(SAN FRANCISCO) July 18, 2007 – LAWFUEL – The Law Newswire – Heller Ehrman LLP announced that The American Lawyer has ranked the firm No. 11 in the U.S. for its pro bono work in 2006 in The American Lawyer’s annual pro bono survey, which polls pro bono data from the nation’s 200 highest-grossing law firms.
In 2006, Heller Ehrman attorneys contributed an average of 102.6 hours per lawyer to pro bono work, and 61.5 percent of all attorneys contributed 20 or more hours over the course of the year. Collectively, the firm’s attorneys devoted approximately 75,000 hours to pro bono clients and engagements.
“We are thrilled about our pro bono standing in this year’s AmLaw survey,” said Kit Pierson, Heller Ehrman’s Community Service Committee Chair. “The ranking underscores Heller Ehrman’s long-time commitment to pro bono work and recognizes the many efforts of our attorneys.”
For purposes of its survey, The American Lawyer defines pro bono work as legal services provided to those who could not otherwise afford them. The survey did not account for time spent on bar association work, on boards of not-for-profits or on non-legal work for charities. Each firm’s overall score was weighted equally between the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who perform more than 20 hours of pro bono work per year.
Since Heller Ehrman’s founding in 1890, the firm has been committed to providing legal services to the disadvantaged and to the communities in which the firm practices. Recently, Heller Ehrman was one of four law firms to receive The National Law Journal’s 2006 Pro Bono Award. The award was given to Heller Ehrman for its work in bringing justice to those responsible for the murder of Sister Dorothy Stang, an American nun who was brutally murdered during her fight to save the Brazilian rain forest.
About Heller Ehrman LLP
Heller Ehrman LLP has more than 700 attorneys and professionals in 13 offices worldwide – Anchorage, Alaska; Beijing; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; Madison, Wis.; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Singapore; and Washington, D.C. Heller Ehrman represents a wide range of industry leaders, from entrepreneurial, technology-driven enterprises to established, multinational conglomerates. The firm’s core values are Excellence, People, Teamwork, Innovation, Community and One Firm.
