Firm Honored for Work Combatting Human Trafficking

   
The firm was honored to receive the Pro Bono Service Award from Asian Americans Advancing Justice—Los Angeles (AAAJ—LA). This organization works to create a more equitable and harmonious society, and advocates for civil rights, provides legal services and education, and builds coalitions to help Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Lawyers and professional staff in our Los Angeles office collaborated with AAAJ—LA to secure justice for 11 Filipino workers who were victimized by human trafficking. These individuals were brought to the United States to serve as kitchen staff in a high-end Beverly Hills bakery and as domestic help, and were subsequently subject to verbal abuse, cruel conditions, and extremely low wages. In June 2016, a judge awarded our clients full damages as well as special immigration status, enabling them to stay in the United States.   

“I was very honored to accept this award on behalf of the firm and my Latham colleagues who devoted their time and talents to this important case,” said Los Angeles partner Dominic Yoong. “I’m proud of the strong relationship and collaboration between AAAJ—LA and Latham, including on this case. Our clients were able to achieve some measure of justice, and the judgment sends a strong message that human trafficking will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and will never be tolerated in our community.”