Atlanta (August 30, 2022) – Charles Hicks, an associate in the Real Estate Group of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, is the recipient of this year’s Wells-Graham Award for Outstanding Service. The honor goes to one MMM attorney or staff member who goes above and beyond in their dedication to serving the community. The firm also named its Pro Bono Super Stars – recognizing those who donated an exceptional amount of free legal services to individuals and nonprofits who could not otherwise afford legal services.
Hicks, who joined MMM last year, serves on the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee as a representative of MMMPower, the affinity group for the LGBTQ+ community. The DEI Committee and MMMPower are part of MMMPact – the firm’s corporate social responsibility initiative. MMMPact has raised and donated $2.1 million dollars to nonprofits since 2013, in addition to providing countless volunteer hours.
“We are proud to select Charles for the Wells-Graham Award,” said MMMPact Steering Committee Chair Patrick Lowther. “He recently joined the firm, immediately became involved in MMMPact, and has taken on a leadership role with DEI and MMMPower. It’s been impressive to see.”
"There’s nothing better than working with the like-minded people of MMMPact who structurally support their respective communities in Georgia and Washington, D.C. with valuable and beneficial legal services,” said Hicks, who is based in Atlanta. “MMMPact has connected me to people and organizations that do vital work in education, business and community service. I couldn’t be more excited to see where MMMPact goes from here.”
Hicks’ volunteer efforts include:
- Connecting the firm with Atlanta Legal Aid’s Gender-Affirming Name Change Project, which has allowed MMM’s attorneys to start providing gender-affirming name changes, birth certificate amendments and gender marker changes at no cost for lower income members of the Atlanta community.
- Volunteering with MMM during Hands On Atlanta’s Week of Service beautifying Chastain Park.
- Serving as an Ambassador for the OUT Georgia Business Alliance – Georgia’s only LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.
- Volunteering legal hours for Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice to develop the organization’s 2022 How To Vote Guide.
While in law school, he helped create the Stonewall Equality Scholarship Fund, which is the first endowed LGBTQ+ scholarship at any of Georgia law schools at public universities.
The Wells-Graham Award is named for former MMM Managing Partner Louise Wells, who invigorated MMMPact, and Christina Graham, longtime chair of the MMMPact Steering Committee.
MMM also named its Pro Bono Super Stars. The Super Stars are individuals who dedicated at least 50 hours in free legal services to nonprofits and individuals in 2021. This year’s honorees are Jeff Douglass and Jessica Rodriguez.
- Douglass, based in Atlanta, led MMMPact’s Pro Bono Committee for seven years and established a partnership with the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (PBPA). PBPA engages volunteer attorneys to provide nonprofits with business legal services.
- Rodriguez, a litigator based in MMM’s Washington, D.C. office, has dedicated a significant amount of pro bono time this year providing legal representation to a mother whose son was killed while an inmate in federal prison. Rodriguez is assisting her client in her pursuit of justice in this tragic situation.
“Jeff has been so integral to MMM’s pro bono efforts, including our relationship with PBPA, over the years, and Jessica has always taken on pro bono matters,” Lowther said. “They deserve a ton of credit for the positive impact they’ve had on our communities,” he concluded.
About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an Am Law 200 law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, corporate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, capital markets, environmental, international trade, and insurance practices. A Mansfield 4.0-certified firm, MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah and Washington, D.C.
Media Contact for MMM: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347, Terri@TerriThornton.com
