As coordinator of Morrison & Foerster’s participation in the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program, Michael Vella recruits lawyers to join the organization, makes sure a lawyer from the firm is at each meeting and participates himself — all in addition to his regular job.

“Morrison & Foerster is remarkable in its promotion of a pro bono culture,” says Vella. “When we started the San Diego office four years ago, it was very important to the firm as a whole to embody the pro bono culture and they encouraged our office to take it to heart.”

At Morrison & Foerster, Vella is part of the litigation group, specializing in intellectual property disputes and patent litigation. He also does pro bono work unassociated with the Volunteer Lawyers Program, where he normally supervises about three to four cases at a time.

Most recently he was involved with the NAACP representing a defendant in the Tulia, Texas, case. He also has participated in San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program’s HIV/AIDS Law Clinic.

“I’m pretty busy, just like any other lawyer in my field,” he says. Currently he is working on several large patent cases for Morrison & Foerster involving semiconductor technology and biotechnology. He has two new pro bono cases, which haven’t been filed yet, and he represents the Child Care Law Center, a nonprofit dedicated to helping childcare providers.

Upon learning that he was to be a 40 Under Forty honoree, the 39-year-old says, “I was flattered and surprised. I just made it under the wire.”

On weekends, he spends time with his wife, Polly, and their two daughters. “I try to participate in my children’s life as much as I can,” says Vella. “During the week I’m devoted to work, but on the weekends I try to just be a dad.”

— Erin H. Korntved