On June 30, the District of Columbia Bar presented its 2011 Frederick B. Abramson Award to WilmerHale for the firm's participation in the DC Bar Pro Bono Program's Education Initiative. The honor was given at the DC Bar's Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting, where the firm was recognized for its leadership role in developing the Community Economic Development Projects webinar series Trademarks, Copyrights and Proprietary Information: A Series of Webinars Designed to Help You Protect Your Nonprofit.

This webinar series consisted of five one-hour presentations for board members, executive directors and other nonprofit staff and volunteers responsible for marketing, communications and fundraising. Partner David Cavanaugh led multiple WilmerHale attorneys in a joint effort to develop and deliver the series. The team included Partners Nels Lippert, Mike Bevilacqua and Grant Rowan; Counsel Dan Williams, who took the lead in coordinating the efforts; Senior Associates Ketan Kadiwala and Ken Sakurabayashi; and Associates Heather Petruzzi and Michael H. Smith.

The DC Bar Pro Bono Program recruits, trains and mobilizes volunteer attorneys to take pro bono cases serving individuals living in poverty who are at risk of losing their homes, their livelihoods and their families. The program also helps small businesses and community-based nonprofits needing legal help.