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Firm Asserted Domestic Partnerships Were Constitutionally Inferior Due to Privacy Issues
May 15, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) - Proskauer Rose LLP, an international law firm with more than 750 lawyers worldwide, is proud to announce its representation of the Anti-Defamation League and 11 Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) centers across California in their successful challenge to the state's gay marriage ban, which was overturned today by the California Supreme Court.
"This is a great and historic day for California," said Clifford S. Davidson of Proskauer Rose, who served as the firm's lead lawyer in its pro bono representation of the Anti-Defamation League and LGBT centers as amici curiae. "We agree fully with the court that domestic partnerships are not an adequate substitute for marriage. The striking down of this ban was the only way same-sex couples could receive the full right to privacy, guaranteed by the California Constitution, that was denied them as domestic partners."
In the amicus brief Proskauer filed with the California Supreme Court (which can be viewed at http://www.adl.org/civil_rights/ab/Brief%20of%20amici%20curiae.pdf), the firm asserted that the dual system of recognizing marriages and domestic partnerships unconstitutionally required members of same-sex couples to publicly disclose their sexual orientation in innumerable situations in which sexual orientation and the sex of one's partner are irrelevant, such as completing government applications and documents, requests for public benefits, providing of payroll information to employers, seeking of loans, and juror questionnaires, to name just a few.
In addition to Mr. Davidson, the Proskauer team involved in the case included Scott P. Cooper, Bert H. Deixler, Gil N. Peles, Lary Alan Rappaport, and Lois D. Thompson. The firm represented the Anti-Defamation League, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, San Diego LGBT Community Center, San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Billy DeFrank Center, The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach, Desert Pride Center, Lighthouse Community Pride Center, The Pacific Center, and Stanislaus Pride Center.
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, Hong Kong, 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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