SWMW Law, one of the top plaintiffs law firms in the country focusing on representing victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, as well as individuals harmed by drugs, medical devices, environmental and toxic exposures, and consumer fraud, is proud to announce that Missouri Lawyers Weekly has named Christopher Eichhorn, the firm’s Chief Technology Officer, as one of its Unsung Legal Heroes for 2023.
“Chris has been an integral part of the foundation that has allowed our firm to be successful,” said Member Ben Schmickle. “His never-ending list of duties has continued to evolve as the firm has grown, and with each new responsibility added to his plate, not only has he handled it with ease, he has done it without complaint. He is knowledgeable, thorough, and proactive – everything you not only want, but need, in an IT leader. His dedication to our firm, unwavering work ethic, and vast knowledge make him more than deserving of this honor, and we are proud to have him on our team.”
The Unsung Legal Heroes award honors law firm employees who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, often behind the scenes. This year’s Unsung Legal Heroes recipients were featured in a special section of Missouri Lawyers Weekly published this week.
Eichhorn joined the firm full-time in 2020 as its only IT employee and just one month before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within one month of being hired, he developed all the necessary tools, programs, and plans for the firm and its employees to work from home. He made himself available to the firm’s attorneys and employees 24 hours a day during the pandemic to ensure the firm could continue to seamlessly serve its clients, even making house calls to troubleshoot IT issues that arose during this time.
After successfully navigating the pandemic, Eichhorn continued to go above and beyond for the firm and its employees. He has completed major overhauls to the firm’s email and phone systems, antivirus and security protocols, servers and databases, and more. He regularly works evenings and weekends to make sure any updates that require taking programs and servers offline don’t interfere with the firm’s work that must be completed during the week. Additionally, he is solely in charge of all the technology needs for each new hire – ordering computers and printers, setting up email addresses and phone lines, and answering any questions they may have. He is also in charge of handling any IT support tickets from attorneys and staff that the must troubleshoot and solve.
Outside of his work with the firm, Eichhorn prepares taxes for low-income St. Louisans and is the creator of Drives for Cans – a nonprofit he started at 18-years-old that collects canned good to feed the unhoused community in St. Louis. He also financially supports efforts in Ukraine to provide shelter and food for its residents-in-need. He resides in St. Louis with his wife and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Statistics.
To learn more about Eichhorn and the other recipients of this year’s Unsung Legal Heroes award, visit the Missouri Lawyers Weekly special report here.