Quarles Honors Winners of 12th Annual Be Like Mike Pro Bono Awards

October 26, 2026 (Milwaukee) – The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced today the recipients of the firm’s 12^th annual Be Like Mike Pro Bono Awards.

Previously known as the Gonring Awards, in honor of long-time former national pro bono partner Michael Gonring, the recognition has been renamed the Be Like Mike awards to also celebrate Michael Levey, who retired last year after serving more than a decade as national pro bono partner.

The award, given each year during National Pro Bono Week, recognizes people across the firm who have made meaningful contributions through one or more pro bono projects during the previous fiscal year. The firm is donating $1,000 on behalf of each recipient to the nonprofit organization of their choice.

The 2026 recipients are:

• Berenice Alcantara Arias, an office assistant in San Diego who provided critical translation services for a Chicago office pro bono project helping a client obtain a U-visa. Her charity is the San Diego Angels Foster Family Network (Angels 2.0).
• Kiana Baharloo, an associate in Chicago whose extensive pro bono efforts include work for the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic’s immigration guardianship project; venue, event and sponsorship counsel for the International Women’s Cyber Alliance; U-Visa work; and assistance to the Boy Scouts of America NEIC. Her charity is the Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids (PEAK).
• Robyn Hansen, a Milwaukee-based of counsel who serves as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA), a court-appointed independent voice who advocates for the best interests of children involved in abuse, neglect and child welfare cases. Her charity is the Decatur County (Tenn.) CASA.
• Aziza Mohamadhossen, a Tampa associate who, along with Pam Lundborg and Noemi Reyes, advocated for a survivor of sex trafficking the U.S. Department of Justice’s Backpage Remission Program. Aziza also helped immigrant families navigate the challenges of immigration enforcement and family separation, through the American for Immigrant Justice (AIJ) Family Preparedness Program. Her charity is AIJ.
• Noemi Reyes, an associate in Milwaukee who contributes significant pro bono time to cases focused on public defense, immigration matters and advocacy for survivors. Her charity is the Community Immigration Law Center.
• Alexander Longan, senior counsel in Chicago who provided pro bono real estate counsel to The Anti-Cruelty Society, a nonprofit dedicated to animal welfare, helping the organization understand how real estate decision can help advance its long-term goals. His charity is The Anti-Cruelty Society.
• The Carruthers Capital Punishment Team, led by Melanie Verdecia (Tampa partner) and including Philip Anderson (Milwaukee associate), Cassie Arntsen (Phoenix associate), Elizabeth Charles (Indianapolis associate), Jacqueline Chavez (Phoenix associate), Mary Ferwerda (Milwaukee pro bono counsel), Margie Kupsik (Milwaukee paralegal), Dan Peabody (Phoenix associate), Emily Plakon (Tampa associate), Blaize Ryan (Tampa legal assistant), Andrew Schiefer (Phoenix associate), Andrea Seach (Phoenix associate), Cyndi Trotti (Tampa paralegal) and Tori Warkins (Phoenix associate).

Asked by the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project to help Tennessee death row inmate Tony Carruthers in his pursuit of never-completed forensic testing that would prove his innocence, the team completed critical work on the case in a matter of weeks that typically would take significantly longer. The group’s charity is Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

• The U-Visa Team, led by Chris Skey (Chicago partner) and including Berenice Alcantara Arias (San Diego office assistant), Alex Bai (Chicago associate), Kiana Baharloo (Chicago associate), Dawn Caldart (Milwaukee senior pro bono counsel), Jacqueline Chavez (Phoenix associate), Emily Cohn (Chicago associate), Alex Cooper (Chicago senior counsel), Maria Kallmeyer (Chicago partner), Libby Glass (Washington associate), Corinne Jacome (Chicago associate), Nour Kalbouneh (Milwaukee pro bono coordinator), Janet Lindeman (Chicago partner), Nidia Mendoza (Phoenix associate), Halima Nur (Chicago associate), Caroline Parrino (Chicago associate), Thomas Polk (Chicago legal assistant), Mehak Qureshi (Madison associate), Edward Rickert (Chicago retired partner), Eric Schumacher (Chicago associate), Peter Spier (Chicago partner), Rebecca Stern (Chicago associate), Maribel Torres (Chicago legal assistant) and Paige Trent (Chicago associate).

In collaboration with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS), this team helped several CVLS clients with their applications for U-visas, which are available to undocumented people who have been the victim of certain crimes, and who cooperate with law enforcement regarding the crime and otherwise meet the U-Visa program requirements.

“Pro bono service is an important part of who we are as a firm and how we fulfill our responsibility to the communities we serve,” said Mike Aldana, firm managing partner and chair of the Executive Committee. “This year’s recipients have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to helping bridge the justice gap, and we are grateful for the impact they have made through their service and advocacy on behalf of those in need. We are proud to recognize their contributions and the example they set for all of us.”