Brown Rudnick LLP One Financial Center Boston, MA Phone: (617)

Transcription

1 One Financial Center Boston, MA Phone: (617) locations Boston, MA Hartford, CT Irvine, CA New York, NY Providence, RI Washington, DC Dublin London Paris MAJOR DEPARTMENTS & PRACTICES Bankruptcy/Creditors Rights Clean Technology/Renewable Energy Corporate Distressed Debt Energy Environmental Finance Government Contracts Government Law & Strategies Healthcare/Lifesciences Intellectual Property International Arbitration Labor and Employment Litigation Real Estate Tax Technology White Collar Defense & Government Investigations THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 239 No. of Offices: 9 Chief Executive Officer: Joseph F. Ryan Hiring Partner(s): Franca L. DeRosa Michael R. Dolan Jeffrey Jonas tuvi Keinan EMPLOYMENT CONTACT Lindsey Baumgardner Director of Professional Recruitment Phone: (617) lbaumgardner@brownrudnick.com Careers website: 59

2 Who s Who Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or partners? If so, how many? 1 Please provide a general description of how much of their time each of your pro bono coordinators and/or partners spends on pro bono work and/or administering the firm s pro bono program (e.g., less than half of their time, more than half of their time, all of their time). More than half of his time. Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s) s information below. Albert W. Wallis Executive Director Phone: (617) awallis@brownrudnick.com Kellie Cahill Center for the Public Interest Coordinator Phone: (617) Does the firm have a pro bono committee? How often does the committee meet? Monthly Please describe the composition of the committee. The composition of the committee is frequently reevaluated to be sure that it is responsive to the Firm s pro bono aspirations. In the past year, it has been chaired by the firm s Chief Administrative Partner and includes involvement of the Executive Director of the Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest. THE SCOOP Does your firm have a pro bono policy? Can associates bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm? How does the firm decide whether to take on a pro bono matter? Subject to consultation with the Pro Bono Committee, the Executive Director of Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest approves initiation of pro bono engagements. Has the firm signed on to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge? What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has performed pro bono legal work since 2012? Asylum, Bankruptcy, Civil rights, Community economic development, Consumer law and small claims court, Death penalty defense, Disability benefits, Education, Employment, Environment, Fair housing/tenants rights, First Amendment and constitutional issues, Homeless advocacy, Human Rights, Immigration, International human rights, Nonprofit corporate law, Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions, Nonprofit intellectual property, Public benefits, Real estate transactions, The arts and historic preservation, Veterans benefits/appeals, Voting rights Are there areas of law in which, as a matter of policy or practice, your firm does not perform pro bono work? None List up to 10 of your firm s pro bono clients or partners since 2012, including legal service providers or clearinghouses. KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) ADL (Anti-Defamation League) National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts New York Legal Services National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Boston Bar Association s Lawyers Clearinghouse Rosie s Place LawWorks (UK) List up to three representative examples of your firm s pro bono matters since Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. Complaint to the African Commission on Human and People s Rights: On behalf of the Center for American Progress, Inc. s Enough Project, we have filed and pursued a complaint against the Republic of Sudan in connection with its treatment of Sudanese Civilians in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile States of Sudan. Unemployment Benefit Appeal Project in Boston and NYC: The Firm is continuing this multi-year Impact Project representing individuals denied unemployment benefits. This project is screened and supported by Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association and Manhattan Legal Services. Chapter 7 Pro Bono Debtor Relief Project in Boston: The Firm is continuing this multi-year Impact Project which Vault.com Inc.

3 provides limited assistance to individuals seeking to file for personal bankruptcy. The initiative is screened and supported by Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association. List up to three pro bono matters that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. Protecting voting rights in Applewhite v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our legal team submitted an Amicus Brief to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a challenge to newly enacted voter ID laws. The brief proved particularly influential in the court s remand of the case, and subsequent issuance of a preliminary injunction prohibiting the law from taking effect until adequate measures are in place to ensure that eligible voters and those who want to register are not denied the opportunity to vote. Protecting the rights of artists. We were retained by the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts to file a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Amicus Brief in in re: Wynne Fine Art Inc. This case involves an artist who placed fine art work with a gallery to sell on consignment. The gallery has filed for bankruptcy and the question arises as to ownership of the artwork. The case, argued in Spring 2014, seeks interpretation of an ambiguous recent state Fine Arts Consignment statute in such circumstances. Challenging genocide in Sudan. On behalf of the Enough Project, we have pursued a claim in the African Commission seeking to halt the genocide occurring in the Sudan. Last year, the Commission accepted our complaint and ordered the government of Sudan to respond, potentially paving the way for a trial. BY THE NUMBERS What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your U.S. office(s) spent performing pro bono legal services, as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, in 2012 and 2013? Do not include summer associate or non-lawyer pro bono hours in your answers. Total number of pro bono hours in 2012: 8,512 Total number of pro bono hours in 2013: 6,207 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s U.S. offices? Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2012: 166 Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2013: 189 Using the number of attorneys listed above, what is the average number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm s U.S. office(s) during the following years? Average number of hours per attorney in 2012: 64 Average number of hours per attorney in 2013: 47 What percentage of attorneys employed during 2012 and 2013 in your firm s U.S. office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono during that calendar year? Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2012: 61 70% Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2013: 51 60% SUPERVISION AND EVALUATIONS Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters? Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates work on pro bono matters? Are those evaluations taken into account in determining salary or bonuses?, they are taken into account when determining bonuses. Are those evaluations taken into account in determining advancement within the firm? Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? No Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work? Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? What is the maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? Project budget for Impact Projects. Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? An associate s involvement in a pro bono matter is always premised on the involvement being developmentally appropriate for that attorney. Where appropriate, training related to specific Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. 61

4 pro bono engagements is done in-house by experts in the field. For example, prior to participating in the bi-annual legal clinics for the homeless, all participating attorneys are provided with a training session at the Firm conducted by one of more attorneys from the Boston Bar Association s Lawyers Clearinghouse. Similarly, before participation in the summer unemployment law program, half-day training is held at the Firm by attorneys from Greater Boston Legal Services or New York Legal Aid. Notices of external training opportunities are also frequently circulated and attorneys are encouraged to attend. Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters? Please indicate how many total hours and average hours per person your summer associates spent performing pro bono in 2012 and Total hours summer associates spent on pro bono work 2012: 2, : 1,475 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work 2012: : 59 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work 2012: 100% 2013: 100% Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates. The program for Summer Associates has traditionally provided involvement with all three public interest areas that are the focus of the Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest. Each Summer Associate has represented at least one client in an unemployment benefit appeal. Most have also participated in the Anti-Defamation League Summer Associate Research Project, as well as in one or more other ongoing pro bono client matters. All Summer Associates participate in at least one community service project. Recent projects have involved participating in maintenance work on Thompson Island in Boston in conjunction with Outward Bound; preparing and serving meals to homeless women and their children at our pro bono client, Rosie s Place in Boston. All Summer Associates are also involved in philanthropy through our Summer SAILS program in which the students research legal services programs and collectively make a decision directing Brown Rudnick to make a charitable donation to their selections. Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting? No What other law-related public interest and community service programs (that are not pro bono as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge) do you offer and manage? For example, list any law school collaborations and public interest scholarships, auctions at law schools, monetary support, or fellowships. The Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation was established in 2000 as a non-profit entity and has been supported generously by the Firm s past and present partners. The Foundation s mission is to improve inner-city education. The Foundation has awarded scores of grants to non-profit organizations in cities where the Firm has offices. Through the Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest, we have often been able to provide pro bono legal assistance or volunteer support for these grant initiatives, as well. The Foundation has two principal grant programs, both focused on improving inner-city education for the communities where the Firm has offices. The Foundation s Relationship Grants are awarded annually based upon the many proposals received in response to the Foundation s request for proposal (RFP). These grants seek to create a relationship with a non-profit grant recipient organization which ideally includes a financial contribution, pro bono legal involvement and volunteer opportunities. The Foundation s Community Grants are smaller grants, capped at $2,000, designed to address a one-time, tangible, immediate need. Proposals are accepted each month from those on the front lines of education the kind of need that those with funding authority don t appreciate or don t have the resources to make a priority. What non-law related volunteer opportunities does your firm offer? For example, list any work with high school students and non-legal volunteerism for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Through the Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest, Brown Rudnick encourages and coordinates involvement in the communities where the law firm is located. This involvement takes many forms. Brown Rudnick works to provide access to justice by providing thousands of hours of pro bono legal representation in these communities. The Firm also provides substantial financial support to legal services programs and Bar Association foundations and programs. Volunteerism is also encouraged. Through the Center, volunteers are connected to non-profit organizations receiving Relationship Grants from the Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation, as well as with other worthy causes. Volunteer opportunities are coordinated both at the Firm and externally. Finally, Brown Rudnick attorneys and staff serve on many non-profit and community boards and they are active in Bar Associations and civic activities Vault.com Inc.

5 Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won since 2012 for its pro bono work. MBA Award. The Massachusetts Bar Association presented the Firm with its 2013 Access to Justice Award for outstanding pro bono legal services. Bankruptcy Court Award. Brown Rudnick Partner Steve Pohl was presented with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern Division First Pro Bono Recognition Award for his work on the Debtor Relief (c. 7 bankruptcy) project. Eight other Brown Rudnick attorneys received certificates of recognition from the court for their pro bono work. The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of MA are awarding their 2014 Fraser Pro Bono Award to Brown Rudnick attorneys Steven Levine and Nicholas Dunn for their work on an amicus brief to the state s highest court seeking an interpretation of the state s art consignment law to prevent artists losing their art work when an art gallery holding that work goes into bankruptcy. LawDragon magazine has recognized Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest Executive Director Al Wallis as one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America in Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. 63