HARTFORD – Morris Banks of West Hartford is the recipient of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Banks, an attorney with Pullman & Comley, was honored at the Tribune’s annual awards ceremony held earlier this month.

Known throughout the Greater Hartford community as “Moe,” Banks has been practicing law for more than 50 years. He began his career at a two-man firm, then moved on to Sorokin, Gross & Hyde, P.C. where he became a partner. He joined Pullman & Comley LLC in 2001. For more than 35 years, he has lectured on the topic of business planning at the University of Connecticut School of Law.

In announcing the award, the Tribune cited Banks for being “at the forefront of mergers and acquisition activities, raising money through venture capital financings and providing tax advice to his clients.

“Mr. Banks helps his clients plan for their successes, weathers the inevitable downturns, and assists his clients in planning for how to sell their businesses or transfer them to the next generation. Through it all, he finds time to assist junior attorneys, educate the next generation, and give back to the community, particularly the arts community,” the newspaper noted in a press release.

Andy Glassman, who chairs Pullman & Comley’s Business and Finance Department, recalls Bank’s attitudes towards coaching the next generation of attorneys.

“Moe brought me along in the mergers and acquisition practice, challenging me to think creatively. He was always gracious in allowing me the latitude to think broadly and outside of the box,” said Glassman.

The lessons didn’t stop with just the acquisition of business knowledge, but also the legal profession, noted Glassman.

“Moe gave me the confidence to understand that while the law is an intensive, intellectual profession, it is also one where the art of the practice should be highly valued. He also, by example, taught me that the best practitioners are those that remain humble and recognize that we are all constantly students of the law and need to respect the traps and pitfalls for the unwary.”

Long active in the community, Banks has held leadership positions in several arts organizations. He is a past president of the Greater Hartford Arts Council, where he continues to serve on the Board of Directors; is actively involved with the Hartford Symphony, serving on its Community Engagement Committee; and serves on the Campaign Cabinet for the Charter Oak Cultural Center. He previously served as president and chairman of the Connecticut Opera Association.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, he received his LL.M. from Columbia University, and earned an LL.M. in taxation from the New York University Graduate School of Law. He has been selected as a Connecticut Super Lawyer since 2011 in the area of mergers and acquisitions.