MEXICO CITY – Dec. 21, 2021 – The Mexico City office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP received the Pro Bono 2020 Law Firm of the Year Recognition by Appleseed Foundation Mexico, in a virtual ceremony held on Nov. 30, 2021.
Greenberg Traurig received this honor in recognition of more than 1,750 pro bono hours dedicated to projects with Appleseed Mexico, achieving the highest number of hours worked within a year by a law firm in the history of Appleseed. The projects involve matters related to legal empowerment for Civil Society Associations, advice to non-governmental initiatives and legal education for civilians through webinars and the drafting of several legal handbooks.
The Appleseed Foundation is a civil organization that offers pro bono legal services for institutions and social issues that have an impact in the community. It is a pioneer in organized pro bono work in Mexico, and one of the country’s most recognized clearing houses.
“We are truly honored by this recognition, and for the opportunity to work with so many organizations through Appleseed. We are strongly committed to pro bono causes and to the advocacy for the advancement of the pro bono practice in the Mexican legal profession”, said Victor Manuel Frias Garces, Shareholder, who received the award in representation of Greenberg Traurig’s Mexico City Office.
Elba Gutiérrez, Practice Attorney and Pro Bono Manager at Greenberg Traurig, added: “We are very proud of the contributions from our attorneys to the pro bono program. 2020 was our most active year despite the challenges that the pandemic imposed on the legal profession and for the society around the world. Our team’s commitment to the community knows no bounds.”
From 2017 to date, attorneys in the Mexico City office have dedicated more than 15,000 hours to pro bono projects and causes, assisting in over 360 cases in benefit of more than 400 beneficiaries. In addition to the aforementioned, projects and cases commonly involve humanitarian aid, refugees, indigenous communities, NGO incubation, among others. The practice has been awarded by Chambers and Partners, Latin Lawyer, among other publications. This year, attorneys from the administrative litigation team represented a family in a health care case regarding a 13-year-old boy with a chronic illness to obtain access to the COVID- 19 vaccine, as part of the pro bono services.