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Wayne Kessler
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Palo Alto, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2022) – The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has inducted Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati partner Constandinos (Deno) Himonas into the organization’s Warren E. Burger Society. The society is designed to honor individuals who have used their time, talent, and support to advance the organization in exceptional ways.

The Warren E. Burger Society includes a select number of well-respected individuals who have dedicated their lives to justice, such as Nicholas Katzenbach, United States Attorney General under Lyndon B. Johnson; David Boies, American lawyer and chair of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP; Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals; and Theodore Olson, United States Solicitor General under President George W. Bush.

“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Warren E. Burger Society,” Himonas said. “The push to make the law more accessible and affordable for all has not been easy, but it has been worth it to provide new legal options for consumers—especially the most marginalized in our society. The recognition from an organization like the National Center for State Courts is humbling and personally rewarding. I hope the work that we have accomplished continues to have a lasting effect.”

Himonas joined Wilson Sonsini in 2022, helping the firm launch its Salt Lake City office. He focuses on complex governance and regulatory issues, as well as appellate matters. Additionally, Himonas is involved in important pro bono matters involving access to justice and individual rights. For example, he recently helped secure an order in Utah that halted a law barring transgender girls from playing girls’ sports. Himonas is one of several high-profile attorneys to join Wilson Sonsini’s litigation department since 2021.

“Deno is most certainly deserving of induction into this esteemed organization that recognizes excellence at the highest levels within the legal community,” said Douglas Clark, managing partner of Wilson Sonsini. “We are proud to have him as part of the firm.”

Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Himonas served for seven years on the Utah Supreme Court, where he participated in hundreds of appeals that spanned nearly all areas of the law. Before his appointment to Utah’s highest court, Himonas served as a trial court judge in Utah for nearly 11 years. In that capacity, he tried well over 100 cases and presided over thousands of matters.

While on the Utah Supreme Court, Himonas championed the creation of the first legal regulatory sandbox, which has been used as a model for other states and countries. The sandbox loosened regulations allowing entities other than lawyers to provide legal services, providing opportunities for lower-income individuals in particular to obtain legal help.

“As a member of the Utah Supreme Court, Deno Himonas proved himself to be a brilliant jurist, but his contribution did not end with deciding cases,” said Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant. “He also worked tirelessly to promote access to justice. And he continues to do so with a passion that is unmatched. He is an extraordinary leader who is deeply and unwaveringly committed to finding new and innovative ways to make more legal services available to more people.”

Himonas has been recognized previously by many institutions, having received the Judicial Excellence Award from the Utah State Bar and the Rebuilding Justice Award from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, among others. He was also labeled as a "Legal Rebel" by the American Bar Association.

Himonas serves as an Innovator-in-Residence at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. He earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the University of Utah.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini’s services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has 19 offices in technology and business hubs worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

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