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Reisman Awards Recognize Seven Outstanding Law Firms for Achievements in Business and Community Impact

October 10, 2022



Clio’s annual awards program recognizes extraordinary customers for displaying excellence in their fields and making an impact in their communities

Clio, the world’s leading provider of cloud-based legal technology, today announced the winners of the sixth annual Reisman Awards. This year’s recipients include Clio customers who have demonstrated law firm excellence and innovation over the last year. 

 

Named for Clio’s first customer, Catherine Reisman, an entrepreneurial attorney whose feedback helped shape the software, the Reisman Awards celebrate the legal industry’s game changers, groundbreakers, and pioneers.

 

“Since the launch of the Reisman Awards in 2017, we have been honored to hear the stories of Clio customers and how leveraging our platform bettered the lives of their clients, employees, and communities,” said Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio. “This year’s winners demonstrate a unique approach to delivering impactful legal services to their clients. They fully embrace innovation, and in doing so, expand what’s possible in how we solve for better access to justice.”

 

The 2022 Reisman Award recipients are: 

  • Legal Innovation: Koenig|Dunne – Legal Innovation honors a practice that has successfully challenged industry norms, either through technology, delivery of legal services, or meeting the needs of a non-traditional market. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Koenig|Dunne is 100% women-owned and dedicated to changing the legal experience for families in Nebraska who need the support of a divorce lawyer. Still, finances and lack of resources prevent their complete access to the justice system. Koenig|Dunne formed a committee of team members, met with representatives from Legal Aid and the Nebraska Volunteers Lawyer Project, and in 2019 built Untie Online, the first and only divorce service in Nebraska that provides education, information, resources, personalized legal documents, and attorney support, all at an affordable fee. 


  • Best New Law Firm: Rudder Law – Best New Law Firm honors a newcomer who has weathered the trials of entrepreneurship and come out on top. As a young Black lawyer, Andrew Rudder experienced the impact of systematic racism rooted in Canadian and American history. He took his fate into his own hands by starting his law firm, in January 2021, around the same time he published his book, “Catastrophic Impairment Law in Canada.” Andrew started his firm not only to improve diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity in the legal profession but also for the freedom of building a company in his vision that reflects his beliefs, values, and fundamental principles. 


  • Community Champion: Creedon Law PLLC – Community Champion honors firms that prioritize giving back to their communities, whether it be through pro bono work, donations, volunteering, mentorship, or another altruistic activity. Creedon Law PLLC – a legal team that builds and protects brands by providing experienced intellectual property and legal counsel – launched One Future Initiative (OFI), providing 5% of its gross revenue and 5% of its time to Good Works in its community. The firm’s mission to inspire people to build one great future is keeping them on track to be the first Corp-certified law firm in Texas. Creedon Law PLLC also created the 501(c)(3) Creedon Foundation to help children pursue their passions – from the arts to sports. They provide both mentorship and financial assistance. 


  • Excellence in Client Service: The Daswani Law Co – Excellence in Client Service honors a practice that has successfully implemented a client-centered approach to running their firm that is better for their clients and their business. The Daswani Law Co focuses on serving businesses of all sizes in the Commercial Contracts and Intellectual Property space. Following a uniform process with clients, The Daswani Law Co always starts with a complimentary discovery call to determine the client’s exact requirements and if its team is the best fit or not – providing a service that is thoughtful, supportive, and responsive. Beyond servicing, The Daswani Law Co also makes payment flexibility a priority, offering payment plans upon request to help clients spread the cost to alleviate the financial burden off their clients. 


  • Diversity and Inclusion: 402 Legal– Diversity and Inclusion, a new category in the Reisman Awards, recognizes firms driving diversity, inclusion, and the representation of marginalized communities in the legal profession. Sokpoh Law Group LLC has been a champion in the Nebraska community since its creation in 2011. It has represented hundreds of individuals in juvenile court and immigration proceedings at significantly reduced fees. Founding and managing partner Karine Sokpoh is an immigrant from Togo and has advocated for immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC in and out of court. She is also the founder and current President of the Midlands African Chamber, Inc., the only black chamber of commerce in the state of Nebraska. Sokpoh Law Group LLC supports its founder by sponsoring and providing legal services to the winners of the Pitch Black competitions, which provide opportunities for funding, mentoring, and connections to diverse entrepreneurs. 

 

  • Best Growth Story: Torrey Pines Law Group – Best Growth Story honors a practice that has seen success with Clio.  Kevin Buckley founded Torrey Pines Law Group in 2013, an international patent attorney focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and artificial intelligence innovations. Before the pandemic, Kevin’s firm included only four people. However, since the firm’s pivot in February 2020 in response to the impending pandemic, Torrey Pines Law Group has grown to include 22 patent attorneys, patent agents, business attorneys, FDA regulatory advisors, paralegals, and firm administrators. 

  • Legal Impact Award: Chartier & Nyamfukudza P.L.C. – Hand-picked by Reisman’s panel of judges, this award celebrates law firms who embody Clio’s mission of transforming the practice of law, for good. Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C. focuses solely on criminal defense and is passionate about ridding people of the stigma of being a felon or having a conviction. The firm works with two Innocence Project Clinics in Michigan, which helps exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals and provides legal services for those individuals on a pro-bono basis. In 2020 and 2021, Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C. achieved three exonerations, returning three individuals to their families after being wrongfully convicted. In addition to people, the firm also takes on “doggy death row” cases pro-bono, helping free dogs ordered to be euthanized due to being classified as dangerous. 

To learn more about the Reisman Awards or to nominate your firm for the 2023 awards, visit clio.com/the-reismans/.

 

Media Contact:
Juliet Mafua, Senior Public Relations Specialist
1-800-347-8314
[email protected]