Shook Names Seasoned New York Lawyer as Director of Pro Bono

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shook, Hardy & Bacon has selected Partner Scot Fishman as the firm's new director of pro bono. Fishman is a results-driven lawyer who developed and led award-winning pro bono programs for more than 15 years, dramatically increasing attorney hours and participation. The American Bar Association, Public Council Law Center, The American Lawyer and other prominent organizations across the country have recognized the measurable outcomes and successes of his prior programs.

"Shook has always been committed to pro bono, and Scot has the expertise and experience to take our program to the next level," said Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough. "He's passionate about tying together professional development and client relations to help integrate our work for clients in the communities we serve."

Fishman practiced as a litigator in New York City for several years before excelling as a pro bono leader at the national level for the last 15 years. He served as partner and pro bono director at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP in New York City and Los Angeles, and director of pro bono and manager of corporate responsibility for another firm in New York City.

Before law school, Fishman joined Teach For America and taught fourth and fifth graders for three years in Northeast Washington, D.C. When he explained to his students he would not return the following year so that he could pursue his own dream of being a lawyer, he made a promise to find some way of using his legal career to help underserved communities.

"We are in a transformational time right now for businesses and law firms," said Fishman. "I'm a big believer in lawyers choosing their own pro bono paths and finding what excites them and gets them up in the morning. I'm here to help Shook lawyers find their voices and give back in a way that only lawyers can do. I'm excited to be here."

Shook's pro bono history includes a focus on foster adoptions⸺including granting more than one million dollars to children for college or trade school tuition⸺immigration, transgender name changes, tenant and veterans issues and death penalty and prisoner rights cases. Working with the Missouri Coalition for the Right to Council (MCRC), Shook has held CLE training for private attorneys partnering with the Missouri State Public Defender's Office to gain training on how to handle criminal cases. Two partners serve on the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the nation's largest provider of civil legal services for low-income people.

"Scot will energize our team and guide us to another plane," said Charlie Eblen, a trial partner who heads the firm's pro bono committee. "We welcome him to Shook and look forward to our next pro bono chapter."

Fishman earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia with distinction as a major in government and foreign affairs. He served as an intern at the White House in the summer of 1996.

About Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 17 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and commercial litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling.

SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.