Pro Bono Partnership Raised $1.36 Million at Its Gala

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Oct. 17, 2014 - PRLog -- Pro Bono Partnership raised $1.36 million at its Gala on October 15 at Cipriani 42^nd Street in Manhattan. The Partnership provides free business legal assistance to hundreds of nonprofit organizations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Andrea Mitchell, host of Andrea Mitchell Reports, hosted the Gala. The evening’s Honorees were David Boies, Chairman, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, and Thomas A Russo, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AIG. They were presented with Pro Bono Partnership’s Champion Award in recognition of their service to the community and outstanding commitment to the provision of pro bono legal services.  Jonathan D. Schiller, Managing Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, and Peter D. Hancock, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIG, served as Dinner Chairs.

Upon receiving Pro Bono Partnership’s Champion Award, Mr. Russo said, “Despite the many demands and challenges in-house lawyers face these days, we—and all of you— are making the time to use our legal skills for the public good. We are literally changing the course of peoples’ lives for the better. What can be more rewarding than that?”

Mr. Boies was unable to attend the event.  Mr. Schiller accepted the award on his behalf, expressing Mr. Boies’s appreciation for the award.

Rick Hobish, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Pro Bono Partnership who is leaving the organization in November, said, “It has been an honor working with all of you. I’ve always said that I have the best job because of the dedicated people I get to work with on a daily basis: a staff and board unsurpassed in their commitment to the Partnership and our clients; a corps of volunteers willing to give of their time and expertise, notwithstanding that they are already working beyond capacity;  our funders, who recognize the importance of our work; and, last but not least, our clients-- the nonprofits that are working on the front lines to improve the quality of life in our communities, often under the most challenging of circumstances.”

Pro Bono Partnership, itself a nonprofit, provides free legal advice to nonprofits on employment, real estate, intellectual property, and many other types of corporate matters. These clients provide vital services to the community including food, housing, medical and mental health services, education programs, employment training, and others. The Partnership leverages its legal staff by mobilizing 900 volunteer attorneys from major corporations and law firms each year. The Partnership and its volunteers help nonprofits operate their programs more efficiently, while allowing them to dedicate their limited resources to providing essential services to the community.