Pro Bono Partnership volunteers are a remarkable group, and we are constantly amazed at their unwavering commitment to making change happen and improving lives in our communities. Read below to learn more about the hard work and commitment of our volunteers.

Volunteer Spotlight: UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group has been an invaluable Pro Bono Partnership supporter for 15 years. During this time, 45 UnitedHealth Group employees have volunteered and assisted 78 nonprofits with 111 unique legal matters in all three of the states that PBP serves—Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. In 2021, Pro Bono Partnership was thrilled to honor the UnitedHealth Group Law Department as our Pro Bono Champion at our annual gala in recognition of their outstanding contributions. Their assistance on a variety of legal matters, especially in areas that require very specific subject matter expertise such as HIPAA data privacy and security, has been an incredible asset to our nonprofit clients.

Last year, Randy Heiden and Chris Nelson, both privacy attorneys in UnitedHealthcare’s Privacy Office, assisted the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies (CCFSA), a statewide network of thirteen independent family service agencies, with a complex HIPAA compliance project. After the matter was complete, Bob Muro, president & CEO of CCFSA, described the finished project as “a major achievement,” adding that “the estimated value of the legal services that we received is significant indeed, and it will continue to generate returns to our organizations for years to come.”

We are so grateful for the support that UnitedHealth Group, and in particular the Privacy Office attorneys in the UnitedHealthcare division, continue to provide to Pro Bono Partnership’s nonprofit clients. We would like to specifically recognize UnitedHealthcare’s Brian DuPerre, Chief Privacy Officer and Deputy General Counsel, and Joshua Devine, another privacy attorney on Brian’s team, who continue to serve as our liaisons at UnitedHealth Group. Both have volunteered and assisted many of our nonprofit clients and have also been strong PBP advocates, aiding us in recruiting new volunteers at UnitedHealthcare and beyond. Brian is also the president of the Partnership’s Hartford Advisory Board and was one of our Volunteers of the Year in 2012. We look forward to our continued work together and the powerful impact it has on the communities we serve.

Interested in learning more about the impact our wonderful volunteers have on the nonprofit community? Explore the following Volunteer Spotlights for an in-depth look:

Bassam Zohny, Reed Smith LLP

Bill Roberts, Shipman & Goodwin

Blank Rome

Bob Chesler and John Lacey, Anderson Kill

Brian McGuire, Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLP

Christine Malafi and Kyle Broderick, Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP

Christine McInerney, The Nature’s Bounty Co.

Dechert LLP + YWCA of Bergen County

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.

F. Scott Wilson, Pratt & Whitney

Jay Crowley

Jeff Gruen, Merck & Co., Inc.

Johnson & Johnson

Joshua Savey

Kurt Odell, Moran Towing Corporation

Kyle Sommer, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

Lisa Peterson

Lisa Ulrich, IBM

Long Island Legal Check-Up Volunteers

Mark Benevenia & Vance Camisa, Merck & Co., Inc. + Creative Heartwork

Meredith Morgan, Zukerman Gore Brandeis & Crossman, LLP

Michael Angarsky, The Chef’s Warehouse + Soul Ryeders

Rachel Fernbach, Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Rachel Lieberman, Synchrony Financial

Robinson & Cole LLP

Sanofi U.S., New Jersey Law Journal’s Law Department of the Year for Pro Bono

Sofia Papakostas, JPMorgan Chase + Steppin’ Up Yonkers

Steven Weinberger, Davis+Gilbert LLP

Susan Corcoran, Jackson Lewis P.C.

Susan Varkey-Samuel

UnitedHealth Group

Venable LLP