PHILADELPHIA, October 22, 2025—Duane Morris LLP partner Mark A. Bradford and senior associate Tiffany E. Alberty of the Chicago office and partner Robert L. Byer of the Pittsburgh office were honored at the firm’s annual meeting for their pro bono contributions. Bradford and Alberty received the 19th annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Award and Byer was the recipient of the 11th annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Leadership Award.
Bradford and Alberty were celebrated for their wins in pro bono cases involving the United Nations Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Working with the Narkis Golan International Child Abduction Initiative of Sanctuary for Families, Bradford and Alberty won two cases for mothers fleeing domestic violence against themselves and their minor children. In the most recent win, the client, a U.S. citizen, endured over a decade of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her former partner. In 2022, she returned to the United States from Norway to care for her ailing father with her daughters and secured a job, home and schooling for the children. Her abusive ex-partner sought the forced return of their daughters. Bradford and Alberty successfully argued the father’s lack of custody rights under Norwegian law, the grave risk of harm to the children if they returned and the children’s objections to the relocation.
The Hague Convention requires United States courts to order the immediate return of children removed from their habitual place of residence, if the left behind parent had custody rights in the home country. While a needed treaty, this requirement poses a problem when a parent is fleeing domestic violence and a child would be in grave risk if forced to return to the other parent. In the United States, these cases are litigated in federal district court and the parent has no right to counsel, which can be particularly problematic for survivors fleeing violence often with little economic means. As a result, the Hague Convention often is applied unjustly to survivors of domestic violence, many of whom are primary caretaker mothers trying to keep themselves and their children safe from abuse.
Bradford represents reinsurers, insurers and other affiliated risk transfer and financial services entities in complex, often multidimensional, litigation and regulatory actions. Alberty is a member of the firm’s Class Action Defense Group and practices in the area of employment law. Both also have served on the firmwide Pro Bono Committee and assisted in prisoner civil rights cases, expungements, restraining order cases, as well as many others.
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 joining the firm in 2006, Byer has provided nearly 1,000 pro bono hours in 43 appeals before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Third Circuit and United States Supreme Court. He has also provided advice to nonprofits advocating for systemic reform. In each of these matters, Byer has thoughtfully sought out important cases that will provide meaningful professional development and mentoring opportunities for associates. Some of the issues he has worked on include: reforming Pennsylvania pardon procedure to permit consent-style agendas for hearings; representing veterans contracting with the federal government as amici in advocating for the protection of service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses; various appeals concerning the constitutionality of sentencing juveniles to life without parole and immigrant’s removability orders; and representing a Pennsylvania Little League team in seeking and winning an appeal about installing lighting on their baseball fields. In all of these cases, associates took the lead role in court with Byer’s guidance.
Byer concentrates his practice in appellate and legal issues litigation. He is a former judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline.
About the Duane Morris Pro Bono Program
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 delivers pro bono legal services to underrepresented individuals and organizations, while enriching the professional journey of our attorneys, strengthening corporate client relationships and infusing firm culture with purpose. Duane Morris’ pro bono service reinforces its global reputation as a firm where service, integrity and talent flourish side by side. The firm’s commitment to pro bono reflects the values that define Duane Morris’ legacy of excellence, integrity, collaboration and service.
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.
