Bryan Cave LLP. One Metropolitian Square 211 North Broadway St. Louis, MO Phone: (314)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Bryan Cave LLP. One Metropolitian Square 211 North Broadway St. Louis, MO Phone: (314)"

Patrick Sanders
5 years ago
Views:

1 One Metropolitian Square 211 rth Broadway St. Louis, MO Phone: (314) locations St. Louis, MO (HQ) Atlanta, GA Boulder, CO Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL Colorado Springs, CO Dallas, TX Denver, CO Irvine, CA Jefferson City, MO Kansas City, MO Los Angeles, CA New York, NY Phoenix, AZ San Francisco, CA Washington, DC Frankfurt Hamburg Hong Kong London Paris Shanghai Singapore MAJOR DEPARTMENTS & PRACTICES Antitrust Appellate Bankruptcy/Creditors Rights Class Actions Commercial Litigation Corporate Finance and Securities Employee Benefits Energy and Natural Resources Environmental Franchise and Distribution Intellectual Property International Trade Labor and Employment Life Sciences and Health Care Private Client Product Liability Public Policy and Government Affairs Real Estate Securities Litigation and Enforcement Sports Tax Technology Transactions White Collar Defense and Investigations THE STATS. of Attorneys: 1,065. of Offices: 23 Chair of the Firm: Don G. Lents Hiring Partner(s): r. Joseph Burby, IV (Atlanta) Craig D. Jeffrey (Chicago) Walter Herring (Dallas) Allison W. Wadle (Denver) Stuart W. Price (Irvine) W. Perry Brandt (Kansas City) David G. Andersen (Los Angeles) Ian M. Weiskopf (New York) George C. Chen (Phoenix) Adam Brezine (San Francisco) Elizabeth C. Carver (St. Louis) Alec W. Farr (Washington, DC) EMPLOYMENT CONTACT Thomas A. Grewe Chief Legal Recruiting & Development Officer Phone: (312)

2 Who s Who Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or partners? If so, how many? More than 3 For each of your pro bono coordinators and/or partners, please specify how much of his/her time is spent on pro bono work and/ or administering the firm s pro bono program. Each office coordinator spends less than half of his/her time administering the firm s pro bono program. Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s) s information below. Ellen E. Bonacorsi, Esq. Chair, Pro Bono Committee Phone: (314) eebonacorsi@bryancave.com Does the firm have a pro bono committee? How often does the committee meet? Quarterly Please describe the composition of the committee. The committee is comprised of firm attorneys from several offices representing a variety of practice groups. THE SCOOP Does your firm have a written pro bono policy? Can associates bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm? How does the firm decide whether to take on a pro bono matter? A potential pro bono matter is reviewed by the office coordinator and/or the firm-wide committee. Potential pro bono matters must be consistent with the goals of our firm-wide program. Has the firm signed on to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge? What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has performed pro bono legal work since 2010? Arts and historic preservation, Asylum, Bankruptcy, Civil rights, Community economic development, Consumer law and small claims court, Domestic violence, Education, Employment, Fair housing/tenants rights, Family law, First Amendment and constitutional issues, Homeless advocacy, Immigration, Indigent criminal defense, International human rights, Juvenile justice reform/children s rights, nprofit corporate law, nprofit incorporation/tax exemptions, nprofit intellectual property, Prisoners rights, Probate law, Public benefits, Real estate transactions, Veterans benefits/appeals, Voting rights Are there areas of law in which, as a matter of policy or practice, your firm does not perform pro bono work? The firm will consider pro bono work in any area of law but will not accept pro bono matters that are in conflict with other clients or matters. List up to 10 of your firm s pro bono clients or partners since 2010, including legal service providers or clearinghouses. ACLU of the National Capital Area Bet Tzedek Pro Bono Holocaust Reparations Project Family Equality Council Innocence Project League of Women Voters of Florida Legal Counsel for the Elderly Legal Services of Eastern Missouri National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Neighborhood Houses Volunteer Lawyers Program of Maricopa County List up to three representative examples of your firm s pro bono matters since Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. Joplin, MO Reconstruction On May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin, MO was struck by a catastrophic tornado. The event destroyed significant portions of the town and created the largest insurance event in the state s history with payouts estimated at roughly $2 billion. Working with the Legal Aid Society of Western Missouri, Bryan Cave immediately dispatched 15 attorneys to the relief center, providing emergency counsel to victims with advice ranging from individual landlord tenant issues and matrimonial matters, to real estate and business insurance questions. To provide longer-term assistance to businesses, attorneys worked with civic leaders to create and fund a non-profit organization, Joplin Tomorrow, to aid in reconstruction efforts. Spearheaded by partner and former Sen. John Danforth, the ongoing effort has raised more than $1.5 million to revitalize the city. Unhampered by SBA rules, the organization is able to be more generous in lending the working capital needed to navigate through the long recovery period. Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. 75

3 Family Equality Council The Bryan Cave LGBT lawyers affinity group is continuing its pro bono representation of the Family Equality Council (FEC). To date, 40 Bryan Cave lawyers have worked on FEC matters. Most recently, they took on a new project for FEC that will entail a comprehensive review and analysis of Department of Homeland Security regulations to identify the regulations that impact LGBT families access to benefits and programs. The new project is being led by attorneys in the New York and St. Louis offices. Political Asylum A pro bono client was granted political asylum at the conclusion of trial in immigration court. The client suffered imprisonment, torture and persecution at the hands of the governing regime in Ethiopia, owing principally to her involvement with the leading peaceful opposition party during the infamous 2005 parliamentary elections. After speaking publicly against the government in 2008, the client was summoned back to the facility where she previously had been imprisoned and tortured in She fled to the U.S., and her application for asylum was referred for adjudication in court. A Bryan Cave attorney received her case by way of Catholic Charities in Our lawyers provided valuable assistance with witness testimony preparations, execution, exhibit preparation, and country conditions. List up to three pro bono matters that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. George Allen Jr. Exoneration In collaboration with the Innocence Project, Bryan Cave filed a habeas corpus petition in Missouri, alleging that a St. Louis man, George Allen Jr., is innocent in the 1982 rape and murder of Mary Bell. Bell, a court reporter who had worked in the same courthouse where Mr. Allen was convicted, was murdered in her home on the morning of February 4, 1982, during what was one of the heaviest snowstorms in St. Louis history. Mr. Allen lived 10 miles away. Bryan Cave and the Innocence Project asked the court to overturn Mr. Allen s conviction and free him from prison. New evidence, including DNA testing, a serology report that was never turned over to the prosecution or defense, and the discovery that a key prosecution witness gave hypnotically-enhanced testimony against Allen at trial, demonstrates that Mr. Allen is innocent of the crimes for which he has spent more than 30 years in prison. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment and presented oral argument. On vember 2, 2012, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green entered an order granting George Allen s writ of habeas corpus on the basis that police failed to turn over numerous items of exculpatory evidence. The Missouri Attorney General has petitioned for review of the Order by the Missouri Court of Appeals, and the appellate proceedings are ongoing. On vember 14, 2012, however, the Circuit Court ordered Mr. Allen released from custody and he walked out of the Cole County courthouse a free man. Florida vs. U.S. In May 2011, Florida enacted significant changes to the state s election code by placing restrictions on organizations to conduct voter registration drives; reducing the number of days in the state s early voting period; and eliminating the ability of registered voters who have recently moved between counties to provide notice of their change of address on Election Day and still cast a regular ballot. Because five Florida counties are subject to the U.S. Voting Rights Act, Florida must obtain pre-clearance of the voting law changes and chose to pursue approval of the changes in court. Bryan Cave, as well as the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Brennan Center of NYU, represented the League of Women Voters of Florida and National Council of La Raza, who intervened on the side of the U.S. Justice Department to oppose the controversial new voting law restrictions. In August 2012, a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a lengthy decision in the federal voting rights case and the ruling is a significant victory for our clients. In its decision, the court denied Florida s request to drastically reduce the opportunities for Florida voters to cast early, in-person votes, concluding that Florida had failed, as we had argued, to carry its burden to establish that such a change was neither enacted with a discriminatory purpose nor would have a discriminatory (or retrogressive, in voting rights parlance) effect. The parties subsequently negotiated a resolution of all remaining claims that included Florida making significant changes to its early in-person voting regime that preserved previous in-person voting opportunities for the citizens of Florida. In October 2012, the parties entered into a stipulation dismissing all pending claims with prejudice. Successful Recovery of Funds for Survivor Under Holocaust Reparations Project A team of lawyers from the Santa Monica office successfully recovered reparations funds on behalf of a holocaust survivor. This was our first case with the Bet Tzedek Pro Bono Holocaust Reparations Project. The client represented will receive a social security pension from Germany for her voluntary work at Nazi-controlled ghettos. The entire application process took almost six months. Bank of America and Bryan Cave recently teamed up to handle future cases together. Bet Tzedek is coordinating this project nationwide. BY THE NUMBERS What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your U.S. office(s) spent performing pro bono legal services, as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, in 2010 and 2011? Do not include summer associate or non-lawyer pro bono hours in your answers. Total number of pro bono hours in 2010: 38,706 Total number of pro bono hours in 2011: 32,473 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s U.S. offices? Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2010: 874 Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2011:

4 Using the number of attorneys listed above, what is the average number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm s U.S. office(s) during the following years? Average number of hours per attorney in 2010: 44 Average number of hours per attorney in 2011: 37 What percentage of attorneys employed during 2010 and 2011 in your firm s U.S. office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono during that calendar year? Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2010: 31 40% Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2011: 31 40% SUPERVISION AND EVALUATIONS Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters? Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates work on pro bono matters? Are those evaluations taken into account in determining salary or bonuses?, they are taken into account when determining salary, they are taken into account when determining bonuses Are those evaluations taken into account in determining advancement within the firm? Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work? Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? The firm has an expansive training program that covers various substantive legal and practice skills. In addition, the firm Visit for company rankings, ratings and reviews to learn what it s really like to work in an industry or company and how to position yourself to land that job. supports attendance at external CLE programs centered on pro bono work and sponsors similar in-house CLE programs on pro bono work as well. Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters? Please indicate how many total hours and average hours per person your summer associates spent performing pro bono in 2010 and Total hours summer associates spent on pro bono work 2010: : 679 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work 2010: : 30 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work 2010: 64% 2011: 59% Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting? What other law-related public interest and community service programs (that are not pro bono as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge) do you offer and manage? For example, list any law school collaborations and public interest scholarships, auctions at law schools, monetary support, or fellowships. Bryan Cave has been involved in numerous law-related programs, conferences, job fairs and other initiatives, many in collaboration with local law schools, including the following: Arizona Bar Diversity Legal Writing Program Cook County Minority Job Fair Los Angeles Legal Recruitment Association s Diversity Networking Reception Lavender Law Career Fair LeGaL Annual Career Fair New York City Bar Diversity St. Louis Diversity Clerkship Program St. Louis Diversity Job Fair Southeastern Minority Job Fair Washington Area Legal Recruitment Administrators Association s Diversity Networking Reception 77

5 What non-law related volunteer opportunities does your firm offer? For example, list any work with high school students and non-legal volunteerism for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Bryan Cave has a rich history of involvement in public and community service support in a diverse range of charitable endeavors. Many of our lawyers are board members and leaders of non-profit programs, area hospitals, colleges and universities, religious institutions and local organizations. Our lawyers and staff donate their time and resources to a wide range of civic and community organizations, cultural, governmental, and educational organizations. They regularly engage in community service projects such as fixing up schools, mentoring students, revitalizing community gardens and supporting a wide array of initiatives to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Our individual offices adopt families at holiday time giving employees and their families an opportunity to meaningfully touch the lives of others. Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won since 2010 for its pro bono work. Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education s 2012 Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona Award Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award 2012 Missouri/Southern Illinois Anti-Defamation League Torch of Liberty Award 2011 Neighborhood Houses Corporate Service Award 2011 Georgia Bar Journal Pro Bono Honor Roll 2011 Volunteer Lawyers Program New Volunteer Attorney of the Year 2011 The Scott Solberg Pro Bono Award Central American Resource Center Commitment to Justice Award 2010 Foundation for Improvement of Justice Paul H. Chapman Award 2010 Legal Services of Eastern Missouri For the Common Good Awards 2010 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award 2010 Volunteer Lawyers Program Pro Bono Award 2010 Please add any additional information about your firm s pro bono program. In order to provide access to justice and quality representation for all persons, regardless of income, priorities of Bryan Cave s pro bono activities are to offer legal services benefiting persons and organizations of limited means and to advocate for civil rights, human rights, civil liberties, and public rights. Consistent with our core value of a passionate commitment to our clients success, we are committed to providing legal services to our pro bono clients of the same quality as we deliver to all clients. Bryan Cave s firm-wide pro bono policy and program, instituted in 2006, continues to encourage everyone to build on our tradition of pro bono work and community service. We continue to give billable credit to associates and counsel for all approved pro bono hours, and have established a pro bono committee and a group of local office pro bono coordinators who continue to look for challenging and exciting opportunities for pro bono work, focusing on serving clients of limited means. 78

The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.

The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving. Albert Einstein At Sullivan & Cromwell, we have a long tradition of encouraging pro bono involvement by our lawyers