Hill Ward Henderson has a long history of giving back to the community. Benjamin H. Hill, III, one of the firm's founders, often tells young lawyers, "Practicing law is a privilege, not a right. As such, we as lawyers have an obligation to give back to our community." This philosophy is so pervasive that it has become integral to firm culture. In fact, giving back to the community is one of the firm's stated requirements for election to shareholder.
The firm's philosophy regarding community involvement is global in nature. We encourage our lawyers to become involved in whatever impassions them, whether professional, civic, charitable or religious in affiliation. As a result, our lawyers are involved in a wide variety of organizations at all levels. The firm supports the endeavors of its attorneys through donations, pro bono work and participation at relevant events. It is this consistent, cohesive effort to improve the Tampa community that has, over the years, created a culture of "giving back."
Supporting Local Organizations
The firm's culture of service extends to numerous charitable, professional and civic organizations. Below is just a sampling of the many organizations to which our lawyers commit their time, skill and resources:
Organizations We Support
| All Children's Hospital | Hillsborough County Bar Association |
| American Bar Association | Hillsborough Education Foundation |
| American Board of Trial Advocates | Junior League of Tampa |
| American Cancer Society | Leadership Tampa and Leadership Pinellas |
| American Heart Association | Little League |
| American Red Cross | Moffitt Cancer Center |
| Bay Area Legal Services | Museum of Science and Industry |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | The Salvation Army |
| Child Abuse Council | Special Olympics Florida |
| Children's Dream Fund | The Spring of Tampa Bay |
| The Chiselers | Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts |
| Defense Research Institute | Tampa Bay History Center |
| Florida Aquarium | Tampa Downtown Partnership |
| The Florida Bar | Tampa Housing Authority |
| Florida Directors Institute | Tampa Marine Institute |
| George Edgecomb Bar Association | United Way of Tampa Bay |
| Guardian Ad Litem | University of Tampa |
| Hillsborough Achievement and Resource Center | Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla |
HWH Scholarship Program
In 2006, Hill Ward Henderson marked its 20th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, we did not honor the institution but rather its core - the people who make it up and the community that has supported it. A few short months after proposing the idea, our firm had endowed a $100,000 scholarship fund, primarily through attorney, staff and client giving. This fund continues to grow significantly through annual private and firm contributions.
The Hill Ward Henderson Scholarship honors need-based high school seniors with an accomplished academic record, strong character and demonstrated commitment to the community.
We are proud of the wonderful young recipients of these awards:
- 2020 – Jenna Melendez, University of West Florida
- 2019 – Gabrielle Dituri, University of Florida
- 2018 – Martie Mahon, University of Florida
- 2017 – Sharon Rivas, California Institute of Technology
- 2016 – Chaelle Garcon, University of Central Florida
- 2015 – LaNae Fluellen, George Washington University
- 2014 – Sarah Cimino, University of Florida
- 2013 – Brandon Jones, University of Florida
- 2012 – Molly Harry, University of Florida
- 2011 – Kristina Bogos, New York University
- 2010 – Taylor Phaneuf, University of Florida
- 2010 – Anisha Kesarwani, Florida Pre-Paid Tuition
- 2009 – Steven W. Haigler, University of Florida
- 2009 – Jocelyn Macho, University of Florida
- 2008 – Erin McDonald, University of Florida
- 2007 – Ashley Herron, Florida State University
- 2006 – Courtney Williams, Florida State University
With this scholarship, our firm has had the privilege to positively impact the lives of deserving young men and women and encourage their continued growth and success.
HWH Scholarship Endowment at Stetson University College of Law
In 2017, Stetson Law alumni at Hill Ward Henderson started an endowment with the goal of a $25,000 scholarship fund. Our Stetson Law alumni want to provide financial relief to a current law student. It is our hope that each year a scholarship is awarded to a 2L student who exemplifies a commitment to his/her legal studies and community service. The first scholarship was awarded in 2020.
2020-2021 Recipient – Xavier Pereda
2021-2022 Recipient – Veittoria Statuto
Read to Dream
There is a dedicated group of Hill Ward Henderson volunteers that for the last three and a half years have been actively supporting The John Germany Young Readers Initiative "Read to Dream".
A special thank you to Anisha Patel, Evan Dix, Gordon Hill, Janda Owen, Logan Murphy, Ryan McConnell, Jim Robbins, and Kip Marshall.
These volunteers have been committed to regularly traveling to West Tampa Elementary and Edison Elementary Schools to read to and with children in Second through Fourth Grades. Our Hill Ward Henderson team is part of a broader group of volunteers from other law firms and bar association groups which have provided readers to six different schools over the last few years.
Even though the program's main goal is to develop each child's reading comprehension, our interaction with the children has elevated their confidence to read out loud to others and to answer questions relating to the stories. Also, the program encourages the children to read on their own at home by providing books to them in a weekly book give away. The schools participating in the Read to Dream program are elated that their children's standardized reading scores have shown substantial improvement.
To learn more about the program, click this link to read the most recent Read to Dream newsletter.