Alston Award Winner for Leadership and Dedication
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Mia Falzarano
Leading Advocate for Atlanta Shooting Victims' Families
BJay Pak
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With nearly 500 hours invested, Mia is a standout in expedited actions, including federal bench trials on custody disputes. Leading three Hague Convention cases this year alone, she secured a minor's return to Italy and championed pro bono causes, sealing criminal records and securing settlements for disadvantaged clients. Mia's colleagues praise her remarkable ability to balance professional demands while mentoring others and advancing justice.
Mia Falzarano, Senior Associate in the Dallas Litigation & Trial Practice group, earns the prestigious Alston award for her leadership and dedication.
Alston Award Winner
Lauren McHale
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Obtained Expungement of Criminal Record for Client
Derin Dickerson
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Byung J. "BJay" Pak has been a leading advocate for the families of the Atlanta shooting victims. He says the key to change is getting members of the AAPI community — a historically silent minority — to make their voices heard.
Within the firm's Atlanta office, Pak works alongside litigation associates Sarah J. Lee and Taylor Lin, among others, who have volunteered their time and talents to represent the families of shooting victims Yong Ae Yue and Suncha Kim.
Leading Advocate for Atlanta Shooting Victims' Families
Leading teams on extensive research, including mental health access for homeless youth across 50 states, Lauren's dedication and organization ensured timely completion. Recognized by NHLC and our client CVS for her outstanding contributions, she was invited to co-chair the national Homelessness Action Legal Team. Lauren's commitment to impactful change exemplifies her dedication to homeless youth across the country in need of mental health services.
This year’s award goes to Lauren McHale, Senior Associate in Charlotte's Finance Group, who is honored for leadership on four impactful projects with the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC).
Derin Dickerson, Partner in the Litigation & Trial Practice Group, volunteers with the Georgia Justice Project to help Georgia citizens obtain expungement of their criminal records. One of Derin’s recent clients was convicted of being a fugitive from justice in Alabama when he was 20-years-old because he returned home to Georgia after being expelled from college following a youthful indiscretion. Despite turning his life around, the conviction on Derin’s client’s criminal record haunted him, often preventing him from obtaining employment and causing his employer to fire him. Sixteen years later, Derin helped get his client’s record expunged so he could obtain employment to take care of his family.
Obtained Expungement of Criminal Record for Client
Pro Bono Stories
Alston Award Winner for Leadership
Lauren McHale
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Pro Bono Stories
Elizabeth
Gingold Clark
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BJay
Pak
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Clemency Win in July 2021, Elizabeth Gingold Clark, Partner in Securities Litigation, secured tentative clemency from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole for an incarcerated client who is a survivor of domestic violence. The client suffered years of violence, intimidation, and harassment before killing her abuser in self-defense. After more than 22 years in prison for killing her abusive husband, the client secured her release at her recent parole board hearing due to the dedicated representation from this Alston & Bird team.
Elizabeth Gingold Clark
Cara
Peterman
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Derin
Dickerson
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Byung J. "BJay" Pak has been a leading advocate for the families of the Atlanta shooting victims. He says the key to change is getting members of the AAPI community — a historically silent minority — to make their voices heard.
Within the firm's Atlanta office, Pak works alongside litigation associates Sarah J. Lee and Taylor Lin, among others, who have volunteered their time and talents to represent the families of shooting victims Yong Ae Yue and Suncha Kim.
BJay Pak
Cara Peterman, Partner in Securities Litigation, and a team of A&B attorneys gained asylum for a young female client. This case took years of effort and the hard work of many team members to get to this point. The client fled El Salvador and came to the United States alone in 2016, when she was just 17 years old. She was the victim of violence in her home country on account of her sexual orientation, which culminated in gang members breaking into her grandparents’ home and threatening her at gunpoint.
Cara Peterman
Derin Dickerson, Partner in the Litigation & Trial Practice Group, joined with Atlanta’s newly-elected mayor, Andre Dickens, and 35 other volunteers for a very special new year’s day of service. The volunteer team prepared hundreds of personal hygiene kits that will be distributed to several local nonprofit agencies. Mayor Dickens organized the event noting, “The first day of the year is a fantastic way to show we are all about service and about commitment to people of Atlanta.”
Derin Dickerson
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