Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &"

Andrea Short
5 years ago
Views:

1 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 1285 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY Phone: (212) locations New York, New York Washington, DC Wilmington, DE Beijing Hong Kong London Tokyo Toronto MAJOR DEPARTMENTS & PRACTICES Antitrust Bankruptcy & Corporate Reorganization Capital Markets & Securities Communications & Technology Corporate Corporate Governance Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Entertainment Environmental Finance Insurance Intellectual Property Internal Investigations Investment Management Litigation Mergers & Acquisitions Patent & Other Scientific Litigation Personal Representation Private Equity Transactions Pro Bono & Public Matters Real Estate Tax White Collar Crime & Regulatory Defense THE STATS No. of Attorneys: 746 No. of Offices: 8 Chair: Brad S. Karp Hiring Partner(s): Valerie Radwaner EMPLOYMENT CONTACT Ms. Pamela H. Davidson Chief Recruitment Officer Phone: (212) pdavidson@paulweiss.com Careers website: 493

2 Who s Who Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or partners? If so, how many? 2 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. Pro Bono Coordinator/Partner 1 All of his/her time Pro Bono Coordinator/Partner 2 Less than half of his/her time Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s) s information below. Rebecca Behr Pro Bono Attorney Phone: (212) rbehr@paulweiss.com Eric S. Goldstein Partner Phone: (212) egoldstein@paulweiss.com Does the firm have a pro bono committee? How often does the committee meet? on an as needed basis Please describe the composition of the committee. Partners and associates 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? Paul, Weiss has an open policy with respect to taking on particular pro bono matters. 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, Civil rights, Death penalty defense, Disability benefits, Education, Immigration, Indigent criminal defense, International human rights, Nonprofit corporate law, Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions, Nonprofit intellectual property, Prisoners rights, 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? No List up to 10 of your firm s pro bono clients or partners since 2010, including legal service providers or clearinghouses. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law City Bar Justice Center Legal Action Center Legal Aid Society New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS) The William J. Clinton Foundation List up to three representative examples of your firm s pro bono matters since Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter. Davis, et al. v. The City of New York, et al. (SDNY). Paul, Weiss is co-counsel with The Legal Aid Society and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in a class action lawsuit challenging the legality of the New York City Police Department s ( NYPD ) practice of routinely stopping residents of public housing and their visitors, purportedly to enforce trespass laws. The complaint alleges that NYPD officers indiscriminately conduct vertical sweeps and then arrest people who have a legitimate and lawful reason for being on New York City Housing Authority property. These unfounded trespass arrests have resulted in loss of employment and income, in addition to creating a chilling effect on people living in communities of color for fear of unwarranted humiliation and harassment when visiting friends and families. In conjunction with the Ashoka Foundation, Paul, Weiss provides counsel to Ashoka Fellows, entrepreneurs who combine innovative solutions to social problems with a commitment to bold new ideas that transform economic patterns in impoverished regions across the world. Paul, Weiss is currently working with the South African P.E.A.C.E. ( Planning, Education, Agriculture, Community & Vault.com Inc.

3 Environment ) Foundation, which provides communities with tools and information for economic development, Fundacion Espave, which promotes and develops alternative work channels for indigenous communities in Colombia s Amazon Rainforest, and Empowering Women of Nepal, which helps foster independence, self-sufficiency and decision-making among women by training and employing women through Three Sisters Adventure Trekking in Nepal. Paul, Weiss and its pro bono partners obtained a landmark victory on May 31 for their clients the League of Women Voters of Florida, Rock the Vote, and the Florida Public Interest Research Group, when Judge Robert Hinkle of the Northern District of Florida preliminarily enjoined key provisions of an onerous state law restricting voter registration. Judge Hinkle found that several aspects of Florida s law likely violated the voter registration organizations rights under the First Amendment and the National Voter Registration Act. Among the provisions enjoined are a requirement that community groups submit completed voter registration applications to state officials within exactly 48 hours or face potential fines and penalties and a requirement that volunteers sign an intimidating and inaccurate sworn statement form before asking to collect anyone s voter registration application. Due to the burdens and risks imposed by the law, our clients and others had ceased, or severely curtailed, their voter registration activity throughout Florida. 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. Windsor v. United States of America (SDNY). Paul, Weiss won a historic victory for our client Edith Windsor in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Second Circuit found the law unconstitutional on equal protection grounds, with Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs writing the majority opinion. Ms. Windsor shared 44 years with her late spouse, Thea Spyer, but was forced to pay more than $360,000 in federal estate taxes because the federal government refused to recognize their marriage after Ms. Spyer s passing. Had Ms. Windsor been married to a man, rather than a woman, she would not have had to pay any federal estate tax at all. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York agreed with our client that DOMA violates the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution, joining four other federal courts that have so held. The Second Circuit s majority opinion finding that DOMA is unconstitutional marks the first time a federal appeals court has recognized that laws directed at same-sex spouses should be subjected to heightened scrutiny. Ms. Windsor has already asked the Supreme Court to review the question about the statute s constitutionality. Paul, Weiss and the Center for Reproductive Rights secured a significant victory on behalf of our client, Reproductive Services, a non-profit charitable corporation that offers reproductive health care services in Oklahoma. On our client s behalf, we challenged an Oklahoma law that forced all women seeking an abortion to undergo an invasive ultrasound examination, to view the image and hear a description of the image. Failure to comply with the law was punishable by severe civil and criminal penalties, including felony charges. District Judge Bryan C. Dixon of the District Court for Oklahoma County granted our motion for summary judgment, striking down the law as a violation of the Oklahoma Constitution s prohibition on special laws that single out less than an entire class of similarly situated persons or things for different treatment. The court issued a permanent injunction preventing the law s enforcement. Following a three-day hearing, the Westchester County Human Rights Commission affirmed a decision issued by the Commission s Fair Housing Board in favor of Paul, Weiss client Westchester Residential Opportunities ( WRO ), on a complaint of housing discrimination. WRO, a fair housing advocacy group, brought the case against a real estate management company and apartment building superintendent, alleging that they had violated fair housing laws by engaging in repeated racial discrimination against prospective tenants for two apartment buildings owned and managed by the respondents. The case was tried before an Administrative Law Judge over three days in June and September 2011, and Paul, Weiss represented WRO in the second and third of the hearing days as well as in connection with post-hearing briefing. The Commission s order affirmed a decision by the ALJ that found in favor of WRO on all claims, awarded WRO compensatory and punitive damages, assessed civil fines against respondents, and ordered respondents employees to undergo annual fair housing training for the next three years. 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: 53,576 Total number of pro bono hours in 2011: 55,911 What was the attorney headcount in your firm s U.S. offices? Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2010: 668 Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2011: 746 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: 80.2 Average number of hours per attorney in 2011: 75 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: 51 60% Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2011: 41 50% 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. 495

4 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? N/A - Salary and bonuses are determined by seniority Are those evaluations taken into account in determining advancement within the firm? Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? No Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work? N/A - The firm does not have a billable hours target Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target? N/A - The firm does not have a billable hours target Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? N/A PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? Paul, Weiss provides extensive and on-going training to all associates through the Professional Development Department, including training on managing, preparing and litigating matters for pro bono clients. Paul, Weiss also supports associates attendance at pro bono training programs sponsored by other organizations. In addition, Paul, Weiss trains associates in pro bono work as part of associate orientation programs; there are periodic luncheons and meetings to discuss pro bono matters; there is partner supervision on all matters, with extensive one-on-one interaction in many, and availability of case-specific training through organizations that invite associates to their training programs. 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: 4, : 5,010 Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work 2010: : 40.4 Percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work 2010: 80% 2011: 81% Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates. During their employment at Paul, Weiss, summer associates may work on any pro bono matter being handled by Paul, Weiss. Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting? No 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. Paul, Weiss has endowed public interest law fellowships at various law schools; for example, the Simon H. Rifkind Prize at Columbia Law School and the Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellowship at Yale Law School. Paul, Weiss regularly contributes to public interest auctions at various law schools and other law school public interest initiatives are supported on an ad hoc basis. 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. The Legal Outreach Program, in which Paul, Weiss has participated for the past 15 years, matches urban high school students with law firms for one week during the summer in order to expose them to the legal profession. This year, Paul, Weiss continued its involvement in the Justice Resource Center s annual MENTOR law firm/school initiative, which pairs local high schools with law firms that provide mentors and coaches to the students in connection with the program s city-wide moot court and state-wide mock trial competitions Vault.com Inc.

5 Paul, Weiss participates in an Annual Blood Drive, The Revlon Run/Walk for Women to raise money to fight against breast and ovarian cancer, Dress for Success clothing drives and the JP Morgan Chase & Co. Corporate Challenge. Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won since 2010 for its pro bono work In October 2012, firm chair Brad Karp was recognized for his service to the community and commitment to pro bono legal service by Pro Bono Partnership at their 15th Anniversary Gala. Brad was honored along with Brackett Denniston, General Counsel of GE. Gala co-chairs Jeffrey Immelt, Chair & CEO of GE, and Stephen Cutler, executive Vice President & General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase, presented the awards. The Pro Bono Partnership provides free business and transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations serving the disadvantaged or enhancing the quality of life in neighborhoods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In October 2012, Paul, Weiss was recognized for its work with incarcerated women by STEPs to End Family Violence, a community organization that helps incarcerated women with histories of violence and abuse. Paul, Weiss worked with STEPs on a number of matters to help prepare women who had been incarcerated for many years successfully prepare for parole hearings. In September 2012, The Urban Justice Center honored Paul, Weiss with its Community Development Project Ally for Justice Award for the firm s pro bono work with the CDP. This award recognized the firm for co-counseling with the Project on several lawsuits, assisting a number of Project partners obtain their 501(c)(3) status, and providing assistance on intellectual property and real estate matters. The project also honored Paul Weiss s extraordinary commitment to pro bono that has allowed the Project to increase the impact of its work protecting low-income individuals and supporting community-based organizations in New York City. In particular, the Award recognized Paul, Weiss s recent trial victory on behalf of one of its pro bono clients, a former restaurant employee. In September 2012, Law360 named Paul, Weiss as one of its Pro Bono Firms of The firm was acknowledged for its impressive pro bono history, as well as its large body of high-stakes, high-profile pro bono work. The article highlighted several recent representations, including the firm s challenge of DOMA on behalf of Edie Windsor and its challenge of Florida s voter registration and identification law, and quotes litigation partners Roberta Kaplan, Robert Atkins, Alex Oh and pro bono attorney Rebecca Behr. In February 2012, litigation of counsel Steven B. Rosenfeld was a recent featured volunteer on Probono.net. The website highlighted Steven for his recent recognition by The Legal Aid Society, which awarded him with the Society s Second Acts Leadership Award for his years of volunteer legal service representing abused and neglected children. Steven continues his work with the Society s Juvenile Rights Practice as a lawyer representing children in Family Court, as well as a mentor to Legal Aid lawyers, social workers and support staff In November 2011, litigation partner Daniel J. Beller and associates Hannah S. Sholl and Mark S. Silver were chosen as recipients of the Sanctuary for Families Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Advocacy for their outstanding legal work on behalf of Sanctuary clients. Sanctuary for Families is one of the leading nonprofit agencies in the nation dedicated exclusively to serving domestic violence victims and their children. Dan, Hannah and Mark were honored at the ninth annual Above & Beyond benefit on November 14, 2011 in New York City. In August 2011, The American Bar Association (ABA) named Paul, Weiss one of the winners of the 2011 Pro Bono Publico Awards at its annual meeting yesterday. Every year, the award honors individuals or organizations in the legal community that deliver volunteer legal services to the poor or disadvantaged. Specifically, the ABA acknowledged the firm s historical commitment to the public interest, the breadth and scope of its work and the dedication of the firm s lawyers In October 2010, The Legal Aid Society honored eight Paul, Weiss lawyers with its 2009 Pro Bono Publico Awards for outstanding service to the Society and its clients. Every year, the award recognizes the outstanding work of volunteer lawyers, law firms, corporations, and other professionals who participate in the Society s Pro Bono Program. In October 2010, a Paul, Weiss bankruptcy attorney was selected to receive the City Bar Justice Center s inaugural Jeremy G. Epstein Award for Pro Bono Service. She was nominated for her outstanding volunteer work on the Consumer Bankruptcy Project by the director of the project based on criteria that include the quality and volume of her legal work, leadership and commitment to the Project. In June 2010, Immigration Equality awarded Paul, Weiss a Safe Haven Award for work on behalf of asylum seekers who face persecution in their native countries as a result of their sexual orientation and HIV status. Immigration Equality recognized Paul, Weiss for the number and complexity of the cases, and the high quality representation provided to our clients. In April 2010, firm chair Brad Karp accepted an award on behalf of Paul, Weiss at The City Bar Justice Center s Fifth Annual Gala. The firm was honored, along with JPMorgan Chase & Co., for its leadership and dedication to public service. In April 2010, a Paul, Weiss counsel, in recognition of her extraordinary pro bono service, was selected to receive the President s Pro Bono Service Award, presented by the New York State Bar Association. Each year the NYSBA presents the awards to highlight the importance of pro bono work in achieving equal access to justice and to publicly recognize people who provide such service. 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. 497

6 At its 17th Annual Law and Society Award Luncheon in February 2010, New York Lawyers for Public Interest (NYLPI) honored litigation partner Ted Wells for his accomplishments as a litigator, his considerable public service and his staunch commitment to social justice. Please add any additional information about your firm s pro bono program. Our commitment to pro bono work is deeply rooted in our history and culture. Through the decades, our lawyers have shown the willingness, ability and passion necessary to take on some of the highest stakes, highest profile cases of the day. The common thread that binds all of our pro bono representations past and present is an unwavering commitment to provide legal assistance to those in need, regardless of who they might be. Simply put, no matter is too big or too controversial for Paul, Weiss to handle. Paul, Weiss lawyers represented playwright Arthur Miller before the House Committee on Un-American Activities; assisted Thurgood Marshall with Brown v. Board of Education, helping to write the brief that persuaded the Supreme Court to outlaw school segregation; challenged the constitutionality of the Rockefeller drug laws and led the New York State investigation into the Attica prison uprising; helped usher in free elections in South Africa; and led the Moreland Act Commission, which was created to investigate inadequate conditions in New York nursing homes and adult residences. This year, as in years past, Paul, Weiss s pro bono matters encompassed a broad range of constitutional, civil and human interest areas. We made inroads with impact litigation securing the constitutional rights of voters, and achieved victories for veterans, the physically and mentally disabled, and immigrant workers. In addition to taking on significant high-profile cases with broad impact, Paul, Weiss also has been steadfast in its commitment to provide personal pro bono assistance to individuals in need of legal representation, a commitment with increased emphasis during these uncertain times Vault.com Inc.

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