STROOCK & STROOCK & LAVAN, LLP

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1 STROOCK & STROOCK & LAVAN, LLP 180 Maiden Lane New York, NY Phone: (212) LOCATIONS New York, NY (HQ) Los Angeles, CA Miami, FL MAJOR DEPARTMENTS & PRACTICES Corporate Employment Law Energy & Project Finance Entertainment ERISA Financial Restructuring Financial Services Litigation Insurance Intellectual Property Investment Management Litigation Personal Client Services Real Estate Structured Finance Tax THE STATS No. of attorneys: 340 No. of offices: 3 Managing Partner: Stuart H. Coleman Alan M. Klinger EMPLOYMENT CONTACT Halle Schargel Director of Legal Personnel & Recruiting Phone: (212) Fax: (212) hschargel@stroock.com 664

2 WHO S WHO Principal pro bono contact(s) at your firm: Kevin J. Curnin Partner Phone: (212) Fax: (212) kcurnin@stroock.com Does the firm have a pro bono coordinator? Yes, Kevin J. Curnin, Esq., partner and director of the Public Service Project. What percentage of his or her time is spent on pro bono work and/or administering the firm s pro bono program? 100 percent. Does the firm have a pro bono committee? How often does the committee meet? The pro bono committee meets on a regular basis to discuss a variety of issues. Describe the composition of the committee. In addition to Mr. Curnin, the pro bono committee currently consists of three partners from various departments, a managing partner and a managing attorney. 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? Decisions to accept new representation are made by the director of Stroock s Public Service Project, with the participation of the pro bono committee, the committee chairperson, managing partners and the executive committee as appropriate. Has the firm signed on to the Pro Bono Institute s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge? No. What are some of the areas of law in which your firm performed pro bono legal work in 2007 and 2008? Adoptions Amicus briefs Asylum and immigration law Civil rights Community economic development Criminal appeals Disability rights and children s advocacy Elder law Health care Nonprofit law Domestic violence and family law Anti-trafficking Housing Court Project Ghetto Workers Reparation Project What are some of the areas of law in which your firm did not perform pro bono work? There are no areas in which we do not, a priori, perform pro bono work, but in 2007 and 2008, we did not represent plaintiffs in employment cases. List up to 10 organizations for which your firm performed pro bono legal services in 2007 and Association of the Bar of the City of New York Lawyers Alliance for New York Human Rights Watch MFY Legal Services New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Sanctuary for Families The Legal Aid Society Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Urban Justice Center Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund List up to three pro bono matters that are representative of the pro bono work your firm participates in. Disability in education rights: Many Stroock lawyers, working in teams, have handled special education hearings on behalf of seriously disabled New York City school children. These are frequently intense representations that assist children and families out of crisis by securing their rights to a free and appropriate public education. Supplemental Security income hearings: Stroock has successfully handled several significant SSI cases on behalf of disabled children wrongfully denied basic support. In the process, our attorneys have not Visit Vault at for insider company profiles, expert advice, career message boards, expert resume reviews, the Vault Job Board and more. 665

3 only helped these clients, but helped clarify this developing area of the law. Nonprofit law: As the nonprofit sector becomes an increasingly important part of the economy, particularly in New York City, our nonprofit law pro bono practice has grown with it not only in volume, but diversity and sophistication. List up to three pro bono matters that are highlights: Prisoners rights: Stroock successfully represented several plaintiffs in litigation to seek redress for various conditions and circumstances of their confinement at Rikers Island which fell below the standards of human decency, inflicted needless suffering and caused them to be deprived of basic human needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Rocking the Boat: Stroock has provided general counsel to RTB since 2001, involving many of the firms departments and over a dozen of its lawyers in a range of challenging legal and strategic issues. BY THE NUMBERS What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your U.S. office(s) spent performing pro bono legal services? Total Number of pro bono hours in 2006: 17,802 Total Number of pro bono hours in 2007: 17,059 Total Number of pro bono hours in 2008: 27,325 How many attorneys were in your firm s U.S. office(s)? Number of attorneys as of August 31, 2006: 343 Number of attorneys as of August 31, 2007: 348 Number of attorneys as of August 31, 2008: 340 Average number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm s U.S. office(s) per year: Average number of hours per attorney in 2006: 51.9 Average number of hours per attorney in 2007: 49 Average number of hours per attorney in 2008: 80.4 What percentage of attorneys in your firm s U.S. office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono work in 2008? 58 percent. SUPERVISION AND EVALUATIONS Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters? Almost always. Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates work on pro bono matters? Yes, when appropriate. Are those evaluations taken into account in determining salary, bonuses or advancement in the firm? Yes, written and non-written evaluations are considered. Does the firm consider pro bono work generally in associate evaluations? REQUIREMENT Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm? No. Stroock actively encourages participation without assigning a minimum number of hours. HOURS 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? No. If your firm uses hours to determine bonuses, does it consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses? PRO BONO POINTS What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters? Training opportunities, by design, span a broad range that closely approximates and anticipates our associates experiences working on billable matters: from briefing, oral arguments and trial work to running complex transactions, and including working closely with the client, strategizing and overall case/transaction management. 666

4 Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters? What pro bono opportunities are available for summer associates? Examples from summer 2008 include: Domestic violence/uncontested divorce proceedings Children s Social Security disability hearings and appeals Civil rights advocacy for New York City schoolchildren (special education hearings) Summer law intern mentoring (with nonprofit partner Legal Outreach) Court assistance (Family Court) Externships Total associate pro bono hours: 3,272.2 Average hours per associate: What percentage of summer associates in your firm s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work in 2008? 100 percent. Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting? Only occasionally. In 2008, Stroock participated in three summer externships programs. Each externship lasted for two weeks. Associates were placed at the following legal service providers: Bronx Defenders Office Legal Aid s Brooklyn Neighborhood Office LSNY Legal Support Unit What other law-related public interest and community service programs do you offer and manage? Each year, we provide a substantial amount of financial support to a board range of organizations and law schools. Kevin Curnin, director of our Public Service Project, is a member of the advisory board of the Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham Law School. What non-law-related volunteer opportunities does your firm offer? Affinity groups: Stroock has supported the emergence of a wide variety of attorney affinity groups to promote the professional growth of member attorneys throughout their careers. With an open and collegial environment, these groups also enhance cultural awareness, strengthen mentoring relationships and open networking opportunities. Stroock encourages group development and active participation by attorneys. Any Stroock attorney may form an affinity group, with the review and approval of the diversity committee. All groups are open to all attorneys in all offices, and group members range from first-year associates to senior partners. This open and flexible practice has led to a number of innovations to promote business skills and career development. For example, two recently formed groups, Women Litigators and Women Transactional Attorneys, focus on the specific challenges and opportunities in their respective areas, offering sessions in such subjects as client development, cross selling, negotiation and presentation. In keeping with Stroock s open and supportive environment, ideas and feedback from the affinity groups also guide the diversity committee and the firm about emerging issues. This collaboration allows the groups and the firm s diversity efforts to evolve in order to meet new challenges and opportunities. Our service in our community complements and reflects our commitment to opportunity within the firm. Just as we promote career development for every attorney, our Public Service Project promotes social justice by supporting efforts to improve the education, family life, employment opportunities and communities of all people, regardless of gender, race, creed, background or sexual orientation. Stroock attorneys at all levels, from first-year associates to senior partners, work side by side in these programs, bringing practical solutions and new prospects to those in our community often denied access to justice and equal opportunity. Much of our public service work mirrors the work of our in-house affinity groups, creating a continuum of achievement from our firm into the wider community: As we assist our working parents at Stroock, we also work with leading organizations such as LIFT, Sanctuary for Families and InMotion to serve and protect women, children and families. As we open doors for attorneys of color, we also mentor and train minorities throughout our communities to extend their educational and job horizons. Working with such organizations as Rocking the Boat and Urban Education Exchange, we help provide outstanding educational options for minorities and youth at risk. As we eliminate barriers to those with disabilities in our workforce and client base, we also fight to secure federal benefits, appropriate educational services and equal access for the disabled in our communities. Legal Outreach: Over the past several years, dozens of Stroock partners, associates and summer associates have volunteered as judges, coaches, mentors and teachers in the Legal Outreach program, one of the most successful programs of its kind in the city, indeed the country. General: Stroock attorneys participate in a broad spectrum of non-law related volunteerism for a variety of organizations reflecting their diverse but deep commitment to improving their communities and the lives of others through political, charitable, religious and other civic enterprise. Visit Vault at for insider company profiles, expert advice, career message boards, expert resume reviews, the Vault Job Board and more. 667

5 Has your firm won any special recognition or awards in 2007 and 2008 for its pro bono work? 2008 Lawyers Alliance: Cornerstone Award Sanctuary for Families: Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Advocacy Rocking the Boat: Whitehall Award The Legal Aid Society: Outstanding Service MFY Legal Services: Partners in Justice Sustainable South Bronx: Environmental Sustainer Award New York Lawyers for the Public Interest: Partnering for Justice Pratt Area Community Council: Community Service Award VLA: Outstanding Volunteer Service Award Southern California Counseling Center: The Wallis Annenberg Founders Award 2007 Lawyers Alliance: Cornerstone Award NYC Family Court Legal Services Project: Pro Bono Service Award Sanctuary for Families: Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Advocacy NYC Bankruptcy Assistance Project Award We also encourage our attorneys to explore their own paths to public service. A principal goal of the PSP has been to engage attorneys from our transactional departments in increasingly sophisticated pro bono matters. Our transactional matters typically pair pioneering clients with diverse teams of Stroock attorneys who have a broad and complementary range of experience. Our goal in these representations is to provide comprehensive service, drawing on our expertise in tax, insolvency, intellectual property, employment, real estate, financial restructuring, structured finance and general corporate law. Our litigators, meanwhile, continue our 100-year tradition of giving a voice to the voiceless and fair opportunity to the disenfranchised. In doing so in and out of the courtroom, they hone invaluable skills as they level the playing field. Since its founding, the Public Service Project has been repeatedly recognized as an innovative leader in the delivery of pro bono legal services to those in need. THE FIRM SAYS The Public Service Project at Stroock (PSP) is the cornerstone of the firm s longtime commitment to serving the public interest. Created in March 2001 after a century of firm service to pro bono matters, organizations and advocacy, the Public Service Project provides a broad array of legal assistance, with a special focus on underserved and under-resourced communities in New York City. Stroock s innovative approach seeks to build our pro bono practice in much the same way we build our commercial practice areas. The Public Service Project, for example, is constantly fine-tuning core areas of concentration. These include: Community building Disability rights Schools and education Women, family and children Disaster legal relief Access to justice 668

Everyone deserves access to justice, regardless of race, religious beliefs, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, or economic situation.

Everyone deserves access to justice, regardless of race, religious beliefs, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, or economic situation. We provide pro bono legal services because it is the