June 22, 2016 (NEW YORK) – We joined Bloomberg L.P. at its New York headquarters to participate in a CLE training in which both the Proskauer team and Bloomberg’s in-house counsel team learned how to navigate the Department of Veterans Affairs claims process. The event was led by the City Bar Justice Center’s director of pro bono initiatives, Carol Bockner, and its Veterans Assistance Project (VAP) director, Kent Eiler. David Levine, Bloomberg general counsel, Valerie Borden Farkas, Bloomberg pro bono chair, and Bill Silverman, Proskauer pro bono partner, were also in attendance.
Two days later, our teams put their training to use at a two-hour City Bar clinic in which they were matched with veterans to assist in obtaining enhanced disability benefits. Our teams interviewed the veterans to develop facts in support of their cases and filed the required paperwork to begin the claim or appeal process. In one case, a Bloomberg lawyer and a Proskauer lawyer partnered to help a veteran facing particularly challenging issues including military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries and chronic disabilities related to exposure to toxic chemicals.
Since its inception in 2007, the City Bar’s VAP has provided legal assistance to more than 1,300 veterans, recovered approximately $5.3 million in retroactive benefits in addition to ongoing disability benefits, and leveraged over $2 million in free legal services for veterans. Active in the VAP since September 2015, Proskauer now has 35 people participating in the initiative.
Partner Kevin Hackett, a veteran who served as a U.S. Army captain and one of the volunteers, said, "We are honored to help those who have tirelessly served our country."