Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, today announces that Commercial Litigation partner Tami Azorsky received the Firm’s fourth annual Lubin Award. This year, the Firm also inaugurated two new honors: the Lubin Award: Visionary and the Lubin Award: Community, which were awarded to Chicago office managing partner Leah Bruno and Kansas City office administrator Barbara Threlkeld, respectively. The Visionary award honors a colleague who embodies the spirit of dedication to the Firm and its culture, even if in the early years of their Dentons careers, and the Community award honors one whose dedication to volunteering and/or pro bono work is making a difference in their communities.

The Lubin Awards annually recognize colleagues who reflect the spirit of dedication to the Firm and its culture that the honor’s namesake, Don Lubin, former chair of legacy firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and former partner in Dentons’ Chicago office, displayed during his more than six decades with the Firm. Nominated candidates reflected Dentons’ shared culture of collaboration, unity, selflessness and firm-mindedness, in the same spirit as Don Lubin and our previous winners: Bill Stevens (2017), Ron Kent (2018) and the late Michael Barr (2019). New this year was the eligibility of any colleague in Dentons US to be nominated, including all partners, lawyers, professionals and business services staff colleagues. Recipients of the Lubin Awards are each granted $5,000 to be donated to a 501c(3) of their choice, consistent with Dentons’ charitable giving guidelines. Azorsky chose to donate to DC Legal Aid, Washington, DC's oldest and largest civil legal services organization; Bruno to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, and Cradles to Crayons, an organization that provide everyday essentials to local children in need; and Threlkeld to Veronica’s Voice, a nonprofit that works to end sex trafficking in the US through survivor leadership.

“We are proud to introduce two inaugural honors this year,” said Dentons US CEO Mike McNamara. “Like Don showcased throughout his many years with the Firm, Tami, Leah and Barbara serve their clients and community with the tenacity and heart that is reflective of our culture and the qualities embodied by the Lubin Award, and now Lubin Award: Visionary and Lubin Award: Community.”

Nationally recognized for exceptional client service, Azorsky has earned a reputation for creative and highly effective litigation strategies in complex environmental exposure and contamination cases. She previously served as chair of Dentons’ US Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice and co-chair of the global Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice. She spearheaded the development and implementation of the Dentons’ proprietary project management and budgeting software, designed to improve budget estimates, matter management and efficient delivery of client service. Azorsky is committed to diversity in the profession. At legacy firm McKenna Long & Aldridge, she co-founded a mentoring program for law students through the Georgetown University Women of Color Collective. She is also a longtime board member of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation.

Bruno is the managing partner of Dentons’ Chicago office. She has spent her career at the Firm, joining the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group in 1999. She has been a partner in the group since 2007 and has handled a wide variety of commercial disputes during that time. With a practice that focuses on intellectual property and false advertising disputes, she handles matters at both the state and federal levels around the country. Her approach to litigation is both pragmatic and client-focused. She takes the time to understand her clients’ objectives before developing a strategy to achieve their goals. Bruno has been a leader within the Firm and became the managing partner for her office in 2018. Since that time, she has balanced her law practice with active participation in office and firmwide initiatives aimed on ensuring all employees are heard and recognized. Bruno also has an active pro bono practice focused on reproductive rights issues. She is a member of the board of directors for the ACLU of Illinois and was recently recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business, 2020 Notable Women in the Law.

Threlkeld started at Dentons 25 years ago and her outstanding judgement, exceptional management ability and commitment to excellence shines through in all that she does for the Firm. Her quiet good work is behind nearly every successful venture in the Kansas City office. She handles anything put in front of her with creativity, strong attention to detail and an unfailing good spirit. Dedicated to the community at large, Threlkeld has contributed to many firmwide leadership roles, including working with Everbridge to help keep Dentons colleagues connected and spearheading an incredibly successful Dentons Delivers clothing drive in the spring of 2019 that supported nonprofit Veronica’s Voice.