only 10 law firms in the United States to receive this recognition.
About Fenwick & West
Fenwick & West provides comprehensive legal services to groundbreaking technology and life sciences companies at every stage of their lifecycle. We craft innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions for established and emerging companies on issues ranging from venture capital, public offerings, joint ventures, M&A and strategic relationships, to intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, taxation, antitrust, and employment and labor law. For more than four decades, Fenwick has helped some of the world's most recognized companies become and remain market leaders.