The American Lawyer Names Dechert a Top Law Firm for Pro Bono

Global specialist law firm Dechert LLP has been recognized among the top 10 U.S. law firms for pro bono work in both The American Lawyer’s National and International Pro Bono Surveys.

“Dechert’s global commitment to pro bono work underscores our long standing tradition of giving back to our local communities,” said Andrew J. Levander, Chair of the firm’s Policy Committee. “We are extremely honored by this recognition of that commitment.”

The American Lawyer pro bono rankings are based on a combination of the percentage of lawyers who bill in excess of 20 pro bono hours and the average pro bono hours per attorney. Dechert ranked second overall on the International Pro Bono ranking surveying law firms with 20 or more non-U.S. based lawyers. The firm ranked fourth in the National Pro Bono ranking. In breaking down the U.S. rankings, Dechert scored first with respect to the percentage of U.S.-based lawyers who performed more than 20 hours of pro bono work and eleventh for the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer.

“Dechert approaches pro bono efforts with the same energy, enthusiasm and resources as our work for commercial clients around the world,” added Suzanne Turner, Dechert pro bono Chair. “Our work spans matters of all sizes – some with far reaching implications and others focused on protecting the interests of an individual or organization – always focused on maximizing our impact.”

Dechert’s pro bono program has been the recipient of several recent awards, including: 

• The National Legal Aid & Defender Association honored Dechert with its 2015 Beacon of Justice Award, given to a law firm for exceptional pro bono leadership by expanding opportunities for the underserved in areas such as education, health care, housing, and legal services. 
• The 2015 TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, which aims to be a benchmark mapping the global scale and trends of the pro bono legal sector, ranked several Dechert offices highly. Dechert was ranked first in the United Arab Emirates, first in Kazakhstan, first in Georgia, first in Ireland, second in Russia, third in Belgium, third in the United Kingdom, third in Hong Kong, fourth in France, fifth in Germany, fifth in mainland China, and fifth in the United States. 
• Immigration Equality selected Dechert as a recipient of a 2015 Safe Haven Award, given for demonstrated excellence in representing the pro bono clients of Immigration Equality, an organization serving LGBT asylum seekers who have fled their home countries due to persecution based on sexual orientation. 
• The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin presented Dechert with its 2015 Cooperating Attorney Award for our work challenging the restrictive voter identification laws of Wisconsin.

About Dechert

Dechert is a global specialist law firm focused on sectors with the greatest complexities and highest regulatory demands. We deliver practical commercial insight and judgment to our clients’ most important matters. Nothing stands in the way of giving clients the best of the firm’s entrepreneurial energy and seamless collaboration in a way that is distinctively Dechert.