ABOUT MS&K |
For over 100 years, MS&K has demonstrated a commitment to serving the community. Whether by providing expert legal services pro bono to individuals and businesses in need or contributing time, leadership and charitable resources to selected nonprofit organizations that support underserved members of the community, MS&K continues its valued tradition of giving back to those less fortunate. The firm’s attorneys focus their efforts primarily in the areas of legal aid to a wide variety of individuals, human rights, education, immigration, medical research and child advocacy, and established the nonprofit Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Foundation to assist firm partners achieve their philanthropic goals.
PRO BONO CONTRIBUTION
MS&K lawyers are at the forefront of the legal community in providing pro bono legal services and other assistance to some of the most vulnerable members of the community. We work closely with a variety of nonprofit organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, ACLU, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, California Lawyers for the Arts, Constitutional Rights Foundation, Inner City Law Center, Juvenile Court's Advocacy Office, LA County Bar Association Community Legal Services, Public Counsel Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, Sunday Free Legal Clinic, US District Court Pro Se Panel, Volunteer League of San Fernando Valley, and Wise Senior Services. Our pro bono activities encompass a significant range of public services in which all interested attorneys are encouraged to become involved. What is more, unlike many law firms, MS&K devotes energy and dedication to its pro bono representation equal to what we invest in our client matters, with pro bono hours counting as part of attorneys' billable hour requirements. The firm has been honored for its pro bono efforts on behalf of individuals and small businesses in the communities in which we work, but we take greater satisfaction in the many important ways that our pro bono achievements have changed lives for the better. Some recent examples follow:
When Bet Tzedek, a leading legal services organization, needed expert immigration law assistance on behalf of the attorney selected to lead its unique and signature Holocaust Reparations Project, MS&K was pleased to help. Bet Tzedek is the only agency in the world that offers free help to Holocaust survivors applying for reparations, pensions and other benefits from German and other European countries. However, the attorney whom Bet Tzedek identified as being singularly qualified to handle this complex and high-profile project was a veteran German lawyer with unique experience but in need of permanent residence (a "green card") in order to assume this crucial role. MS&K pursued an innovative strategy to obtain rapid approvals throughout all steps of the tortuous green card process, despite particular regulatory and quota challenges unique to the summer of 2007. Bet Tzedek’s deputy director noted that the approval of this green card, which MS&K was able to secure, was critical to the ongoing success of the Holocaust Project. For his work on this and other challenging immigration matters, MS&K partner David Rugendorf was awarded the 2009 Wiley W. Manuel Pro Bono Services Certificate by the State Bar of California.
MS&K associate Michael Chait was awarded the 2008 First Amendment Award from the ACLU Foundation of Southern California in recognition of his pro bono work on Widders v. Furchtenicht, a case still pending in the California Court of Appeal that seeks to protect a citizen's right to propose ballot initiatives without being forced to defend against litigation brought by the government.
MS&K was proud to help launch The Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation, an "unprecedented coalition" of private and public sector leaders, coordinated by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, to address HIV prevention in youth. The only law firm in a roster of leading global corporations and organizations, MS&K served as pro bono tax and legal counsel and established the legal entity through which the Partnership now operates. In addition, the firm applied to the IRS for recognition of the Partnership’s tax-exempt status. Begun in Kenya, the Partnership is dedicated to addressing HIV prevention in youth by combining 21st Century technology with the latest evidence-based prevention techniques.
MS&K won a major victory in a pro bono case that was handled by our skilled litigation attorneys on behalf of The Nature Conservancy, the prominent nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving life by protecting ecologically important lands and water. The Nature Conservancy, a long time client of MS&K’s Charitable Sector Practice, pursues science-based initiatives by working in concert with communities, businesses, government and others. However, an animal rights group challenged the effort of The Nature Conservancy to increase the chances of indigenous wildlife surviving on Santa Cruz Island (off the coast of California). Our talented team overcame the plaintiffs’ allegations and succeeded in proving that The Nature Conservancy had indeed complied with the National Environmental Protection Act when it implemented a program of encouraging endangered native foxes by controlling a domestic turkey population that had been introduced to the island.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
MS&K attorneys and staff devote significant personal time to a variety of organizations that support and enrich the community. As members of Boards of Directors, Boards of Trustees, Advisory Boards and other leadership roles, we are pleased to help guide these organizations to best serve their constituents. Among these many and diverse organizations are: St. Joseph’s Center, Mental Health Advocacy Services, Beckman Laser Institute Foundation, Anti-Defamation League, Western Center for Law and Poverty, The Guardians, Inner City Law Center, Public Broadcasting System (PBS), BookEnds~Kids Helping Kids, Koreh LA Voluntary Literacy Program, Santa Monica College, Chrysalis~Changing Lives Through Jobs, The Actors Gang, Shakespeare Festival/LA, and many others. In addition, MS&K attorneys and staff volunteer regularly as mentors, tutors and coaches, giving back to the community by lifting the lives of neighbors in need.
