International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that the Firm’s long-time partner (currently Of Counsel) Thomas W. Tinkham has received a 2015 Hennepin County Bar Association Professionalism Award. HCBA Professionalism awards are presented to “members of the bench and bar who best exemplify the pursuit of the practice of law as a profession, including a spirit of public service and promotion of the highest possible level of competence, integrity and ethical conduct.” The awards are presented by the HCBA’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee in the belief that “professionalism fosters respect and trust between lawyers, the judiciary and the public, serves the best interest of clients, promotes the efficient resolution of disputes and improves the administration of justice.”

For over forty years, Mr. Tinkham has been a highly respected trial lawyer with a wide-ranging litigation practice of national scope, representing many of the finest companies and institutions headquartered in Minnesota. As a Dorsey partner, he also served in a variety of leadership roles at the Firm, including 15 years of service on the Firm’s Management Committee, chairing the Firm’s Commercial Litigation practice group and acting as head of the Firm’s Minneapolis office. He has been recognized for the excellence of his work as a trial lawyer by Chambers & Partners and by Best Lawyers in America.

Throughout his career, Mr. Tinkham has also been committed to service to the profession and to the community. He has attended clinics to provide pro bono advice to clients who would otherwise to unable to afford counsel for over 40 years. He has served on the board of the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) for 36 years. Among the many recognitions he has received for his pro bono work, he has been awarded the VLN Pro Bono Distinguished Service Award, the VLN Distinguished Leadership in Justice Award and the Dorsey & Whitney Lifetime Pro Bono Award. He was also a founder and original board member of The Advocates for Human Rights, a volunteer organization committed to implementing, through research, education and advocacy, international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law.

Mr. Tinkham has served as president of the Minnesota State Bar Association, president of the Hennepin County Bar Association, chair of The Fund for Legal Aid, member of the board of the National Lawyers Committee, founder and current chair of the Hennepin County Pro Bono Project, member of the board of Call for Justice and member of the Minnesota State Bar Association Civil Gideon Committee. He also previously served on the board of Minnesota Public Television.

He has been a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars over his entire career and has taught at both the University of Minnesota Law School and William Mitchell College of Law. He continues to speak regularly at Dorsey & Whitney professional development and training programs.

“I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this Professionalism Award than Tom Tinkham,” noted Dorsey Managing Partner Ken Cutler. “He has always set the highest standards in his practice, in his ethics, in his professionalism and in his career-long commitment to giving back to the profession and the community through pro bono and other service.”