McGuireWoods Chairman Jon Harmon discussed the launch of the firm’s Veteran Lawyers Network and its pro bono representation of veterans in the fall edition of Diversity & The Bar, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s quarterly magazine.
“I can’t think of a group more deserving than those who’ve put their lives on the line in armed service, preserving, protecting and defending our Constitution and the liberties all Americans are guaranteed,” said Harmon, a West Point graduate who served as a first lieutenant in the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Desert Storm.
The Veteran Lawyers Network is comprised of McGuireWoods lawyers who are “dedicated to identifying new ways to enhance or expand support for veterans both inside and outside the firm, while ensuring that McGuireWoods continues to leverage the expertise of our veteran lawyers in service of our clients,” Harmon said.
The article, “The Long Way Back: The Veteran Transition From Military to Corporate Life,” detailed pro bono partnerships between McGuireWoods and clients to assist veterans with various legal matters. The story also documented the efforts of Norfolk, Virginia, associate Rebecca Gantt to resolve a landlord-tenant dispute for a Navy petty officer whose landlord had obtained a default judgment against her while she was on active duty. For her efforts, Gantt — a Navy veteran — received the ABA Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award, as well as McGuireWoods’ annual Pro Bono Award for 2018.
Harmon said his own military service led him “to really appreciate how much these incredibly brave and committed men and women sacrifice — you know this when you’ve been part of it. We owe these veterans — and the families who sacrifice with them – so much. Now, as a leader in the legal profession, I am very proud of what our lawyers do to help veterans.”