Sonnenschein Names New Pro Bono Partner
June 17, 2008
(CHICAGO, June 17, 2008)—Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP announced today that Benjamin Weinberg has joined the national law firm as its new pro bono partner, responsible for the development, growth and administration of its nationally recognized pro bono practice. Weinberg comes to Sonnenschein from the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, where he was chief of the Public Interest Division. He will be resident in the firm's Chicago office.
"Sonnenschein has a deep and unwavering commitment to pro bono work, and we are proud of the firm's position as an industry leader in this area," said Elliott I. Portnoy, Sonnenschein chairman. "Ben's dedication to public service, combined with his skills as an attorney, make him ideally suited to take our pro bono practice to a new level of excellence."
"Sonnenschein's pro bono program is widely regarded as one of the best in the country," stated Weinberg. "I look forward to working with my new colleagues to expand and intensify the firm's already outstanding efforts."
As chief of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General's Public Interest Division, Weinberg was responsible for managing investigations and litigation for six bureaus: disability rights, civil rights, public utilities, tobacco enforcement, antitrust and special litigation. In this capacity, he oversaw major litigation, including the Walgreens and Family Video disability rights cases, Peoples Energy/Enron fraud litigation, Aon/Gallagher contingent commission cases, and numerous healthcare fraud matters. He also served as lead counsel on several high-profile cases, including the Kool Mixx youth targeting litigation against Brown & Williamson and the ComEd/Ameren reverse auction electricity rate litigations.
Weinberg was selected as a 2002-3 Leadership Fellow by Leadership Greater Chicago, and now serves on the group's Leadership Fellows board of directors. In 2001, he received the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund's Legal Services Award for his pro bono work. He also is a member of the Public Interest Law Initiative board of directors and the American Indian Center advisory board.
Prior to joining the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Weinberg was a partner at Jenner & Block in Chicago, where he served on the firm's pro bono committee. Previously, he clerked for Judge William J. Bauer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and, before that, was a staff attorney at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. He is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and the University of Chicago.
Sonnenschein attorneys devoted more than 48,000 hours to providing pro bono legal counsel in 2007, and the firm placed 15th in the most recent annual pro bono rankings of the top 200 grossing firms published by American Lawyer magazine. Currently, its major pro bono initiatives include a class-action lawsuit, in conjunction with some of the country's top advocacy groups for the disabled, to end the unwanted and unnecessary institutionalization of people with developmental disabilities in Illinois. The firm also is closely involved in a high-profile discrimination case regarding the jurisdiction of American Indian tribal courts which is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Past pro bono victories include a successful lawsuit against Emmanuel "Toto" Constant, former leader of the notorious Haitian death squad known as FRAPH, on behalf of two women who had faced torture, rape, imprisonment and attempted murder by FRAPH members because of their political views.
At Sonnenschein, we are committed to providing the highest-quality legal and counseling services for all of our clients, all of the time. They include many of the world's most admired businesses, nonprofits and individuals. Through integrated, inter-office teamwork, we help them to prosper and grow. For more information, visit www.sonnenschein.com.
Media Contact:
Linda Butler
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
(312) 876-3453
LButler@sonnenschein.com
