Orrick Recognized for Pro Bono Commitment by NYSBA Empire State Counsel Program

January.29.2016

The New York State Bar Association has honored Orrick as one of its 2015 Empire State Counsel. The firm was recognized as a Bronze Honoree for completing more than 10,000 hours of pro bono legal services in 2015. Associate Kevin Hynes accepted the award on behalf of Orrick at NYSBA’s 15th Annual Justice for All Luncheon on January 28, 2016.

“We’re honored to have our pro bono program recognized by NYSBA,” said Pro Bono Counsel Rene Kathawala. “Our commitment to providing legal services to those in need resulted in 90% of our lawyers completing at least 20 hours of pro bono work in 2015, on behalf of diverse causes ranging from helping individual veterans obtain discharge upgrades to counseling NGOs on issues that affect international law and policy.”

NYSBA established the Empire State Counsel Program to make lawyers aware of the need for pro bono legal services in New York State and to encourage their participation. Since the program’s launch in 2006, NYSBA members have donated more than 1.6 million pro bono hours. Of the ten firms honored by NYSBA as 2015 Empire State Counsel, Orrick is the only firm not based in New York.

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Rene Kathawala Pro Bono Counsel

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Rene Kathawala Pro Bono Counsel

New York

Rene works with other pro bono counsel and legal services nonprofits to increase the quantity and quality of pro bono representation that is being provided to indigent clients in each of the cities worldwide where Orrick has a presence. In addition, he supervises and directly works on cases in such diverse areas as immigration law, family and matrimonial law, housing law, public benefits law, employment law counseling, impact litigation and nonprofit advice and counseling. Rene has worked on many substantial matters in the federal and state systems over his career that are reported as precedent. He also works with firm attorneys to strengthen the firm's innovative Impact Finance and Social Enterprise team that he founded and that provides representation in diverse transactional areas to nonprofit, for profit and hybrid organizations dedicated to providing basic services to poor persons around the world in areas including microfinance, water, education, energy, housing and health.

Based on his long-standing commitment to access to justice issues, Rene has been appointed to serve as a member of the New York City Bar Association Right to Counsel Task Force and the New York City Bar Association Family Court Judicial Appointment & Assignment Process Work Group. In recognition of his exemplary work in family law, United States District Judge Bloom appointed Rene as a special master in a federal court family law matter in 2014 in the Eastern District of New York in case number 07-cv-02565-ARR-LB, styled Garmhausen et al v. United States Department of Justice et al.

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