Dilworth Paxson Attorney Ralph Wellington Recognized for Exceptional Service to the Arts Community

Dilworth Paxson LLP is pleased to announce that Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA) has honored Of Counsel Ralph Wellington with the 2024 PVLA Award for Exceptional Service.

This award recognizes lawyers who are committed to supporting low-income artists and small arts organizations through volunteer legal services. Wellington received the award during PVLA’s annual benefit celebration The Arts Affair 2024, which took place on June 5th at the University of the Arts’ Hamilton Hall.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from an organization that does such important work to support the local arts community,” said Wellington. “Artists contribute incredible value to this region, and I am proud to have been able to utilize my knowledge and skill to help them thrive. I am grateful to PVLA for this award and for the opportunity to be of service.”

Wellington serves as an attorney in Dilworth Paxson’s Legal Department. His practice has included significant matters throughout the United States in class actions, aviation and railroad law, business and corporate disputes, art law, and trusts and estates. He was lead counsel for the Barnes Foundation in its successful, multi-year effort to amend the original indenture and obtain court permission to create a new art education center in downtown Philadelphia.

Wellington’s dedication to the arts extends beyond his legal support; he has served on PVLA’s board over three decades, including a term as Board President (1999-2001). A talented jazz musician, he exemplifies his commitment to supporting the arts both inside and outside the courtroom.

For more than 45 years, PVLA has worked to empower low-income artists and small arts organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region by offering free legal aid, resources, and education thanks to a dedicated network of volunteer lawyers and law firms.

PVLA is the only legal aid organization in the region dedicated to the creative sector. On average, PVLA receives around 300 service requests annually and manages over 100 active cases at any given time. Volunteer lawyers working with PVLA provide over $1 million worth of legal services per year and have served thousands of artists and hundreds of organizations over its storied history.