The Pro Bono Partnership Names Its 2001 Volunteers of the Year The Pro Bono Partnership recently announced its 2001 Volunteers of the Year Awards.  The Pro Bono Partnership is a nonprofit organization that coordinates, supervises and supports the pro bono work of corporate lawyers in the tri-state region.  The Partnership's volunteer lawyers provide non-litigation business legal services to nonprofit organizations working in disadvantaged neighborhoods.  Each year the Partnership recognizes the exemplary pro bono efforts of several award recipients. For 2001, the Partnership's individual Volunteer of the Year awards are being given to:  Joan Hayden of Prudential Financial, Toni Anne Nichels of Xerox, and Craig Pintoff of Crompton Corporation.  The Outstanding Corporate Volunteer award winner for 2001 is GE Capital.  "The Partnership is so impressed with the dedication and contribution of all its volunteers, but these particular volunteers, and GE Capital, were standouts during the past year," noted Catherine Woodman, President of the Pro Bono Partnership.  Ms. Woodman also noted that the number of volunteer attorneys and nonprofit organizations served by the Partnership has risen dramatically in the past year.  Since its inception in 1997, 400 in house and private attorneys have volunteered to provide pro bono legal services to more than 375 different nonprofit organizations on over 900 legal matters.  Two years ago the Partnership's service area was expanded beyond Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut, to include North-Central New Jersey. The expansion was at the request of several Fortune 500 companies, including Honeywell International, Johnson & Johnson, Prudential Financial and Schering-Plough Corporation. The Partnership's success is due in great part to its active and committed corps of hundreds of volunteers from many of the leading corporations and law firms in the tri-state area. Each of the 2001 Volunteer of the Year Award recipients embody the professionalism, dedication and commitment that our clients have learned to expect and appreciate from all of our volunteers," explains Richard Hobish, the Partnership's Executive Director.  "It's a win-win situation, as our nonprofit clients are benefiting from much needed pro bono legal advice of the highest quality from the Partnership's volunteers.  These lawyers, in turn, are personally and professionally enriched by the experience, while simultaneously generating goodwill in the community for their corporations and law firms."            The Legal Department of GE Capital, based in Stamford, CT and headed by General Counsel, Nancy Barton, is the recipient of the Partnership's 2001 Outstanding Corporate Volunteer Award.  "GE Capital attorneys have been among the leaders of the Partnership's volunteers from day one," notes Mr. Hobish, "Witness former 'Volunteers of the Year,' Jane Alpert and Sandra Emerling.  This year, we wanted to honor the entire GE Capital Legal Department for its outstanding support and participation with the Partnership's clients.  The contributions of these attorneys, on a variety of legal matters have helped to strengthen our nonprofit clients, allowing them to spend their time, energy and efforts in serving our communities."    Mr. Hobish said that this year's award was especially meaningful because of the Partnership's roots.  In 1997, Robert Healing, Corporate Counsel with GE and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Pro Bono Partnership,  founded the Partnership, along with others in WESTFACCA, and planted the seeds from which the present day Partnership has grown. Pictured with 2001 Volunteer of the Year award winner Joan Hayden,  Vice President & Corporate Counsel, Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc., are (left to right)  Richard Hobish, Executive Director of Pro Bono Partnership, John Liftin, General Counsel, Prudential Financial, Edward Remsen, President, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Jersey, and Jennifer Chandler Hauge, Deputy Director, Pro Bono Partnership. Joan Hayden, Vice President, Corporate Counsel, Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc., is one of the Partnership's individual award recipients.  Joan's project for the Partnership was to advise the Partnership's client, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Jersey, and orchestrate its merger with several mentoring organizations, including 10,000 Mentors, a Newark-based mentoring group. The merger is expected to significantly increase the number of mentors available to children in New Jersey.  "Joan was incredible. Her expertise and professionalism were evident to all involved in the merger process, and her ability to marshall the troops for this ground-breaking merger was absolutely invaluable to the process,"  commented Jennifer Chandler Hauge, Esq., Deputy Director overseeing the Partnership's NJ program.  The merger is the first of this magnitude among the national federation of Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations. Pictured here are Pro Bono Partnership Deputy  Director Maurice Segall, Esq. and 2001 Volunteer of the Year award winner, Toni Anne Nichels, Attorney in the Office of General Counsel of Xerox Corporation. Toni Anne Nichels, Attorney in the Office of General Counsel of Xerox Corporation in Stamford, CT, is another 2001 individual award recipient.  Toni, an employment lawyer, has worked with several of the Partnership's nonprofit clients, helping them with the creation and revision of personnel policies and giving individualized employment law advice on a number of issues.  "Toni became involved with the Partnership soon after joining Xerox," said Maurice K. Segall, Deputy Director overseeing the Partnership's NY and CT programs.   "Employment law issues are consistently the biggest area of need for our clients," added Segall, "and thus Toni's assistance has been invaluable.  Toni's work is always prompt and thorough, and the many words of unsolicited praise we have received from her nonprofit clients are a testament to her impact."  Pictured with 2001 Volunteer of the Year award  winner Craig Pintoff, Chief Benefits and Labor Counsel with Crompton Corporation, are (on the left) Vincent Calarco, Chairman, President  and Chief Executive Officer,  Crompton Corporation, and John T. Ferguson, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Crompton Corporation. Craig Pintoff, Chief Benefits and Labor Counsel with Crompton Corporation based in Greenwich, CT, is the third individual award winner.  Craig is being honored for is active involvement in a variety of matters.  "Craig is a rare gem," said Segall.  "He is an in-house employment lawyer, but also has experience working with nonprofit organizations."  Craig has utilized that experience to help a number of the Partnership's clients with employment law matters, corporate matters, and a significant matter analyzing the appropriateness of compensation for the most highly paid staff of a nonprofit organization, to ensure that the salaries did not run afoul of applicable IRS regulations. To learn more about the Partnership, call the main office at (914) 328-0674 or visit the Partnership's website where volunteer opportunities and other information on pro bono matters in the tri-state area are posted.  The website can be viewed at: http://www.probonopartnership.org/