CHICAGO – May 4, 2018 – Shareholder Charles B. Leuin and associates Ian Burkow and Kyle L. Flynn at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP received the “Excellence in Pro Bono Service” award from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, at the 19th Annual Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award Ceremony, May 1, in Chicago.
The award honors attorneys who have provided outstanding pro bono and public interest representation in civil and criminal matters before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Leuin, Burkow, and Flynn were selected for their exceptional pro bono work on behalf of their client, Charles McClendon. Leuin, Burkow, and Flynn represented McClendon, who is African-American, in asserting race-based retaliation and discrimination claims against both his employer and two of McClendon’s former supervisors. Leuin, Burkow, and Flynn managed the case through significant discovery, including numerous depositions, and they were successful in defeating defendants’ summary judgment motion in 2015. In 2017, they tried the case to a jury and after a deliberation of four hours, the jury returned a verdict in favor of McClendon and against his former employer for retaliation and discrimination and against both individual defendants for retaliation. McClendon was awarded $1.75 million in compensatory damages. The case was subsequently resolved by settlement prior to the Court’s determination of additional categories of damages.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Pro Bono Program: Greenberg Traurig lawyers across the firm’s offices provide pro bono legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. The firm focuses its resources on specialized and interrelated issues including civil rights and affirmative action, anti-human trafficking, family law matters, criminal appeals, immigration and political asylum, and housing and homelessness.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.