News Article

Several Womble Carlyle attorneys who volunteered their time to help victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks were honored along with other attorneys from around the country for their participation in the largest pro bono legal assistance project in the history of American jurisprudence -- Trial Lawyers Care (TLC). TLC was awarded the prestigious Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Award for the work of its volunteer attorneys who helped thousands of families affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Cal Adams, Ken Ashford, Chris Geis, Tripp Greason, Phil Mohr, Bob Pierce, Doug Vreeland and Andy Wattleworth all received the award. These attorneys devoted hundreds of hours of their time pro bono, or without charge, to help those directly affected by the terrorist attacks. This effort reflects the commitment of the Womble Carlyle firm and its attorneys to significant pro bono service.

More than 3,600 families requested assistance with claims before the federal Victim Compensation Fund that benefits victims of the 9/11 attacks. The eight Womble Carlyle lawyers mentioned above joined more than 1,180 other lawyers in donating a total of 100 years worth of free time to victims from 35 states and 11 countries. Total awards for claimants represented by TLC attorneys, including injured claimants, is currently more than a third of a billion dollars, and is eventually expected to exceed $2.1 billion.

Trial Lawyers for Public Justice utilizes a network of more than 3,000 of the nation's outstanding trial lawyers to pursue precedent-setting and socially significant litigation. TLPJ has a wide-ranging litigation docket in the areas of consumer rights, worker safety, civil rights and liberties, toxic torts, environmental protection and access to the courts.