Shell Oil Co.'s Legal Department Honored

MOUNTAINSIDE, N.J. -- The legal department of Shell Oil Co. was recently presented with the third annual Magna Stella Pro Bono Award from The Texas Access to Justice Commission in conjunction with the Texas General Counsel Forum, Metrocorpcounsel.com reported.

The award recognizes Shell's legal department for its efforts to promote pro bono legal services within the organization and within the corporate structure at large. Thomas J. Brandt, associate general counsel, accepted the award on behalf of the Shell's legal department during the awards dinner held in San Antonio.

Shell's attorneys have volunteered to handle pro bono cases through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program for nearly 25 years. The company was also one of the first corporations to become an Equal Access Champion under the Houston Bar Association's Equal Access to Justice Initiative, a program that challenges corporations to handle pro bono cases for low-income residents annually for five year, the Web site stated. Working in conjunction with the program, Shell has contributed its legal expertise to an approximate average of 100 pro bono cases per year, according to the Web site.