Koch Capabilities, LLC and Barnes & Thornburg LLP
May 29, 2024
In February 2020, weeks before the pandemic began to ripple across the U.S., Koch Industries welcomed representatives from their panel of preferred law firms to Wichita. Koch General Counsel Ray Geoffroy felt strongly that Koch had a tremendous opportunity to accomplish so much good for society by leveraging their combined capabilities (internal lawyers and external panel firm lawyers) on a larger scale. He challenged the law firms to partner with Koch’s Pro Bono Initiative and become a “force multiplier” to Koch’s efforts. Further, he set the expectation that the firms’ commitment to its Pro Bono Initiative would be considered a factor in awarding work.
We spoke with Koch Capabilities Associate General Counsel, Public Policy and Pro Bono, Melissa Brown, and Koch Chief Counsel, Commercial & Pro Bono, Matt Ellis, along with Barnes & Thornburg Partners Jason Bernstein and Mark Wallin, for this Signatory Showcase blog. Find out more about this exciting project, its impact on clients in need, and some key takeaways for your own “force multipliers.”