For the last five years, McGuireWoods Consulting strives to honor team members committed to excellence in pro bono work with the Atkinson-Payne Pro Bono Award.
This year, the firm had many exemplary submissions from team members across three different states and Washington, D.C. These submissions included: North Carolina consultant Harry Kaplan’s work with the Jewish Community Relations Council, Illinois consultant Henry Mohn’s work with Chicago Scholars and Texas consultant Ellie Barmish’s work with the Texas Advocacy Project.
All of these projects resulted in significant wins and positive change for the communities of the team members, including: combating antisemitism in North Carolina, increasing college access in Chicago and connecting domestic abuse survivors to legal aid in Texas.
The 2025 Atkinson-Payne Pro Bono Award is presented to senior vice president Clayton Cox and assistant vice president Tyler McNeill for their stellar work with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Cox and McNeill along with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation leveraged strategy and their legislative connections to successfully pass a bill funding a commemorative coin for the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
The coin is available for purchase and sales will be used to collect funds for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, specifically the preservation of USMC history through the Nation Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia.
“We would not have been able to do this without the help of Clayton and Tyler from McGuireWoods Consulting,” USMC Maj. Gen. James Lukeman said. “We’re very grateful for the help we got from them to make this happen.”
The continued financial impact of the coin on the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation highlights the importance and commitment to pro bono work at McGuireWoods Consulting.
“I think the value in our pro bono program is it shows that we’re willing to invest in giving back,” assistant vice president Tyler McNeill said. “I have a friend whose dad is a Marine, and when I told him about this project, his eyes just lit up. That showed him that McGuireWoods Consulting doesn’t look at pro bono work as a check mark. It’s a real investment into projects that really give back and impact communities.”
Cox and McNeill credit the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for being action oriented throughout the process. The consultants and Lukeman went door to door on Capitol Hill and gained significant support this way.
“The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation fully trusted McGuireWoods, our expertise and our relationships to get this done,” Cox said.
Lukeman hopes the project sends a message of respect and appreciation to past and present Marines.
“Marines care deeply about where the Marine Corps has been, where it’s going and what it means to be a Marine,” said Lukeman. “So, for Americans to be able to commemorate the 250th anniversary is very special.”
The project has added meaning for Cox, as it is in memory of his grandfather, Cox’s personal hero who was a former Marine.
“He was a bedrock of his community,” Cox said. “He was a great father, a great grandfather and he always credited it to the United States Marine Corps for giving him that sense of purpose, drive and rules for life.”
The project is a testament to the firm’s values, according to senior vice president and director of the federal affairs team Ryan Bernstein.
“Clayton and Tyler’s work really exemplifies what McGuireWoods Consulting is about collaboration, getting results and delivering for our clients,” Bernstein said. “They did an excellent job working for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and highlighting the work that they do not only for our clients, but for the community at large.”
