Key Takeaways
- • Akin held its 2026 Bruce McLean Pro Bono Awards on July 16, with firm co-chair Abid Qureshi leading the Washington ceremony, recognizing exceptional pro bono contributions across the firm's 1,100+ lawyers.
- • Helen Marshall, a London-based litigation senior counsel, was inducted into the Pro Bono & Public Service Hall of Fame after 12 years at the firm, personally contributing over 835 hours since 2015 and inspiring 5,000+ attorney hours on Malawi criminal justice advocacy work with Reprieve.
- • Boston office achieved Office of the Year status after nearly tripling pro bono hours between 2024-2025 since its 2022 opening, demonstrating rapid institutional commitment to public service integration.
- • London Litigation practice group (led by Kambiz Larizadeh) averaged 95 pro bono hours per attorney in 2025 while maintaining a demanding disputes practice, setting firm performance benchmarks.
- • Award winners included attorneys who secured immigration habeas victories for vulnerable refugees, challenged unconstitutional cash bail policies, provided adoption advocacy through Alliance for Children's Rights, and advanced legislative initiatives for veterans' rights and health policy reform.
Summary
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld held its annual Bruce McLean Pro Bono Awards on July 16, 2026, celebrating institutional commitment to public service across its multi-office platform. The firmwide ceremony in Washington, led by co-chair Abid Qureshi, was complemented by separate office-level recognition events, underscoring the breadth of pro bono engagement across the firm's 1,100+ attorney base.
Helen Marshall, a former partner now serving as litigation senior counsel in London, earned induction into the Pro Bono & Public Service Hall of Fame in recognition of her 12-year tenure driving pro bono growth in the London office. Since 2015, Marshall has personally contributed more than 835 hours and led the firm's longstanding partnership with Reprieve, focusing on death row prisoner advocacy in Malawi and criminal justice reform initiatives that have mobilized over 5,000 attorney hours firm-wide.
Institutional growth was evidenced by Boston's Office of the Year award, which recognized the office's expansion since its 2022 opening. The Boston office nearly tripled total pro bono hours between 2024 and 2025, establishing itself as a pro bono leader within the firm. The London Litigation practice group, led by Kambiz Larizadeh, achieved Practice Group of the Year status after averaging 95 pro bono hours per attorney in 2025—an exceptional metric given the group's concurrent demands in a major disputes practice.
Substantive matter awards highlighted high-impact outcomes. The Pro Bono Litigation Matter of the Year recognized attorneys Matt Pearson, Nick Lombardi, Anthony Sierra, and May Johnson for securing habeas relief for a Russian national who had been unlawfully removed to Uzbekistan following his grant of withholding of removal based on opposition to the war in Ukraine. The Counseling Matter of the Year honored a seven-attorney team for advocacy supporting The Invisible Enemy, a nonprofit serving veterans exposed to radiation at Nevada's classified Test and Training Range, with focus on the PROTECT Act and FORGOTTEN Veterans Act.
Individual award recipients included Shivani Prakash (Associate of the Year), an intellectual property associate balancing constitutional cash bail litigation in Riverside County, California with four concurrent pro bono clinic assignments; Madison Gafford (Counsel of the Year), a Dallas-based litigation counsel representing asylum seekers including a Syrian refugee and presenting Fifth Circuit arguments challenging Texas marriage officiating restrictions; William Wetmore (Frank Reddick Partner of the Year), an investment funds partner in San Francisco supervising five adoption matters through the Alliance for Children's Rights; and June Nam (Diane Streat Award), a senior policy specialist coordinating Capitol Hill advocacy for health policy clients including disease foundations and patient alliances. The Julia Ghahramani Immigration Advocacy Award went to the firm's inaugural immigration habeas team, whose fall 2025 victory catalyzed subsequent habeas matter expansion.
Helen Marshall, a former partner now serving as litigation senior counsel in London, earned induction into the Pro Bono & Public Service Hall of Fame in recognition of her 12-year tenure driving pro bono growth in the London office. Since 2015, Marshall has personally contributed more than 835 hours and led the firm's longstanding partnership with Reprieve, focusing on death row prisoner advocacy in Malawi and criminal justice reform initiatives that have mobilized over 5,000 attorney hours firm-wide.
Institutional growth was evidenced by Boston's Office of the Year award, which recognized the office's expansion since its 2022 opening. The Boston office nearly tripled total pro bono hours between 2024 and 2025, establishing itself as a pro bono leader within the firm. The London Litigation practice group, led by Kambiz Larizadeh, achieved Practice Group of the Year status after averaging 95 pro bono hours per attorney in 2025—an exceptional metric given the group's concurrent demands in a major disputes practice.
Substantive matter awards highlighted high-impact outcomes. The Pro Bono Litigation Matter of the Year recognized attorneys Matt Pearson, Nick Lombardi, Anthony Sierra, and May Johnson for securing habeas relief for a Russian national who had been unlawfully removed to Uzbekistan following his grant of withholding of removal based on opposition to the war in Ukraine. The Counseling Matter of the Year honored a seven-attorney team for advocacy supporting The Invisible Enemy, a nonprofit serving veterans exposed to radiation at Nevada's classified Test and Training Range, with focus on the PROTECT Act and FORGOTTEN Veterans Act.
Individual award recipients included Shivani Prakash (Associate of the Year), an intellectual property associate balancing constitutional cash bail litigation in Riverside County, California with four concurrent pro bono clinic assignments; Madison Gafford (Counsel of the Year), a Dallas-based litigation counsel representing asylum seekers including a Syrian refugee and presenting Fifth Circuit arguments challenging Texas marriage officiating restrictions; William Wetmore (Frank Reddick Partner of the Year), an investment funds partner in San Francisco supervising five adoption matters through the Alliance for Children's Rights; and June Nam (Diane Streat Award), a senior policy specialist coordinating Capitol Hill advocacy for health policy clients including disease foundations and patient alliances. The Julia Ghahramani Immigration Advocacy Award went to the firm's inaugural immigration habeas team, whose fall 2025 victory catalyzed subsequent habeas matter expansion.
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