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Recognize Firm Lawyers for Exceptional Work in 2007
January 31, 2008 (New York, NY) - The Pro Bono Initiative Committee of Proskauer Rose LLP, an international law firm with more than 750 lawyers worldwide, is proud to announce it has named the recipients of its 2008 Pro Bono Golden Gavel Awards. This is the first year the Golden Gavels have been presented by the firm, recognizing lawyers and teams of lawyers who did exceptional pro bono work throughout 2007.
Over all, 13 lawyers and two teams comprising an additional 16 lawyers have been recognized as Golden Gavel Award recipients and will receive an engraved golden gavel and a $1,000 donation to a charity or pro bono legal service provider of their choice. In addition, 80 lawyers have been recognized as Golden Gavel Book Award recipients for completing at least 100 hours of pro bono service over the past year. They will receive an inscribed copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" from Scott Harshbarger, chairman of Proskauer's Pro Bono Initiative Committee.
"At any firm, there is a natural tension between the desire to serve those in need and the imperative to perform billable work," said Mr. Harshbarger. "What distinguishes Proskauer and the lawyers involved in our pro bono work is that we harness this tension to focus in ways that heighten our community impact, accelerate the experience of our lawyers, and accentuate the value our work injects into every matter with which we're entrusted."
The Proskauer Golden Gavel Award recipients are: Jurate Schwartz and Stephanie Reed Traband in the firm's Boca Raton office; Eben Krim and Amy Crafts in Boston; Clifford Davidson and Beverly Frank in Los Angeles; Yolanda Montgomery in New Orleans; Jonah Brown-Cozien, Margaret Dale, and Andrew Gerber in New York; Praveena Nallainathan in Newark; and John Ingrassia and Brendon Tavelli in Washington, D.C. In addition, two New York-based teams comprised of: Claire Gutekunst, Scott Landau, Elizabeth Figueira, Karen Clarke, Adam Katz, Stefanie Ramirez, Judith Shophet, Paula Miller, Erin Durba, and Elaine Chan-Lee; and Betsy Plevan, Steve Obus, Russell Hirschhorn, Brian Rauch, Lisa Feinstein, and Jackie Dorn were also recognized.
In 2007, Proskauer handled a wide range of pro bono cases including: the Iraqi Human Rights Project, an initiative to secure asylum for at-risk Iraqis who have worked for U.S. and coalition forces; representing defendants sentenced under New York's Rockefeller Drug Laws in an effort to reduce their sentences; the filing of a proposed class action against the Social Security Administration challenging its ability to suspend vital financial support to recipients based on unproven allegations; working with the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem in public defense matters; working with the Massachusetts ACLU to represent the interests of the public school system in a case involving parental notification of controversial lessons; and serving as co-counsel with the New York Legal Assistance Group in representing disabled New Yorkers in a class action against Adult Protective Services for failure to protect them from harm and provide adequate services, among many, many other important matters.
Proskauer's Pro Bono Initiative (PBI) Committee is comprised of lawyers of all levels in each of the firm's departments. Proskauer's enduring pro bono commitment has long provided legal services to the disadvantaged and the poor, a mission that expanded in scope and diversity with the formation of the PBI Committee in 2006, which is forging new partnerships and community volunteer activities, and lending momentum to the work the firm is doing for clients in the areas of urban justice, equal rights, asylum, health, and many others.
About Proskauer Rose
Proskauer Rose, founded in 1875, is an international law firm providing a wide variety of legal services to clients worldwide from offices in Boca Raton, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Paris, São Paulo, and Washington, D.C. The firm has wide experience in all areas of practice important to businesses and individuals including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, general commercial litigation, corporate governance matters, conducting internal corporate investigations, white collar criminal defense, private equity and fund formation, patent and intellectual property litigation and prosecution, labor and employment law, real estate transactions, bankruptcy and reorganizations, trusts and estates, and taxation. Its clients span industries including chemicals, entertainment, financial services, health care, information technology, insurance, internet, lodging and gaming, manufacturing, media and communications, pharmaceuticals, real estate investment, sports, and transportation. The firm can be found online at http://www.proskauer.com.
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