Contact: Mark Fefer, Marketing Communications, 206.757.8583 or markfefer@dwt.com
OCT. 29, 2013 – Three partners in the Portland, Ore., office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP have received separate honors for their longtime commitment to community service.
Gene Grant, former co-chair of the firm’s real estate and land use practice, has been awarded the Oregon State Bar's 2013 President’s Award for Public Service. The annual award recognizes a single Oregon attorney for "significant contributions to the public" through pro bono work, community service, and other activities.
Grant has served on the boards of the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts of America (which he also chaired), the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum, and the Portland Stake High Council of the LDS Church. He has also served on and chaired the executive committee of the real estate and land use section of the state bar, and more recently was chair of the Urban Land Institute Oregon board. He’s devoted many hours of pro bono work to a variety of individuals and organizations. Grant also served as planning commission chair (1992-1998) and mayor (1998-2006) of Happy Valley, Ore.
Carol Bernick, partner-in-charge at the Portland office, is a recipient of the inaugural Peter Perlman Service Awards from the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA). The awards recognize LCA Fellows who have contributed in meaningful ways to society by giving their time and resources in an effort to improve the lives of others. The award is supported and sponsored by Peter Perlman, the LCA's 2013 president.
Bernick, who has almost 25 years of experience representing employers in complex employment cases, currently serves as a board member of Northwest Earth Institute, and has participated in a number of Habitat for Humanity builds, including two weeks in Honduras and Zambia. She previously served on the board of the Multnomah Bar Association and served as a fee arbitrator for the Oregon State Bar. She is a regular mentor and speaker to new lawyers, particularly women litigators. Bernick has also provided pro bono representation to nonprofits, including the Oswego Housing Development Council, Mercy Corps, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, and Stand for Children.
Robert Newell, a partner who handles complex commercial litigation, has been honored by the Oregon State Bar with a Pro Bono Award. Each year the bar recognizes a large, medium, and small firm, a solo practitioner, and an individual, for their dedication to pro bono work.
Newell is a longtime board member of Mercy Corps, a leading international relief organization, and has devoted countless hours to furthering the group's humanitarian mission. He is also former president of the Multnomah Bar Association and a former member of the board of governors of the Oregon State Bar.
"Giving back to the community is a core value at Davis Wright,” said the firm’s managing partner, Dave Baca. “We are further inspired by the dedication of these three outstanding partners."
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a national law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.dwt.com.