O’Toole Receives 2022 Koch Criminal Justice Pro Bono Award

Koch Industries has named Brendan D. O’Toole, a partner in Williams Mullen’s Litigation Section, as the recipient of its 2022 Criminal Justice Pro Bono Award. The award was presented by Richard Dinkel, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Koch Industries, at the second annual Koch Pro Bono Awards event on November 7. The ceremony honored individuals and organizations that have partnered with Koch to help remove barriers, restore lives, provide second chances and strengthen communities.  

Brendan was recognized for his efforts in securing a conditional pardon for Sincere Allah, a then-41-year-old African American man, who had served 23 years of an excessive and unfair 45-year prison sentence in a questionably handled case. 

At Koch’s invitation, Brendan and others partnered with the Virginia Redemption Project to provide pro bono assistance on compassionate release cases for incarcerated individuals at higher risk for becoming ill or dying from COVID-19. Through the tireless work put forth by Brendan and members of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Gov. Ralph S. Northam granted a Conditional Pardon to Mr. Allah on January 12, 2022.

“I am very thankful to our colleagues at Koch who introduced me to this life-changing opportunity and to Williams Mullen for providing me with the support needed to focus on this case,” stated Brendan. “Helping Mr. Allah secure his well-deserved second chance at freedom and begin a new chapter was truly the greatest reward of all.”