
Pro Bono Report: Health & Social Services
Alese Coco Fight 2 Win, Inc. This charity supports the development of treatments and therapies for Hodgkin’s Disease, raises awareness of Hodgkin’s Disease, and engages in charitable, religious, educational, literary, and scientific activities.
Michael Oberman serves as a director of the organization.
Helayne Stoopack,
Abigail Mulligan, and
Dana Katz helped the organization incorporate and obtain tax-exempt status.
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. Paul Connuck assisted the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, a nonprofit organization established to fund innovative research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of cancer, in drafting and advice respecting the negotiation of agreements awarding research grants to Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford University, Ohio State University, and the University of Pittsburgh. These prestigious grants are awarded on a competitive basis to talented young scientists throughout the United States who show the most promising and innovative research and therapeutic strategies in the field of cancer gene research. The grants are also intended to serve as seed money enabling the recipients to obtain additional federal funding. These Grant Agreements were prepared in consultation with the Alliance’s principal attorney, William Smith of firm client Geneve Corporation, whose CEO, Edward Netter, is the co-founder and President of the Alliance.
American Friends of Herzog Hospital. Robert Holtzman,
Ezra Levin, and
Helayne Stoopack did significant work on behalf of the American Friends of Herzog Hospital, an organization that supports the activities of Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel’s foremost center for geriatric and psychiatric medicine. Robert negotiated the terms of an employment relationship. Helayne worked with several parties to facilitate a significant distribution from a trust to the hospital. Ezra served as counsel to American Friends and was involved in various matters of corporate governance and its disposition of certain property.
Early Alzheimer’s Foundation. Alexandra Alberstadt continues to represent The Early Alzheimer’s Foundation, Inc., a New York nonprofit corporation that will operate “clubhouse” facilities for persons suffering from memory disorders, primarily Alzheimer’s Disease, and their caregivers. EAF offers a series of classes in an area of upper Manhattan with a majority population of retirees, known as a “naturally occurring retirement community” (NORC), designed to improve function and delay progression of memory disorders, and to assist caregivers in managing the stress associated with caring for persons affected with memory disorders. EAF plans to run similar programs in other Manhattan NORCs, and eventually open its own facility, planned to occur in 2008. Kramer Levin has represented EAF since its inception, including in extensive negotiations with state agencies concerning limitations on services that can be provided by nonprofit corporations in the health, education, and social work sectors.
Michael Maoz provides advice on intellectual property issues.
Susan Penry-Williams serves as a director of EAF.
Friends of Yad L’Kashish (Lifeline for the Aged). Friends of Yad L’Kashish (Lifeline for the Aged) awards grants to organizations that provide assistance to the elderly and promote inter-generational connections.
Barry Herzog provides the organization with ongoing legal advice, is a member of the organization, and serves on its board.
Healthy Schools Network. HSN promotes safe and healthy environmental conditions in New York’s schools and teaching facilities for the benefit of students, parents, and school employees. During 2007,
Elizabeth Larsen and paralegal Alex Lieber oversaw a team of summer associates — including Emily Bussigel, Samantha Ford, Katherine Gilman, and Michael Mellin — research recent changes in federal, state, and local environmental laws to assist in updating HSN’s informational handbooks.
Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund. Kevin Moss continued to work with Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund on its trademark and licensing issues.
Hudson Guild. Arthur Aufses and
Susan Jacquemot provided advice to Hudson Guild, a nonprofit community services organization serving the Chelsea community, on a variety of employment-related matters as well as a fee dispute between the Guild and an event planner hired to organize its annual fundraiser. In September 2007, Susan and
Phillip Manela prepared the case for trial in the New York City Civil Court and negotiated a favorable settlement of the matter just hours before the trial was set to begin.
Korean Family Counseling and Research Center. The Center provides a variety of social services to members of the Flushing community, including drug and alcohol counseling, immigration law consultations, battered wife escort services, and community workshops on Social Security and Medicare.
John Reisinger and
Johanna Greenbaum obtained a written determination from the City’s Department of Buildings allowing the Center the use of a recently acquired facility for the provision of services and are now assisting the Center in obtaining City-allocated funds for the acquisition of the facility.
LGBT Community Center. The Firm has become pro bono general counsel to the LGBT Community Center, located in Greenwich Village, which for more than 25 years has been a crucial base for social services, cultural events, and other activities in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
Elise Wagner,
Valerie Campbell,
Marcie Kesner, and
Johanna Greenbaum are assisting the Center with land use and planning issues in connection with its anticipated expansion into new facilities.
Jeff Trachtman,
Robert Holtzman,
Kerri Ann Law, and
Adam Ford advised the Center with respect to various contract, employee, and insurance issues.
Gordon Stone and
Dana Katz are advising the Center with respect to the disposition of certain partnership interests bequeathed to the organization.
Listen, Inc. Listen, Inc. is a national youth development network focused on nurturing and supporting the development of youth leadership in poor urban communities of color.
Michael Maoz, assisted by legal assistant Phillip Rosenberg, advised on trademark availability and provided trademark prosecution services.
Little Baby Face Foundation. The Little Baby Face Foundation brings together world-class surgeons and medical providers from New York City and children born with facial deformities for corrective surgery.
Carol Klinger and
Michael Maoz advised the foundation on trademark availability.
NAMI-NYC METRO. Charlotte Moses Fischman continued to serve as President and Chairman of the Board of NAMI-NYC METRO, a grass roots organization dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness, both consumers and family members. NAMI-NYC METRO’s activities include a telephone Helpline manned by volunteers; more than 25 support groups for family members and consumers; public meetings with outstanding speakers on subjects ranging from estate planning to the legislative agenda as it affects the mental health community; outreach into the community to educate the public about mental illness; psychoeducation courses available to family members and consumers; and a parent mentoring program for parents of children with mental illness. Lawyers in the Individual Client Group advised NAMI concerning charitable gift bequests and assisted in the administration of charitable gifts made under wills and trusts to NAMI.
Blake Rigel advised NAMI on amending its certificate of incorporation and by-laws to better reflect the organization’s current operations.
Northside Center for Child Development. The Northside Center provides mental health services to more than 1,800 at risk children and their families in the East and Central Harlem communities. Partner
Gregory Horowitz serves on Northside’s Board of Directors. The firm has provided a range of legal services to Northside on a pro bono and reduced fee basis.
Jeremy Saks (supervised by
David Frankel) represented Northside in connection with dealings with the Office of the Inspector General of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Chatchada Chiamprasert provided counseling on corporate structure issues.
Larry Loeb and
Michael Korotkin have represented Northside in connection with real estate matters.
SOVRI. Aviva Grossman helped organize SOVRI, an organization dedicated to the empowerment of survivors of sexual assault in the Jewish community through counseling and education. SOVRI is also committed to helping the Jewish community respond to sexual violence by raising community awareness and providing prevention education.
Michael Mayerfeld and
Becky Porath provide governance and organizational advice, and
Melissa Blades handles tax matters. Aviva is also assisting the group with grant development.
Youth Outreach - Cape Verde Project. Youth Outreach - Cape Verde Project is a non-profit organization begun by a former Peace Corps worker to support young people in the Republic of Cape Verde and help them deal with the social issues they face, from HIV/AIDS to teen pregnancy to self-respect.
Bruce Rabb formed the organization, provides governance advice, and helps handle various organizational matters in the United States and, with the help of
Helayne Stoopack, is assisting it in applying for 501(c)(3) status.
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