Lawyers Alliance for New York proudly announces that a leading corporation and a leading law firm – Bloomberg L.P. and O’Melveny & Myers LLP – are recipients of the 2018 Cornerstone Awards. These awards, the highest business law pro bono honor in New York, recognize outstanding pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations that are improving quality of life for low-income New Yorkers. Lawyers Alliance will present this year’s awards at a ceremony on November 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Viacom, 1515 Broadway in New York City.
The Cornerstone Award winners also include 12 outstanding individuals selected from more than 1,900 business and transactional lawyers who volunteered through Lawyers Alliance during the past year.
“Lawyers Alliance is pleased to celebrate the generous attorneys who have donated their time and expertise to help nonprofits thrive. This year’s winners inspire their colleagues and clients with their dedication,” said Peter M. Labonski, Chair of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Alliance.
This year’s Institutional Cornerstone awardees are:
Bloomberg L.P.: Bloomberg L.P.’s commitment and actions set the highest standard for pro bono excellence. At Bloomberg, philanthropy and service have always been an integral part of the company’s culture. The legal team has displayed a dedication to pro bono, and enthusiasm, responsiveness, and willingness to go above and beyond to help nonprofit organizations. More than 40 Bloomberg lawyers have provided pro bono assistance to more than 25 nonprofits on more than 30 different pro bono projects through Lawyers Alliance since 2016. These attorneys have donated their expertise in all three of Lawyers Alliance’s core pro bono project categories: in-depth legal representation, consultations during pro bono clinics, and training for nonprofit managers.
O’Melveny & Myers LLP: O’Melveny & Myers LLP is a standout in the legal sector because of its dedication to excellence, innovation, and civic responsibility. Its drive to lead is consistently evident in its pro bono program. More than 90 percent of the firm’s lawyers regularly participate in pro bono projects, donating more than 6 percent of the firm’s annual total hours to these efforts. O’Melveny has partnered with Lawyers Alliance for more than 25 years. This includes assistance to more than 25 clients on more than 30 legal matters since 2013, with 17 new matters since 2016. Lawyers Alliance is recognizing O’Melveny with its highest award because of the firm’s longstanding pro bono commitment, the significant complexity and volume of its transactional pro bono work, and the positive impact of this work on nonprofits improving the lives of New Yorkers.
“Lawyers Alliance is pleased to present these two remarkable organizations with Institutional Cornerstone Awards, our most significant pro bono honor, reflecting a substantial breadth, depth, quality, and impact of business and transactional law pro bono,” noted Sean Delany, Lawyers Alliance’s Executive Director.
This year’s Individual Cornerstone awardees are:
Grace Ang, UBS: For providing intellectual property pro bono legal assistance to four growing nonprofits serving vulnerable populations.
Roger A. Cohen, Goodwin Procter LLP: For making complex healthcare rules clearer for a dozen nonprofit providers over the past decade.
Chirag K. Dedania, Latham & Watkins LLP: For delivering responsive business and transactional legal assistance to multiple organizations, including three matters for an environmental health group.
Irah Donner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP: For helping eleven nonprofits protect their intellectual property or negotiate complex technology agreements.
Tara Ellis, Seyfarth Shaw LLP: For providing much-needed employment law advice, including employee handbooks and trainings, to eight community organizations in three years.
Salvatore Gogliormella and Matthew Dulak, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP: For collaborating to assist nonprofits in the development of safe housing for vulnerable women and families.
Fred T. Goldberg, Jr. and Nancy G. Rubin, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: For leading a team of colleagues counseling a nonprofit organization working to make college more financially accessible to all New York City students.
Richard Horowitz, Dechert LLP: For helping Brooklyn community organizations with contract, structuring, and real estate matters, including a multi-year project for community arts space.
Marc Kushner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP: For making pro bono service a priority throughout his career, volunteering with Lawyers Alliance for more than two decades to help improve nonprofit organizations’ governance.
Ari J. Markenson, Winston & Strawn LLP: For sharing his expertise and time to guide community-based providers through complicated healthcare regulatory changes.