Hanson Bridgett Featured in Marin County Bar Association Article on Pro Bono Commitment
We’re proud to share that the Marin County Bar Association recently published an article by Tom McInerney spotlighting Hanson Bridgett’s deep and ongoing commitment to pro bono work: “Hanson Bridgett is a For-Profit Firm, Committed to Non-Profit Community Service.”
The piece highlights the firm’s decades-long leadership in advancing access to justice and supporting underserved communities. As the article notes, we provide 150 hours of credit to associates who work on approved pro bono matters, and while many firms have scaled back their commitment to social impact and pro bono work, Hanson Bridgett has leaned in.
"Not only have we not backed off, we've ramped up our efforts," said Samir Abdelnour, partner and director of pro bono and social impact. Professional staff are also encouraged to volunteer and provide community service using paid volunteer hours for approved activities. Samir helps nurture and grow partnerships with organizations such as Legal Aid of Marin, Centro Legal de la Raza, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area, among many others.
The article also highlights the impact of our attorneys across practice groups:
- Andrew Giacomini led a pro bono team to secure the property for the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center and continues to advocate for agricultural workers in West Marin.
- Patrick Burns and Bianca Velez joined Andrew on the Pt. Reyes case, ensuring marginalized communities have access to housing and fair treatment.
- Elisha Yang applies her transactional and real estate expertise to support local churches, small businesses, and tenants — while also serving as an MCBA board member.
As Elisha put it, “As a firm culture, we do like to encourage lawyers at all levels to do community work.”
This culture has earned Hanson Bridgett national recognition. For four years in a row (2022–2025), the firm received the Beacon of Justice Award from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association. In 2025, the firm was included among the Top Bay Area Corporate Philanthropists by the San Francisco Business Times, recognized as Co-Champion of Justice by OneJustice, and as Campeones de Justicia by Centro Legal de la Raza.
At Hanson Bridgett, pro bono service is not only an essential part of our values, it strengthens our entire firm. Read the article here.
