Chicago and Atlanta—Dentons, the world's leading global law firm, today announced that longtime Atlanta partner William Stevens, now senior counsel to the Firm, received the Firm's inaugural Lubin Award. The Lubin Award recognizes a Dentons US colleague who reflects the spirit of dedication to the Firm and the culture that the honor's namesake, Don Lubin, former legacy firm Sonnenschein Chair and now senior counsel in the Firm's Chicago office, has modeled in his six decades with the Firm. The Lubin Award provides a meaningful opportunity for Dentons to honor not only Lubin's example, but also the colleagues who best exemplify his extraordinary legacy of dedication to the Firm and its inclusive culture, communities, and excellence in the practice of law. The award was conferred during the holiday party for the Atlanta office of the Firm.

"Bill's extraordinary and tireless commitment to our clients, his community and—above all else—the Firm and his colleagues, is applauded by all around the Firm," said Mike McNamara, US CEO of Dentons. "For nearly 30 years, he has served his clients with the tenacity and heart that is reflective of our culture and epitomizes the qualities embodied by the Lubin Award. We congratulate Bill on this honor and thank him for inspiring us to be resilient in leading the legal profession in a time of monumental change."

Stevens is the former chair of the legacy firm McKenna Long's Real Estate practice and held leadership roles with legacy firms. He was an integral member in the founding of Atlanta-based Long & Aldridge, which became McKenna Long and now is a legacy firm of Dentons. Instrumental in the development of the commercial mortgage-backed securities industry in the early 1990s, he advises clients on the financing and purchase of real estate projects, including non-bankruptcy restructurings of problem real estate loans. Stevens is a recognized pioneer in the development and use of "conduit lending," an important source of capital for the US real estate industry. An active member of the Atlanta community, Stevens enjoyed long service as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Galloway School. For over 25 years, he has been listed by The Best Lawyers in America as one of the best real estate lawyers in the US, and has been ranked in Chambers USA as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Georgia.

Lubin is a visionary of the profession. He has served as a pillar of corporate law and a mentor to legions of CEOs and lawyers over his long and illustrious career. His humanitarianism and generosity have touched every aspect of business and philanthropy. As a former Chair of legacy firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and an active member of its governing board, he played an outsize role in the evolution of the Firm from a Chicago-only firm in the mid-1980s to the global firm today. He served as a trusted advisor to numerous clients including McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, McDonald's and Molex, a multi-billion dollar global electronics company. Among his many civic and philanthropic endeavors, Lubin had a founding role in establishing the Ronald McDonald House Charities and served as a trustee for nearly 40 years. He served as chair of Metropolis Strategies, as a trustee and former chair of New Schools for Chicago and overseer of the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences. He was vice chair of Rush University Medical Center and is a life trustee and former chair of Highland Park Hospital.

The creation of the Lubin Award, commemorating Don Lubin's 60th year with the Firm since joining legacy Sonnenschein's storied class of 1957, was announced by Global Chief Executive Officer Elliott Portnoy and Global Chairman Joe Andrew during a special awards presentation at the Dentons Global Partner Meeting in June 2017.

The Lubin Award also bestows a charitable contribution in the name of the awardee, which will be made by the Firm. Stevens has selected Atlanta Habitat for Humanity to receive the charitable contribution. The award recipient is selected by the Firm's US Region Board.

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