Skip to site navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer content Skip to Site Search page Skip to People Search page

Releases and Announcements

Duane Morris Attorneys Anna Wills, Eric R. Breslin and Lisa C. Merrill Receive Firm Pro Bono Awards

November 6, 2024

Duane Morris Attorneys Anna Wills, Eric R. Breslin and Lisa C. Merrill Receive Firm Pro Bono Awards

November 6, 2024

Read below

PHILADELPHIA, November 6, 2024—Duane Morris LLP associate Anna Wills of the Philadelphia office, partner Eric R. Breslin of the North Jersey office, and special counsel Lisa C. Merrill of the San Diego office were honored at the firm’s annual meeting for their pro bono contributions. Wills received the 18th annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Award and Breslin and Merrill were the recipients of the tenth annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Leadership Award.

Pro bono service and volunteerism have been an important part of Duane Morris’ culture since the firm’s founding more than 120 years ago. Duane Morris’ Pro Bono Program provides free legal services to individuals, families, social justice entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations and community-based legal and social service providers. This work is integral to the firm’s well-being and that of the communities where our attorneys and staff live and work. The firm provides extensive pro bono service in all of its U.S. offices and many international offices via a dedicated pro bono organization, managing more than 1,500 matters, which range from U.S. Supreme Court amicus briefs and federal litigation to local landlord-tenant court and U.S. citizenship applications.

The Duane Morris Pro Bono Award honors the outstanding service of an attorney or group that exemplifies Duane Morris’ commitment to pro bono service and has made a significant impact on an individual or community.

Associate Anna Wills was celebrated for her work representing Tree House Books in acquiring ownership of their properties (previously rented), and for her continuing work in obtaining financing to renovate the properties, and applying for the requisite zoning permits and variances. A giving library and literacy center in North Philadelphia, Tree House Books has a dual purpose: to provide free books to the community and spread knowledge and awareness. Tree House Books also leads out-of-school-time programs that increase literacy skills and promote a lifelong love of reading and writing in children. In the past year, Tree House Books has serviced over 10,000 members―including nearly 2,000 new members―and distributed nearly 100,000 books; they have held 50 book drives. Wills also donated significant pro bono time representing a survivor of domestic violence in her Violence Against Women Act self-petition before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Wills practices in the area of real estate law.

The Pro Bono Leadership Award honors attorneys who exemplify the spirit of pro bono: a selfless, longstanding and unwavering commitment to pro bono service; leaders by example, who accept pro bono matters without fanfare; and pro bono contributors who encourage and mentor other firm attorneys in pro bono service.

Since 2014, Eric R. Breslin has donated more than 3,000 pro bono hours to indigent defendants, prisoners and wrongly accused individuals, averaging 350 pro bono hours annually. Through each of these matters, he has provided invaluable mentoring and first chair trial experience to numerous associates. Presently, Breslin is working with the Civil Rights and Restoration Project at Northeastern School of Law and professor Margaret Burnham to obtain a posthumous pardon for a man who was wrongly sentenced to death under inequitable Jim Crow-era sentencing laws. There is strong evidence that the man actually was innocent of the crime.

Breslin concentrates his practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation and white-collar criminal litigation, representing a broad range of companies and individuals.

Since joining the firm in 2012, Lisa C. Merrill has assisted more than 277 nonprofits, totaling nearly 900 pro bono hours. Year after year, Merrill works tirelessly, assisting organizations to incorporate as nonprofits, apply for IRS Section 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, and advising on other corporate governance/tax matters. She never declines to assist, even if she is just offering a quick call or supervising an associate. Some of Merrill’s more notable clients include the King Center, Choral Club of San Diego, the New Normal and Sail to Shelter, among others.

Merrill is a transactional tax attorney with more than 30 years of experience.

About Duane Morris

Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.