Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that it has awarded the 2024 Bob Gerber Pro Bono Award to associates Dimiana Saad and Lucas Amodio.
Saad, an associate in the Labor and Employment practice group in the firm's Los Angeles office, devoted significant time to asylum, family reunification and copyright infringement matters. Most recently, Saad obtained asylum for a pro bono client who fled from Kazakhstan to avoid persecution because of her gender identity and demands that she return to be forcibly married. This was a challenging case involving difficult facts, a skeptical judge and opposition from the Department of Justice (DOJ). Saad demonstrated incredible litigation skills navigating the case through immigration court, preparing extensive pleadings throughout the matter and, ultimately, forming a positive working relationship with the DOJ attorney and establishing tremendous credibility with the judge. The client’s decade-long saga culminated in a final day of hearings that lasted almost four hours, and concluded with the judge granting asylum. The immigration judge was so impressed with the presentation of the case that she made the chef’s kiss gesture in open court when describing the submissions.
Saad obtained her J.D. and B.A. from the University of Southern California. This matter was particularly meaningful to Saad because she herself was granted asylum from Egypt 26 years ago. Saad stated, “I’m so grateful to be working at a firm that supports associates in their pro bono work and contributes to justice and fairness in society. Our pro bono clients may not be able to successfully navigate the complex legal scenarios they’ve found themselves in without the help of Sheppard Mullin’s elite pro bono team, and I am honored to be a part of that team.”
Amodio is an associate in the Governmental Practice in the firm's New York office and a member of the White Collar Defense and Corporate Investigations and Securities Enforcement industry teams. As part of the firm’s Criminal Justice Act practice, Amodio devoted significant time to representing individuals in federal criminal cases who cannot afford, but are entitled to, counsel under the U.S. Constitution, providing the highest quality representation in every respect. He has handled pre-trial motion arguments before multiple judges in the Southern District of New York, prepared outstanding, detailed sentencing submissions and mastered intricate issues under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Amodio has also gone above and beyond to provide support and guidance to clients, making himself available at all hours to talk to them and their family members about the various challenges that they face. Michael Gilbert, a Sheppard Mullin partner who works closely with Amodio, said, “This work is not easy. But Lucas has thrown himself into it. For a junior lawyer, he performs like a grizzled veteran criminal defense lawyer on these cases. His devotion is truly remarkable.”
Amodio received his J.D. from Boston University, his MSc from the University of Nottingham, and his B.A. from Vassar College. Amodio stated, “Sheppard Mullin’s steadfast commitment to a broad spectrum of pro bono work makes me proud to be part of this firm and has allowed me to provide meaningful support to people in what can be the most challenging moments of their lives.”
“Dimiana and Lucas represent the best of our profession, dedicating significant time to providing deserving clients with access to justice. They also demonstrate the additional benefits of pro bono work—the opportunity to gain invaluable experience and develop skills that will benefit their clients throughout their careers,” said Pro Bono Partner Dan Brown.
Sheppard Mullin's Bob Gerber Pro Bono Award is the firm’s highest pro bono honor, recognizing and rewarding the important pro bono work done by Sheppard Mullin attorneys. The award is named in honor and memory of Bob Gerber, the founder of Sheppard Mullin’s pro bono program and its leader for more than a decade.