Arnold & Porter partner Darren Skinner was honored with the Pinnacle Award from the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) during the AFUWI's 27th Annual Gala. This year's gala, which was presented under the theme, "The Legacy Continues," aimed to build upon the AFUWI's history of transformational leadership, contribution to regional development, and commitment to economic and social advancement. The gala is a significant funding source for the AFUWI's tuition scholarship program, which provides Caribbean students facing dire economic circumstances with the opportunity to pursue higher education.
Skinner was recognized for his "unparalleled professional success" in law, as well as for operating with the "highest degree of integrity, ethics, and competence" and being "actively engaged in serving community and charitable causes." The gala's other honorees included the President of Guyana.
Skinner, who focuses his practice on corporate and securities matters, has represented private and sovereign clients in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia in connection with a variety of capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and business structuring and formation transactions. He maintains a robust pro bono practice assisting individuals and small businesses, including through the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center's Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic, the Startup Legal Clinic, and Nonprofit Policies Clinic.