Atlanta/Washington D.C. (February 15, 2018) – Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP has announced the winners of its 2019 volunteerism awards: the Wells-Graham Award for Outstanding Service and the Pro Bono Super Stars.
IT technician Andres Ramirez, a 14-year employee, earned the Wells-Graham Award, which recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond to support the firm’s corporate social responsibility initiative – MMMPact – and the community. His achievements include bicycling 200 miles and raising thousands of dollars in Pelotonia, the nation's largest cycling event benefiting cancer research; participating in virtually all the firm’s volunteer events including its annual holiday party for Mercy Care, which offers healthcare services to homeless families; and managing the firm’s computer donations to the Pete Nance Boys and Girls Club in Greene County, Georgia.
“I only learned recently that he also translates for non-English-speaking people the firm helps in its pro bono program,” said MMMPact Chair Christina Graham. The Wells-Graham Award is named for Graham and former MMM Managing Partner Louise Wells.
When Ramirez received the award, he told those gathered that MMM’s commitment to the community has rubbed off on him. “This is what I do because of all of you,” he said. “I like this firm because I can be who I am.”
The leaders of MMMPact also announced this year’s MMM Pro Bono Super Stars, who each dedicated more than 50 hours of free legal services last year to people, families and nonprofit organizations who could not otherwise afford those services. The 2019 honorees are:
- Ward Bondurant
- Alex Heaton
- Betsy Karmin
- Josh Kirschner
- Vianney Lopez
- Hillary Lukacs
- Lesley O’Neill
- Fred Schutt
- Ellenor Stone
- Lee Strasburger
“Last year, the firm had 78 attorneys and 12 paralegals who donated a total of nearly 1,900 hours of pro bono services for over 90 different matters, with a value of approximately $769,000,” said Jeff Douglass, who chairs MMMPact’s Pro Bono Initiative. “The Super Stars are the attorneys who went above and beyond. Several of these attorneys have been recognized as Super Stars multiple times, which is even more impressive,” he added.
The awards were given at an event kicking off the firm’s partnership with The Drake House as its 2019 nonprofit partner. Drake House is the only North Fulton-based agency providing private apartments that keep homeless families together, including the often-separated male children over the age of twelve.
About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an AmLaw 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, energy & infrastructure, capital markets, environmental, international trade, and insurance practices. MMM has offices in and around Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah and Washington, D.C. The firm also has a business development office in Beijing, China.
Media Contact for MMM: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347, Terri@TerriThornton.com
