PHILADELPHIA – Sept. 8, 2020 – For the second consecutive year, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP stands in contention for the annual Trailblazing Partner Award from Philadelphia VIP, a leading citywide legal pro bono services organization.
As a 2020 finalist, the firm has been recognized for its exemplary commitment to the Philadelphia VIP mission to deliver pro bono civil-related legal services to city residents, nonprofits, and small businesses that otherwise could not afford them. The virtual awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 17.
“If anything, the events of this year have focused everyone’s attention on the many racial and social inequities in our city and our nation, many of which can be addressed through legal action. We’re prouder than ever to play an active role in helping to craft those solutions,” said Curtis B. Toll, managing shareholder for the Philadelphia office.
“Pro bono work, social action, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion are as embedded in the DNA of this firm as high quality legal services and exemplary client service are,” Toll said. “To again be named as a finalist for this award is a gratifying recognition of our commitment to help ensure equal justice under the law, as embodied in the efforts of our lawyers and business.”
Attorneys in the Philadelphia office engage in and handle a range of discrete pro bono matters for Philadelphia VIP clients. The firm also has partnered with the organization in presenting a legal clinic designed to aid small businesses citywide.
“With 30 U.S. offices and 10 offices throughout the world, GT’s Global Pro Bono Program isn’t a one-size-fits-all model,” said Caroline J. Heller, who leads the firm’s Pro Bono Program.
“Each office tailors its efforts to address the legal needs of those most vulnerable in its community. GT’s Philadelphia office is an outstanding example, dedicated to supporting its neighbors and communities through robust pro bono work and civic engagement,” she added.
Greenberg Traurig lawyers were among the 1,600 volunteers working with Philadelphia VIP to address critical legal challenges of more than 3,700 individuals and families this year alone.
“In just two short years, the terrific team at Greenberg Traurig has become an essential partner for VIP and our clients,” said Rida Haq, interim executive director of Philadelphia VIP. “Their attorneys are always at the ready to take a wide array of cases–from preventing homelessness to promoting community economic development—and fearlessly dive into the most complex of matters when needed.”
Founded in 1981 and renamed in 1986, Philadelphia VIP arose from the Philadelphia Bar Association’s pro bono program. It serves as a nonprofit hub to recruit, train, support, and match volunteer attorneys with low-income residents embroiled in civil legal problems that impact their housing, education, health, employment, or financial stability. For details on the awards ceremony, click here.
Since its founding, Greenberg Traurig’s Philadelphia office has cultivated relationships with local legal organizations that support vulnerable and marginalized people seeking justice, including the Philadelphia Public Interest Law Center, Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Women’s Law Project, Women Against Abuse, and many others.
About Greenberg Traurig Philadelphia: Founded in 1997, Greenberg Traurig’s Philadelphia office is home to some 50 attorneys whose practices include Real Estate, Public Finance, Litigation, Labor & Employment, Environmental, Government Law & Policy, Restructuring & Bankruptcy, White Collar Defense & Special Investigations, Corporate & Securities, Intellectual Property, Immigration & Compliance, Investment Regulation, and Tax. The Philadelphia office represents clients in the manufacturing, health care, real estate, energy, financial, and insurance industries, state and local governments, professional service, and energy firms and individuals.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Pro Bono Program: Greenberg Traurig lawyers across the firm provide pro bono legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. The firm focuses its resources on specialized and interrelated issues including civil rights and affirmative action, anti-human trafficking, family law matters, criminal appeals, immigration and political asylum, housing, and homelessness.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2,200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.