Fenwick & West Receives Top Honor for Commitment to Pro Bono

March 3, 2005 (Mountain View, CA) – Fenwick & West is the proud recipient of the Public Inter​est Law Firm's top annual award for 2004, the "Public Interest Counsel Champion Award." At an awards ceremony attended by many attorneys, judges and community leaders, Fenwick & West litigation attorneys Saundra Riley and Virginia DeMarchi accepted the honor on behalf of the firm.

At the ceremony, PILF's representatives explained that the selection of Fenwick & West to receive the award was a "no brainer." The decade-plus commitment and service of our attorneys and staff to our pro bono clients and the excellence of our work made us the clear selection, according to PILF. Specific work recognized in making the award included our representation of:

  • women at jails suffering sexual assaults and harassment by guards,
  • renters victimized by excessive late fees,
  • pregnant teens at public high schools suffering discrimination,
  • borrowers victimized by predatory lending practices, and
  • jail inmates denied the benefits of funds intended for their education and welfare are diverted to pay guard salaries.

In the past two years, Fenwick & West attorneys and staff have logged well over 14,000 pro bono hours. To encourage pro bono legal services, Fenwick & West recognizes all approved pro bono work as "billable" hours for all purposes for non-partner attorneys.

For specific examples of the firm's pro bono efforts, please visit our Web site at Pro Bono: Making a Difference in Our Communities. For further information about Fenwick & West's commitment to pro bono advocacy and our community involvement, please contact our Pro Bono Committee Chairpersons Kate Fritz (kfritz@fenwick.com) or Patrick Premo (ppremo@fenwick.com).


About Fenwick & West

Established in 1972, Fenwick & West LLP provides comprehensive legal services to national and international high technology and life sciences clients, particularly in the areas of litigation and dispute resolution, antitrust, securities, venture capital and other corporate finance, corporate governance, joint ventures, M&A and strategic relationships, intellectual property, taxation and employment and labor law. The only law firm named to Fortune's"100 Best Companies to Work For" for four years in a row, Fenwick & West has offices in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, CA. More information about the firm is available at www.fenwick.com.