At the Koch Pro Bono Awards Dinner, we celebrated the attorneys, employees and partners who helped make 2025 another great year for our Pro Bono Initiative. More than free legal assistance, these efforts connect our capabilities to real community needs and break down barriers to opportunity.
Members of Koch leadership, attorneys, employees and partner firms gathered at the Koch Pro Bono Awards Dinner on January 28 to celebrate the volunteers whose efforts removed barriers to opportunity for others in 2025.
It’s work that Koch General Counsel Ray Geoffroy noted connects Koch’s unique capabilities directly to community needs, creating “immeasurable value that improves everyday life for individuals and families."
The details: This past year, the Koch Pro Bono Initiative made an impact across the country, helping hundreds of individuals restore their driver’s licenses, expunging or sealing more than 125 criminal records and assisting veterans with discharge upgrades to regain the benefits they earned through service.
The dinner also recognized three honorees that exemplified the PBI’s stewardship vision in 2025:
- Bryan Bye received the Pro Bono Service Award for his relentless dedication to community needs. In 2025 alone, Bryan participated in or led six different pro bono events, including critical driver’s license and expungement clinics.
“Bryan’s leadership and participation in these efforts in Wichita was in direct response to community-identified needs, ensuring that support is meaningful and effective,” said Koch Vice President of Human Resources Cara Chennault-Reid. “He embodies stewardship in practice, inspiring others and fostering a culture of service and engagement within Koch.”
- Flint Hills Resources (FHR) Corpus Christi was named Site Partner of the Year for its collaboration with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid to host a driver’s license restoration clinic that leveraged FHR’s deep community connections and served 40 people.
“Pro bono uses our legal resources, and many non-attorney professionals, to transform lives and remove roadblocks that inhibit human progress,” said Koch Executive Vice President (and former FHR President) Jeff Ramsey. “The highlight for our volunteers was witnessing the gratitude of the people who were served at the clinic.”
- Jones Day was honored as Koch’s Pro Bono Partner of the Year for its exceptional support of Stand Together Catalysts, including Café Momentum and Start Anew clinics.
“Charles Koch has said, ‘We succeed by helping others succeed’ … that principle is true for our companies, our pro bono initiative and our panel firms” said Koch President and COO Jim Hannan. “Jones Day has been generous with their time and shared their expertise, exceeding expectations as a preferred partner.”
The bottom line: The Koch Pro Bono Initiative reflects Koch’s Stewardship Framework in action. A network of Koch employees, sites and partner firms leveraged their collective capabilities to make a difference in people's lives, to overcome obstacles and empower them to improve their lives.
