Faegre Drinker Announces 2024 Pro Bono Award Recipients

Faegre Drinker's Executive Leadership Team is pleased to announce the recipients of the firm's 2024 Pro Bono Awards and Pro Bono Service Moment of the Year Awards.

In addition to a commemorative award, each individual recipient or team is entitled to direct a $1,000 charitable contribution from the Faegre Drinker Foundation to a partner nonprofit organization.

2024 Faegre Drinker Pro Bono Award Recipients

The Faegre Drinker Pro Bono Award recognizes individuals and teams for providing or supporting exceptional pro bono legal services.

Medical-Legal Partnership Leadership Team: This team is honored for their work leading projects as part of a medical-legal partnership with Eskenazi Health. An Indianapolis-based team including private client partner April Risk Arnett, litigation counsel Anna Behrmann and litigation associate Jason Rauch bring their experience, personal dedication and support for other volunteers to contribute and leverage thousands of hours of pro bono service.

2024 Election Protection Team: During the 2024 election cycle, the 2024 Election Protection Team litigated matters in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa to protect voting rights and maintain election integrity in partnership with the national ACLU Voting Rights Project and the local ACLU chapters. The teams advocated for clients of all political stripes, in federal and state court, in district court and on appeal, raising federal and state claims. Efforts were led by litigation partners Craig Coleman and Jeffrey Justman. The teams included litigation partners Marty Chester, Jesse Linebaugh and Bryan Washburn and associates Naomi Duru, Matthew Goldammer, Paige Haller, Emily O’Brien and Anderson Tuggle; product liability and mass torts associates Robert Gallup, Thomas Prible, Joe Quinn, Matt Scott and Cari Wadman and legal administrative assistant Elizabeth Collins; finance and restructuring partner Josh Peterson and associate Casey Matthiesen; and construction and real estate litigation partner Patrick Miller.

Francis (Frank) DiGiovanni: Intellectual property partner and Wilmington office leader DiGiovanni is honored for his leadership in cultivating and supporting pro bono in the Wilmington office as well as his own significant pro bono contributions.

Angela Fogt: Minneapolis corporate partner Fogt is honored for consistently and generously providing her expertise to nonprofit organizations and mentoring and supporting other attorneys to do the same, expanding our ability to assist in an area of great need that requires specific expertise.

Scott Wardell: Philadelphia construction and real estate litigation associate Wardell is honored for his outstanding work leading significant litigation on behalf of the SS United States Conservancy. His pro bono practice also includes serving as a strong advocate for tenants facing eviction and stepping in to assist on other matters including social security benefits, criminal appointments and litigation issues for Habitat for Humanity.

2024 Pro Bono Service Moment of the Year Recipients

The Pro Bono Service Moment of the Year Award honors acts of kindness, generosity and selfless service that often happen behind the scenes and under the radar but exemplify the firm's core value of service to others and fuel our pro bono program.

Jesse Linebaugh: Linebaugh, a business litigation partner in Des Moines, is honored for his initiative to donate 30 gently used office chairs from the Des Moines office renovation. Renting a U-Haul at his own expense, he personally delivered the chairs to local public schools, ensuring they were put to beneficial use rather than sent to a landfill.

Irene Mendoza: Mendoza, a legal administrative assistant in Chicago, is honored for her essential role in facilitating communication with Spanish-speaking clients, and for her exceptional support of the Adjustment of Status clinic, where she not only volunteered but also recruited her daughter and classmates to assist, making a meaningful impact on the clinic's success.