Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP was selected as one of Bloomberg Law’s 2023 Pro Bono Innovators, which are firms recognized “for their work successfully handling impactful legal matters from across the globe.”
Bloomberg Law honored Greenberg Traurig for two of its recent successful pro bono matters. In the first matter, the firm worked with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure political asylum and safe passage for the players and families of the National Afghan Women’s Flag Football team following the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan.
In the second matter, the firm partnered with lawyers from the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois and others on a litigation and legislative strategy to eliminate discrimination in the application of the Illinois Name Change Statute.
Both matters required not just a strong legal foundation to secure a positive result for the firm’s clients, but a comprehensive political and communications strategy to take the result to an even higher level. Because of Greenberg Traurig’s work in Mexico, other organizations are now exploring the path for asylum the case opened. Illinois passed an amendment to its name change law that secured the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights less than two weeks before the clients were set to argue their appeal in front of the Seventh Circuit. The effort marked a significant victory for transgender individuals in Illinois who were being denied the right to change their names.
Global Pro Bono Program Manager Elba Gutiérrez and Co-Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Mexico City office José Raz Guzmán were quoted in a Bloomberg Q&A for their work on the Afghan Women’s flag football matter, while Gregory E. Ostfeld, co-chair of the Chicago Litigation Practice, and Chicago Associate Brian D. Straw were quoted on the Illinois Name Change Statute matter.
“The strength of our Global Pro Bono program lies in our vast network of attorneys with deep connections to their communities and an understanding of how to effectuate change within them,” said Caroline J. Heller, chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Pro Bono Program. “The two matters highlighted by Bloomberg are perfect examples of that strength and are only a small sample of the amazing pro bono work happening all across the firm.”
“Making an impact through pro bono and philanthropy has always been a core tenet of who Greenberg Traurig is as a firm, and we are incredibly proud to be recognized as innovators in this space,” said Brian L. Duffy, chief executive officer of Greenberg Traurig.
Original source can be found here.