Sanctuary for Families honored several Davis Polk lawyers at the Above & Beyond Pro Bono Achievement Awards on November 13, 2018. The annual event honors members of the legal community who have gone “above and beyond” by providing outstanding pro bono representation and advocacy to victims of domestic violence, sex trafficking and related forms of gender violence.

The Davis Polk team was recognized for their work on behalf of a client who left China for the United States in search of employment to enable her to earn money to win back custody of her children, who remained in China. Subjected to trafficking once she arrived in the U.S., she was referred to Sanctuary’s Queens Human Trafficking Intervention Pro Bono Project. Working with Sanctuary, former associate Lisa Doolittle and associate Hanbing Zhang worked hard to build the client’s trust, file a successful T-visa application and support her during the successful prosecution of her trafficker. Partner Po Sit and associate Iris Hsiao are currently helping to reunite her with her children. Special Counsel for Pro Bono Sharon Katz supervised the matter.

Sanctuary for Families is New York’s leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking and related forms of gender violence. Each year, Sanctuary empowers thousands of adults and children to move from fear and abuse to safety and stability, transforming lives through a comprehensive range of services.

Read more about Davis Polk’s important work on Sanctuary’s blog.