SAN FRANCISCO, March 4, 2014: Morgan Lewis is pleased to announce that two of its lawyers have received California Lawyer magazine’s annual “California Lawyer Attorney of the Year” (CLAY) award, which recognizes California-based attorneys whose achievements made a significant impact in 2013. Litigation Practice of counsel, George Cumming, and Litigation Practice partner and Managing Partner of the San Francisco office, Molly Lane, were recognized in the criminal law category for their work saving Texas death row inmate Cathy Henderson from execution.
The team, which included Labor and Employment Practice partner Michael Banks, dedicated more than eight years and thousands of pro bono hours to her defense. In 1995, Ms. Henderson was convicted of murder in the death of an infant she was babysitting. When Morgan Lewis became involved in her defense, the team launched a new investigation into the scientific evidence used to convict her. This produced expert testimony showing that the baby’s injuries were consistent with an accidental fall as Ms. Henderson had described, and she was granted a stay just two days before her scheduled execution in 2007. She has since been granted a retrial without the possibility of the death penalty.