Firm Legal Clinic Benefits Vital NYC Nonprofits
Volunteers from Latham & Watkins partnered with Credit Suisse and Lawyers Alliance for New York to staff a pro bono legal clinic, with a focus on advising nonprofits serving neighborhoods and communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Teams of lawyers reviewed governance documents and financial disclosures to determine whether they complied with relevant laws and reflected each organization’s vital mission. At the conclusion of each consultation, the team provided the client with a thorough written assessment and recommendations.
Several teams expect to continue working with their clinic clients to draft new policies and help implement the recommendations.
These organizations like so many other nonprofits make a genuine difference in the lives of New Yorkers every single day,” said Peter Labonski, the New York partner who led the Latham team. “Through the legal clinic, we were able to have an immediate, actionable impact that allowed them to continue their mission-critical work. We feel very fortunate to be able to give back in this way.”
They were fantastic and thoughtful. [The lawyers] walked us through everything and allowed us to go over the time as we were running long,” said one attendee from Workforce Professionals Training Institute.
Participating nonprofits included:
- Camelot of Staten Island, which provides comprehensive medical, social, and educational services to youth and adults in all five boroughs whose lives have been affected by substance use disorders
- Green City Force, which nurtures the professional and social development of young people living in NYCHA developments
- New York Justice for Our Neighbors, which advises immigrants in New York City and Long Island on civil rights and immigration policies
- Octavia Project, which works with marginalized youth, particularly from LGBTQ+, low-income, and immigrant communities
- Solar One, which promotes sustainability and resiliency, including bringing urban horticulture to public schools and training individuals for careers in the emerging green economy
- Sunnyside Community Services, which provides a wide range of social services for children and adults in Queens
- Workforce Professionals Training Institute, which develops training and educational programs that offer pathways out of poverty through employment
- YAMA, which ensures the social and political safety of Yemeni-Americans through education and advocacy, and promotes civic engagement
Participating Latham lawyers included partners Jason Ewart, Nicole Fanjul, Melissa Alwang, and Michèle Penzer, and associates Fizza Hasan, Arthur Lo, Brian Rosen, Misha Ross, Natalie Pita, Nacif Taousse, Tim Wilt, Aaron Robinow, and Anzhelika Ishkhanyan. Participating lawyers from Credit Suisse included Crystal Lalime, Alexander Barnard, Roger Machlis, Alexander Marmar, Dana Hefter, Jonathan Agudelo, Jurgen Spihlmann, and Matthew Chin.