100 n. Tryon St. Ste. 4700 Charlotte, nC 28214 Phone: (704) 331-2380 www.mvalaw.com
loCaTionS
Charlotte, nC • Charleston, SC • raleigh, nC
MaJor DeParTMenTS & PraCTiCeS
Bankruptcy and Financial restructuring • Corporate Mergers and acquisitions • employee Benefits and Compensation • employment and labor • environmental • estate Planning • Financial Services • Global Services • Healthcare • immigration • intellectual Property • Public affairs • litigation • real estate • Taxation
THe STaTS
no. of attorneys: 295 no. of offices: 3
Managing Partner: ernie reigel Hiring Partner(s): Steve Gruendel
Carolyn Meade ryan Smith
eMPloYMenT ConTaCT
Patti oswald
Director of Human resouces Phone: (704) 331-1000 email: pattioswald@mvalaw.com
WHo’S WHo
Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or partners? If so, how many?
2
Please provide a general description of how much of their time each of your pro bono coordinators and/or partners spends on pro bono work and/or administering the firm’s pro bono program (e.g., less than half of their time, more than half of their time, all of their time).
Moore & Van Allen’s public service committee has adopted the pro bono project service model to manage in-kind legal services donated by MVA attorneys. For each project area, the Firm has identified an attorney project leader whose role is to serve as the primary liaison between MVA volunteers and the legal service providers. Each attorney pro bono project leader spends less than half of their time managing and placing pro bono cases. The Firm currently has six pro bono project leaders. The MVA public service committee chairman dedicates half of his/her time to managing the pro bono and public service efforts of the firm, and the MVA manager of diversity and community initiatives spends half of his/her time dedicated to the firm’s pro bono/public service efforts.
Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s)’s information below.
Brian Heslin
Chair, MVA Public Service Committee Phone: (704) 331-1000
Email: brianheslin@mvalaw.com Stephanie Gryder
Manager of Diversity and Community Initiatives Phone: (704) 331-1000
Email: stephaniegryder@mvalaw.com
Does the firm have a pro bono committee?
Yes
How often does the committee meet?
Every other month.
Please describe the composition of the committee.
The committee is comprised of 23 members consisting of partners, associates, paralegals and staff.
THe SCooP
Does your firm have a pro bono policy?
Yes
Can associates bring pro bono matters of interest to the firm?
Yes
How does the firm decide whether to take on a pro bono matter?
The firm has partnerships with several local nonprofit legal entities. These entities refer cases to our respective attorney pro bono project leaders who place the case with volunteers within the firm. Each matter is screened by our Conflicts department to ensure the firm can adequately acquire the case.
Has the firm signed on to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge?
No
What are some of the areas of law in which your firm has performed pro bono legal work since 2012?
Community economic development, Domestic violence, Elder law, Fair housing/tenants rights, Family law, Human Trafficking, Juvenile justice reform/children’s rights, Nonprofit corporate law, Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions, Nonprofit intellectual property, Real estate transactions, Veterans’ benefits/appeals
List up to 10 of your firm’s pro bono clients or partners since 2012, including legal service providers or clearinghouses.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina • Legal Services of Southern Piedmont • Charlotte Housing Authority • United Family Services
• Mecklenburg County Bar Volunteer Lawyers • Victims Assistance
• Self-Help Center
• Council for Children’s Right
List up to three representative examples of your firm’s pro bono matters since 2012. Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter.
• The MVA Public Service Committee’s Domestic Violence project continues to provide pro bono services to low-income families affected by domestic violence. The project, which works in collaboration with United Family Services’ Legal Representation Project (LRP), empowers victims of domestic violence who could not otherwise afford an attorney to advocate for their rights.
LRP provides Moore & Van Allen with a minimum of two cases per month. Litigation associate Mindy Vervais manages the case placement process by soliciting volunteers from a core group of attorneys and paralegals who’ve volunteered their time to the project. To learn the ropes and build confidence, new volunteers are matched with a mentor who
process. LRP staff members also provide additional support and training for volunteer attorneys in the courtroom. • Moore & Van Allen continues its partnership with the
Judicial Pro Se Project’s Self-Serve Center in Mecklenburg County. Through this project, led by Charlotte associate Kimberly Zirkle, MVA attorneys provide legal help to members of the local low-income community who are forced to represent themselves in divorce and custody matters because they cannot afford to hire an attorney. In addition to committing one morning a month to serving as the Center’s Attorney for the Day, lawyers from Moore & Van Allen have also assisted by supervising divorce and custody information clinics at the Charlotte School of Law. Due to the economic downturn, the Center has seen a significant increase in the number of citizens attempting to represent themselves in their domestic matters. In addition to volunteering at the clinic, several members of the MVA team have used this experience as a springboard for taking on pro bono custody and divorce cases for members of Charlotte’s low-income community.
• Through Moore & Van Allen’s Pro Bono Wills Project our attorneys continue to forge meaningful relationships with clients looking for some comfort with respect to their personal affairs. Founded in early 2010, the Wills Project is a partnership with Legal Aid of Southern Piedmont (LSSP) that assists elderly residents of Mecklenburg County with estate planning services. The program, which is led by Charlotte Financial Services partner Lauren Biek, empowers residents of Mecklenburg County who over 60 years in age to make their own plans and decisions governing end of life issues through the completion of a will and health care power of attorney. The Wills Project provides clients with access to the system of justice by offering advocacy, advice and quality representation in securing their estate.
BY THe nUMBerS
What is the total number of hours that lawyers at your U.S. office(s) spent performing pro bono legal services, as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, in 2012 and 2013? Do not include summer associate or non-lawyer pro bono hours in your answers.
Total number of pro bono hours in 2012: 3,757
Total number of pro bono hours in 2013: 3,839
What was the attorney headcount in your firm’s U.S. offices?
Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2012: 289
Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2013: 281
Using the number of attorneys listed above, what is the average number of pro bono hours per attorney in your firm’s U.S. office(s) during the following years?
Average number of hours per attorney in 2012: 13
Average number of hours per attorney in 2013: 136
What percentage of attorneys employed during 2012 and 2013 in your firm’s U.S. office(s) did at least 20 hours of pro bono during that calendar year?
Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2012: 11–20%
Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2013: 11–20%
SUPerViSion anD eValUaTionS
Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters?
Yes
Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates’ work on pro bono matters?
No
Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm?
No
Does the firm give billable hour credit for pro bono work?
No
Does the firm have a maximum number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target?
No
Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses?
N/A
Pro Bono PoinTS
What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters?
The firm’s nonprofit legal partners offer a variety of pro bono training opportunities in the form of CLEs. Often the firm hosts these opportunities in house. The pro bono project leader publicizes these opportunities and the firm covers the cost. Opportunities commonly offered include trainings to serve victims of domestic violence, landlord tenant matters, low-income tax clients and will for the elderly.
Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters?
Please indicate how many total hours and average hours per person your summer associates spent performing pro bono in 2012 and 2013.
Total hours summer associates spent on pro bono work
2012: 80 2013: 94
Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work
2012: 11 2013: 11
Percentage of summer associates in your firm’s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work
2012: 53% 2013: 75%
Please provide any additional information about pro bono opportunities available to summer associates.
Summer association may participate in any open pro bono matter during their summer. The pro bono coordinator works with the firm’s nonprofit legal partners to find short-term pro bono cases such as landlord-tenant and domestic violence cases that the summer associate can complete during his/her stay with the firm. Pro bono mentors are provided to each summer associate to ensure he/she has access to adequate resources and guidance while managing the matter.
Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting?
Yes
Please describe the established program(s) and their duration, if applicable.
Moore & Van Allen, in conjunction with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office, recently established a secondment opportunity through the Firm’s litigation team. The six-month placement invites an MVA litigation associate to work on a daily basis within the DA’s office. The associate lends support to the office’s vast case load, while gaining an incredible courtroom experience. The secondment is designed to deliver additional assistance to the clients served through the DA office, while providing the MVA associate a valuable professional experience to sharpen essential court room and case management skill-sets.
What other law-related public interest and community service programs (that are not “pro bono” as defined by the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge) do you offer and manage? For example, list any law school collaborations and public interest scholarships, auctions at law schools, monetary support, or fellowships.
Founded in part by MVA Financial Services partner, Amy Johnson, the CLDC invites diverse first year law students to Charlotte for twelve weeks. During their stay, students are invited to spend six weeks with a local law firm and six weeks with a legal department. The CLDC clerks participate in a variety of activities that expose him/her to working and living in Charlotte.
What non-law related volunteer opportunities does your firm offer? For example, list any work with high school students and non-legal volunteerism for organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
• Citizen Schools Mock Trial Program
• Safe Alliance (lunch provided on a quarterly basis to residents of a local domestic violence shelter)
• Adoption of Devonshire Elementary third grade class (reading program, backpack program, box top and Coke rewards program)
• Continued support and board service to The Possibility Project
• Job shadow opportunities for Y-Achievers and Olympic High students
• Participation in the Lunch with a Lawyer mentoring program (hosted through the Mecklenburg County Bar)
• Founder of the North Carolina Legal Food Fight (now known as Legal Food Frenzy)
• Bright Blessings backpack stuffing project (serving student homeless population)
• Strategic Choice Campaign (internal giving campaign designed to support six local nonprofit organizations as chosen by the Moore & Van Allen staff and attorneys) • Participation in the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation and Access
to Justice campaigns
Financial and volunteer contributions provided, but not limited to:
• Access to Success
• American Heart Association • American Red Cross • Arts and Science Council • Arts for Life
• Autism Foundation
• Bar Leadership Institute, Mecklenburg County Bar • Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte
• Bright Blessings • Bruce Irons Camp Fund • Camp Luck
• Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation • Childcare Resources, Inc. • Children’s Theatre of Charlotte • Citizen Schools
• Classroom Central • CLT Joules
• Communities in Schools • Community Building Initiative • Council for Children’s Rights • Crisis Assistance Ministries • Devonshire Elementary • Florence Crittenton
• Foundation for the Carolinas • Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council • Habitat for Humanity
• Hands on Charlotte • Juris Day
• Hope House
• Human Rights Campaign
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation • Legal Aid of North Carolina
• Legal Services of Southern Piedmont • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • Make-A-Wish Foundation • Mecklenburg Bar Foundation • North Carolina Access to Justice • North Carolina Bar Foundation • Oklahoma Disaster Relief Fund • Pediatric Cancer Foundation • Pro Bono Net
• Queen City Forward • Ronald McDonald House • Safe Alliance
• Second Harvest Food Bank • Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure • Teach for America
• The Possibility Project
• Thompson Child & Family Focus • United Family Services
• Urban Ministry Center • YMCA of Greater Charlotte
Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won since 2012 for its pro bono work.
• 2014 Commitment to Justice Award—Safe Alliance • 2013 Large Firm Pro Bono Award recipient as presented by
Legal Aid of North Carolina, Council for Children’s Rights, and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
• 2012 Large Firm Pro Bono Award recipient as presented by the North Carolina Bar Association
• Safe Alliance’s Legal Representation Project • 2012 Commitment to Justice Award
• George Hanna—2012 Distinguished Pro Bono Award (inaugural recipient), as presented by the Council for Children’s Rights, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and Legal Aid of North Carolina
Please add any additional information about your firm’s pro bono program.
Moore & Van Allen is committed to charitable, bar, civic and pro bono service. Our attorneys shall endeavor, and shall encourage others, to advance this commitment by volunteering time to beneficial projects of their choosing. All resources and staff which are available for clients also support these activities. Interested staff members are welcome to participate in these efforts. The MVA Public Service Committee endorses rule 6.1 of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct which encourages each attorney to render at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services per year.
The MVA Public Service Committee, in an effort to increase access to pro bono opportunities, has established six pro bono project areas through partnerships with local service providers. For more information on these projects please contact the attorney listed, or connect with Stephanie Marella Gryder (stephaniegryder@mvalaw.com) to discuss MVA’s focus areas.
MVA Pro Bono Projects:
Landlord/Tenant Project John Fagg Litigation Member T 704 331 3622 F 704 378 2092 johnfagg@mvalaw.com
Service Provider: Legal Aid/Legal Services Wills Project
Rob Kenny
Financial Services Member T 704 331 1010
F 704 378 2010
robkenny@mvalaw.com
Domestic Violence Project Sarah Buffett Immigration Member T 704 331 3565, 919 286 8177 F 704 339 5865, 919 416 8377 sarahbuffett@mvalaw.com Service Provider: Safe Alliance Low-Income Taxpayer Project Rob Fisher
Financial Services Member T 704 331 3575
F 704 339 5875
robfisher@mvalaw.com
Service Provider: United Family Services Mecklenburg County Self-Serve Center Kimberly Zirkle
Financial Services Associate T 704 331 3641
F 704 378 2003
kimberlyzirkle@mvalaw.com
Service Provider: Mecklenburg County Self-Serve Center Veterans Affairs Pro Bono Project
Larry Gwaltney Litigation Member T 704 331 1008 F 704 378 1908
larrygwaltney@mvalaw.com
Service Provider: Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project Sarah Byrne
Conflicts Counsel T 704 331 3794 F 704 339 5921
sarahbyrne@mvalaw.com
Community Economic Development Pro Bono Project Partnership with Queen City Forward
Chris Buchanan
Financial Services Member T 704 331 1187
F 704 378 1987
chrisbuchanan@mvalaw.com Partnership with CLT Joules Patrick Horne
Intellectual Property Associate T 704 331 3597
F 704 378 1997
