For their pro bono work, mentoring, service, and commitment to diversity and inclusion, five individuals from Barnes & Thornburg have been recognized with 2017 service awards for going above and beyond in their communities.
The 2017 award recipients are:
- Oni Harton, an associate in the Indianapolis office, was presented with the Joseph A. Maley Pro Bono Award. Harton exemplifies Barnes & Thornburg’s longstanding commitment to delivering legal services to underserved segments of our communities. As a volunteer attorney with the Indianapolis Bar Association Hospice Program, Harton provides legal assistance to terminally ill patients of modest means. She assists by helping individuals complete advance directives and simple wills. Harton also provides pro bono representation through a court appointment from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
- Nick Kile, a partner in the Indianapolis office, received the Camille B. Conway Diversity Award. Kile has been instrumental in planning the annual Shirley’s Legacy event, honoring late partner Shirley Shideler. He is committed to promoting diversity in his own practice and places a great importance on diversity in the community. Kile champions diversity in his day-to-day actions at the firm, not for praise or recognition, but simply because he believes it is the right thing to do.
- Levi Heath, a partner in the Los Angeles office, received the Kenneth H. Inskeep Mentoring Award. Heath was nominated for his drive to help others improve in their careers. In addition to his mentoring activities within the firm, Heath serves on the board of directors of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, the executive board of the Boy Scouts of America Western Los Angeles County Council, and the board of directors of the Culver Marina Little League.
- The Commitment to Community Award was presented to two individuals, Melanie Mawema, the office administrator in Los Angeles, and Becky Banks, a legal administrative assistant in the Indianapolis office. Mawema is always looking for ways to help the community and encourages office staff and attorneys to participate. Mawema was instrumental in bringing a first-generation, college-bound high school intern in the office through the Expanding Horizons Internship Program. She volunteers at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and coordinates the Los Angeles office’s involvement in the annual Justice Jog supporting CASA of Los Angeles.
For the last five years, Banks has been the chair of the American Cancer Society Boone County Relay for Life event and it has flourished under her leadership. The Boone County Relay for Life is a 12-hour event raising thousands of dollars for research to fight all cancers. Banks has been raising money and awareness on behalf of the American Cancer Society since the early 1990s.
With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 13 offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Delaware, Indiana, Los Angeles, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.
