FALL 2 0 0 4 enable Cares V 2004 Pro Bono Recognition Reception The annual Pro Bono Recognition Reception was held on June 14, 2004, in the Washington office. The event marked V enable’s celebration of the pro bono service rendered in the past year by the firm’s lawyers and paralegals. The event was attended by those participating in the pro bono program, as well as representatives of the organizations with whom the firm works on behalf of the disadvantaged in our communities. Noteworthy among the guests were members of the Board of Directors of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Gardens, one of the firm’s major projects. Specifically honored at the reception were the 72 V enable attorneys and paralegals who performed over 50 hours of pro bono work in 2003. Included among these honorees were four summer associates: V arda Hussain, Christopher LaTesta, A braham Pollock and Gregory Schwartz. In his remarks at the reception, Managing Partner James Shea commended those present and pointed out that V enable’s contributions to the community went back to the very founding of the firm in 1900 and have continued to the present. Tracing the history of V enable’s participation in public service from Major V enable to V ernon Eny to Mitch Mirviss, Shea urged that those performing such work continue their involvement and pledged the support of the firm for Contents their efforts. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Benjamin R. Civiletti Pro Bono 2004 Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year A ward for truly outstanding pro Recognition Reception 1 bono contributions. The award is reserved for those whom the firm wishes to single out for Venable Helps extraordinary pro bono service. It consists of a Disabled Employee suitably inscribed clock and a $1,000 contribution Get Her Job Back 3 to the charity of the recipient’s choice. Those receiving the award were: Servathon Success! FLAP Danette R. Edwards , a n a ssocia te in the Com m ercia l Litiga tion Group. Putting the Pro in Danette’s work last year on behalf of two pro bono clients was Pro Bono 4 outstanding. In addition to handling a guardianship matter for a th floor, she, along woman who literally showed up one day on the 18 Michael Hecht Receives with Warren Hamel, worked diligently and effectively on a serious, Maryland Pro Bono court-appointed criminal case in federal court involving an FBI employee accused of stealing from his employer. Danette spent Service Award FLAP hundreds of hours of evening and weekend time on behalf of her client, including successfully presenting to the court a novel argument on a disputed federal Venable Honored by sentencing guideline provision on the issue of “abuse of position of trust.” Whitman-Walker Clinic 4 continued on page 2
V enable Cares 2 Recognition Reception...continued from pg 1 Justin Miller and Kelly King discuss Michael L. Hecht , a n a ssocia te in the their summer associate experience Produ cts Lia b ility Grou p. with partner Rick Joyce. Michael has rendered distinguished pro bono service in several matters this past year. On Matan Koch and Leilani Kanon behalf of a disabled veteran, he succeeded in are all smiles! persuading the government to agree to a remand in a case for the U.S. Circuit Court for V eteran Claims. He has effectively and steadfastly represented a client in a remarkably contentious custody case. He is also vigorously representing an HIV -positive client in a federal criminal case. It should be noted that Michael has logged over 1,200 pro bono hours since joining V enable in 1999. Mitch Mirviss and Mary Ellen Himes , a n a ssocia te in the Robert Babayi and Tom Wiseman Jackie Bottash IP Litiga tion Grou p. In the past year, Mary Ellen has performed outstanding pro bono service in a variety of matters. She successfully represented two claimants in social security appeals. She has been a highly effective member of a team of Venable lawyers representing a difficult client in a prisoner rights case. In addition, she worked long and hard to successfully represent a client who was the victim of an unscrupulous car dealer and a demanding and unreasonable bank. Michael Gollin , a pa rtner in the Pa tent Prosecu tion Grou p. Just over two years ago, Michael founded and has worked tirelessly to bring to fruition Public Interest Intellectual Property A dvisors, Inc. ( PIIPA ) . It is a global non-profit resource for Vasilios Peros, Lars Anderson and David Lasso developing countries and public interest discuss the merits of pro bono work. organizations seeking expertise in intellectual property matters to promote health, science and the environment. PIIPA provides world-wide access to IP professionals who advise and represent such clients on a pro bono basis as a public service. In the past year, PIIPA has provided representation to clients in Brazil, Peru, and Madagascar, and is now housed in facilities provided by the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to V enable’s support, the organization has received grants from NIH and the Department of International Development from the United Kingdom. The achievements of these individuals, as well as those of their Jim Shea learns more about Danette Edwards, Mary Ellen honored colleagues, are a great source of pride to the entire V enable family Frederick Douglass Gardens from Himes and Michael Hecht and serve as inspirations for our pro bono work in the future. Henry Hollander, Architect, and gather prior to the awards Dianne Dale, founder of the announcements. Gerry Treanor FDG project.
V enable Cares Venable Helps Disabled Employee Get Her Job Back 3 Connie Bertra m a nd Lesley Pa te Resolve Unjustified Term ina tion in V iola tion of the Fa m ily Medica l Lea ve A ct a nd A m erica ns With Disa b ilities A ct Earlier this year, Connie Bertram and Lesley Pate undertook the pro bono representation of Susan M. Koves in regard to the unjustified termination of her employment. For over ten years, Ms. Koves had been a loyal, dedicated employee at Didlake, Inc., an organization whose mission is to assist individuals with disabilities. Didlake has a program specifically designed to employ individuals with disabilities, and Ms. Koves was employed through this program. In early February 2003, Ms. Koves broke her ankle when she slipped and fell on some ice during her commute to work. Ms. Koves’s injury rendered her unable to work. Shortly before her anticipated return to work, Didlake terminated Ms. Koves’s employment on the basis she had allegedly used all of her Family and Medical Leave A ct ( FMLA ) leave. Ms. Koves’s termination was completely unjustified. A t the time of her termination, Ms. Koves’s FMLA had not expired. A s such, Ms. Koves’s termination was in violation of the FMLA . In addition, given Ms. Koves’s disabilities, her termination also constituted a violation of the A mericans with Disabilities A ct. Connie and Lesley attempted to make contact with Didlake, leaving voicemails and sending several letters explaining their position. They repeatedly advised that they thought this situation could be easily resolved if the parties conferred. However, Didlake refused to respond to their inquiries and requests to confer. Eventually, Lesley received a telephone call from Didlake’s attorney , A lan Shachter. Connie and Leslie explained their position in further detail to Mr. Shachter. Mr. Shachter admitted that Didlake had not communicated very effectively with Ms. Koves and that there was indeed a discrepancy in some of the dates. Mr. Shachter agreed to consult with his client. Several days later, Mr. Shachter informed Lesley that Didlake was willing to reinstate Ms. Koves. Lesley worked with Mr. Shachter to establish the precise terms of Ms. Koves’s reinstatement, and on June 10, 2004, Ms. Koves returned to work at Didlake. Members of Venable’s Pro Bono Committee Gerard Treanor, Lars Anderson, Jennifer Blackwell, Jackie Bottash, Mary Brown, Jana Gibson, Merritt Green, Sarah Gudsnuk, Rick Joyce, Julia Kiraly, Tammy Klein, Amy McMaster, Patsy McGowan, Mitch Mirviss, Vasilios Peros, Michael Robinson, Otho Thompson, Dan Toomey, Dan Vivarelli, and Brian Zemil.
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