TrustLaw Awards 2016

The 2016 TrustLaw Awards were held on 22 September 2016 in New York with our growing network of TrustLaw members from the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa in attendance. Visit TrustLaw

WinnersWinners

WinnersWinners

Every year we award three outstanding pro bono projects, in addition to the international firm, domestic firm, in-house legal team of the year and the esteemed lawyer of the year award.

AwardsNominees

NomineesNominees

Meet the finalists for the 2016 TrustLaw Awards.

IMPACT AWARD - The Impact Award recognises projects that demonstrate significant impact for an NGO or social enterprise, their community, and beyond.

• Tackling acid violence to ensure justice for survivors:
Acid Survivors Trust International with J Sagar Associates (India), Linklaters (UK - England and Wales), Baker & McKenzie (Colombia) and P&A Asia (Cambodia).

• Changing laws to ban gay conversion therapy:
Equality Illinois with Kirkland & Ellis.

• Research on disability law and the right to education in India:
Sol’s ARC with Dentons and Law Quest.


LEGAL TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARDS - These awards recognise the commitment law firms and legal teams have demonstrated in supporting pro bono clients over the last year on projects undertaken through TrustLaw.

International Law Firm of the Year:
• DLA Piper
• Hogan Lovells 
• Latham & Watkins

Domestic Law Firm of the Year:
• Machado, Meyer Sendacz Opice (Brazil)
• Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa
• Thige Advocates (Kenya)
• Vieira de Almeida & Associados (Portugal)

In-House Legal Team of the Year:
• AIG
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• JP. Morgan

INNOVATION AWARD - The Innovation Award recognises projects that feature not only a new and exciting idea or enterprise, but a legal team that used creativity in addressing the issues faced.

• Social enterprise structuring guide for Argentina:
ENI Di Tella with Estudio Beccar Varela, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP.

• UK crowdfunding guide for social enterprises:
Young Foundation with Mishcon de Reya.

• Patenting a life saving, low cost temperature monitoring bracelet for babies in India:
Bempu Health with Microsoft and Ashu Thakur & Associates.


LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD - Every year since 2013, the TrustLaw Awards has recognised an individual lawyer or team of lawyers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in providing pro bono support on a TrustLaw project, as nominated by one of our NGO or social enterprise members.

• David Birnbaum, Evan Knobloch and Jonathan Man from Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, US.

• George Morris from Simmons & Simmons in London, UK.

• Joanna Zhou from DLA Piper in Sydney, Australia.

• Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu from Grünkorn & Partner Law in HCMC, Vietnam.

• Yvonne Chilume from Chilume & Company in Gaborone, Botswana.

COLLABORATION AWARD - The Collaboration Award recognises highly effective working relationships between legal teams, NGOs and social enterprises that have dramatically increased the potential impact of projects as a result.

• Critics are not criminals: protecting journalists from criminal defamation laws
Committee to Protect Journalists with Debevoise & Plimpton, Brigard Urrutia (Colombia), Cariola, Díez, Pérez-Cotapos & Cía (Chile), Benedetti & Benedetti - Central Law (Panamá), Díaz Durán & Asociados- Central Law (Guatemala), Medina, Rosenthal & Asociados - Central Law (Honduras), Molina & Asociados - Central Law (Nicaragua), Quirós Abogados - Central Law (Costa Rica), Rusconi, Medina & Asociados - Central Law (El Salvador), Estudio Rodrigo Elias & Medrano (Perú), Norton Rose Fulbright (Venezuela) and Rose & Co Attorneys at Law (Trinidad and Tobago).

• Refugee crisis: advising on border control, asylum and refugee settlement and relocation in Europe:
International Rescue Committee with Latham & Watkins, Dr. Jean-Pierre Gauci - British Institute of International and Comparative Law, Lex Specialis, Debarliev, Dameski & Kelesoska (Macedonia), Glinska & Mišković (Croatia), Joint Law Office Marić & Mujezinović in cooperation with Kinstellar (Serbia) and Peace Institute (Slovenia).

• Protecting fishing industry workers from slavery and labour exploitation:
Visayan Forum Foundation with Linklaters (China, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, UK – England and Wales, United States), Baker & McKenzie (Indonesia, New Zealand), Norton Rose Fulbright (Australia, South Africa), Puyat Jacinto & Santos (Philippines), Sasol (South Africa), White & Case (Germany, Japan, Singapore).

Impact StoriesImpact Stories

Impact StoriesImpact Stories

Read the stories behind this year’s finalist projects, showcasing brilliant lawyers who dedicated their time and expertise to assist NGOs and social enterprises at the frontlines of change.

PhotosPhotos

Videos and PhotosPhotos

This year’s event opened with a keynote speech by Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the New York County District Attorney, and was hosted by Monique Villa, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Take a look at the photos from the evening. 
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