Dentons announces the winners of its 2023 Lubin Awards, an annual recognition that honors three colleagues who reflect the Firm’s shared culture of collaboration, unity, selflessness and firm-mindedness. This year, four awards were presented. New York partner Sandra Hauser received the fifth annual Lubin Award; Washington, DC, counsel Jennifer Morrissey and Chicago partner Shannon Shin received the Lubin Award: Visionary; and New York paralegal Sarah Gonzalez received the Lubin Award: Community.

These individuals reflect the spirit of dedication to the Firm and its culture that the award’s namesake, the late Don Lubin, former chair of legacy firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, displayed during his more than six decades with the Firm. Recipients of the Lubin Awards are each granted $5,000 to be donated to a 501c(3) of their choice.

Hauser selected the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, which advances economic justice through impact litigation, policy advocacy and support for grassroots organizing.

Morrissey selected Alexandria House, which provides safety, housing assistance, training and other services for women and children who are unhoused or who are fleeing abuse or experiencing other trauma.

Shin selected the food pantry at Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly’s Chicago chapter, which works to relieve isolation and loneliness among older adults.

Gonzalez selected Mil Mundos en Común, which supports access to essential goods, literature, and digital literacy in Bushwick, NY.

The Lubin Award

Hauser heads the Dentons US Commercial Litigation practice and serves on the Firm's Global Litigation and Dispute Resolution Leadership team. Her exemplary legal work has earned numerous accolades from The Legal 500, BTI Client Service All-Stars, Crain’s New York Business, Law360 and others. As a practice group leader and a longtime member of Dentons’ Pro Bono Committee and Associate Development Committee (past), she has helped make Dentons US the Firm it is today—from mentoring associates in their professional development, to spearheading programs that help develop and retain talented associates, to dedicating hundreds of hours annually to pro bono service. Reflecting the mark Hauser has left on Dentons, she was collectively nominated for the Lubin Award by more than two dozen colleagues who shared personal reflections of working with her and who stated: “Sandy is a consummate lawyer and human in every aspect of her life … we are grateful that we have her as a firm leader and colleague.”

The Lubin Award: Visionary

The Visionary honor recognizes a colleague who embodies dedication to the Firm. This year marks the first time the honor has been shared, a testament to the extraordinary caliber of both recipients.

Morrissey, a member of the Energy practice, brings such dedication to Dentons’ client work, thought leadership and pro bono initiatives alike. She is a leader of the Global Smart Cities & Connected Communities Think Tank, an initiative to help communities take advantage of technological innovations to modernize digital, physical and social infrastructure to encourage efficiency and equity in deployment of resources, empower stakeholders and improve quality of life. She has been recognized as an innovative thought leader by multiple professional organizations. She is highly active with the Innocence Project, advocating to free people who have been unjustly imprisoned, including petitioning to the US Supreme Court on pro bono client’s behalf. Morrissey was nominated by Clint Vince, chair of Dentons' US Energy practice and co-chair of the global Energy sector, who describes her as “the quintessential team player” and “an exceptional ambassador for the firm to external organizations and agencies.”

Shin is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice and a champion of Dentons US’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. As a member of the DEI Committee and co-chair of the Asian American, South Asian, Pacific Professionals (ASAPP) Affinity Group, she helps to foster a more welcoming and inclusive Firm culture. She elevates the voices of Dentons colleagues who might otherwise be marginalized and brings light to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. She also shares her advice and empathy freely and creates open space for important conversations. Shin was nominated by Merri Cross, St. Louis office administrator and co-chair of the ASAPP Affinity Group, who describes her as “instrumental in creating an open and collaborative culture at Dentons” and “a warrior for equality.”

The Lubin Award: Community

The Community honor recognizes a colleague whose dedication to volunteering is making a difference in their community. Gonzalez devotes her time and energy to making life better both within and outside the office. She organizes a book club in the New York office, building community among colleagues and facilitating open and compassionate engagement among all who participate. She volunteers as an “end of life doula,” comforting terminally ill people to help them face their last days with dignity, courage and compassion. She also attends caregiver groups at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, to better understand and empathize with people living with terminal illness as well as their loved ones. Gonzalez was nominated by Bernadette Bento, a fellow legal secretary in the New York office, who describes her as “always outgoing, kind and caring to others” and “a devoted Dentons employee and friend to everyone she meets.”