The Partnership supervises and supports the pro bono work of business lawyers in the tri-state area.  Its clients are nonprofit organizations working primarily in the areas of health and human services, community revitalization, and affordable housing.   Formed in late 1997, the Partnership has grown from one employee operating out of a borrowed office with no clients or volunteers to seven employees in two offices, with a network of nearly 500 volunteer attorneys serving more than 450 nonprofit organizations. 

Pictured are (L-R) Mo Segall; Nancy Rubini; Jennifer Chandler Hauge; Partnership Board Chair Robert Healing; Jessica Markowitz; Partnership Board President Catherine Woodman; Lois Bronz, Chairperson of the Westchester County Board of Legislators; Rick Hobish; and Partnership Board Members Shelly Wallace, John Liftin and William Ellis.

Board Chairman and Founder Robert Healing, Esq., Corporate Counsel for GE, addressed the audience, noting that “The Partnership was started with the idea that, given the proper support and opportunity to offer legal assistance in their areas of expertise, in-house attorneys can and would contribute valuable pro bono services.”  The evening’s festivities underscored the success of this approach.  Board President Catherine L. Woodman, Esq., retired General Counsel of RT Vanderbuilt Company also spoke and thanked the efforts of the Partnership’s staff and volunteer attorneys for its success in serving the needs of the nonprofit community.

Richard Hobish, Esq. Executive Director of the Partnership, along with Deputy Directors Jennifer Hauge, Esq. and Maurice Segall, Esq., presented the Partnership’s 2002 Volunteer of the Year Awards, which recognize the exemplary pro bono efforts of individuals, corporate law departments and law firms.  This year’s winners included Prudential Financial, Inc., Shipman & Goodwin LLC., Lee Braem of Quest Diagnostics, David Yawman of PepsiCo, Inc.,  and Alan Wolfert of IBM Corporation.

Senior Vice President and General Counsel, John Liftin heads the Legal Department of Prudential Financial, Inc., based in Newark, NJ.  “Prudential was instrumental in helping the Partnership expand into New Jersey three years ago,” noted Ms. Hauge, “and the entire Prudential Legal Department has been an exemplar of professionalism and commitment, involving many volunteer attorneys assisting with a wide range of matters for the Partnership’s clients.”  Thanks to the ongoing encouragement of Mr. Liftin (who is also a member of the Partnership’s Board of Directors), Ms. Hauge said that Prudential Financial boasts the most volunteers of any of the Partnership’s corporate participants in New Jersey. 

Shipman & Goodwin LLC is one of the largest firms in Connecticut, with 125 attorneys in four offices throughout the state.  Mr. Segall noted that the firm was being recognized for its outstanding legal assistance with two-dozen of the Partnership’s nonprofit clients on a variety of corporate, tax, real estate and employment law matters.  “Shipman & Goodwin has been a tremendous supporter of our program and our clients,” said Mr. Segall.  “The firm’s commitment to pro bono activity is apparent, and we are so fortunate to have the firm’s attorneys as a volunteer resource.”

Lee Braem is Corporate Counsel with Quest Diagnostics in Teterboro, NJ.  Lee has been involved with the Partnership from its earliest months in New Jersey, but this year he has taken on several pro bono matters – assisting a statewide community development organization with real estate issues, and most recently offering to advise a client on the implications of the federal privacy legislation known as “HIPPA.”  “Lee is the type of volunteer who will proactively call the Partnership to take on a new matter,” noted Ms. Hauge.  “He is caring, compassionate and comprehensive, and we can’t thank him enough for his outstanding efforts.”

David Yawman is Employment and Benefits Counsel with PepsiCo, Inc. in Purchase, NY.  David was honored not only for his tremendous pro bono legal work on behalf of several of the Partnership’s clients, but for his enthusiastic and ongoing support of the Partnership’s programs.  “David has been an invaluable resource to the Partnership, “ noted Mr. Segall, “helping to recruit other Pepsi attorneys as Partnership volunteers, presenting at a successful employment law seminar, and facilitating the in-kind donations of equipment and seminar space.”  David was also asked to join the Board of Directors of Family Information and Referral Service Teams (FIRST), a Partnership client assisted by David’s review of their personnel policies.

Pictured above  are the 2002 Volunteers of the Year: (L-R) Lee Braem of Quest Diagnostics; John Liftin, General Counsel of Prudential Financial; Alan Wolfert of IBM; David Yawman of PepsiCo; and Fred Forster, Robin Frederick and Piyush Sharma of Shipman & Goodwin.

Alan Wolfert, Real Estate Counsel for IBM Corporation in Armonk, NY is the Partnership’s third individual award recipient. Alan was recognized for his real estate work with several of the Partnership’s Westchester-based nonprofit clients.  “Alan is one of the Partnership’s earliest and longest-standing volunteers,” said Mr. Hobish.  “Real estate issues pose one of the biggest areas of need for the Partnership’s clients, and Alan has been there from the beginning to help on matters of crucial importance to our clients.”

A viewing of the video “Case Studies in Community” followed the awards ceremony.  The video, which was written and produced by Malcolm MacDougall of Salt Pond Productions, Inc., highlights the experiences of seven of the Partnership’s clients and the volunteers with whom they worked.  “The video was the perfect ending to a wonderful evening,” Mr. Hobish noted.  “An evening that served as a true testament to the unbounded dedication, enthusiasm, and generosity of the Partnership’s clients and volunteers and their ability to work together to affect positive changes in the quality of life for those in need.”