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Adams and Reese LLP. 701 Poydras St. Suite 4500 New Orleans, Louisiana Phone: (504)

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701 Poydras st. suite 4500

new Orleans, Louisiana 70139 Phone: (504) 585-0476 www.adamsandreese.com

LOcAtIOns

Baton Rouge, LA • Birmingham, AL • columbia, sc • Houston, tX • Jackson, ms • Jacksonville, FL • memphis, tn • mobile, AL • nashville, tn • nashville music Row, tn • new Orleans, LA • sarasota, FL • st. Petersburg, FL • tallahassee, FL • tampa, FL • Washington, dc

mAJOR dePARtments & PRActIces

Aerospace / Aviation • Agricultural chemicals • Alternative dispute Resolution • Antitrust / Unfair competition • Appellate • Arbitration • Asbestos • Automotive • Banking / Financial services • Bankruptcy / Workouts • casualty and coverage • cause-Related marketing • charter schools • class Action / complex Litigation • commercial dispute Resolution • commercial Restructuring / Bankruptcy • construction • contests / sweepstakes • copyrights / trademarks / Patents • corporate / securities • directors and Officers / Professional Liability • e-commerce / Internet • economic development • education • employee Benefits / eRIsA • energy • entertainment • environmental • errors and Omissions / Professional Liability • estate / Wealth Planning • ethics • Family Business consulting • Film • First Amendment / media Law • Forestry • Franchise / distribution • Governmental Relations • Health care • Hospitality • Immigration • Insurance • Insurance Regulatory • Intellectual Property / technology • International • Internet • Labor and employment • Land Use • Licensing • Litigation • Long-term care • maritime / Offshore • mergers / Acquisitions • music / Publishing • new media • Oil / Gas • Pharmaceutical / medical device • Pharmaceuticals / Products Liability • Privacy, data security and Information Governance • Products Liability • Professional Liability • Public Finance • Real estate • Renewable energy • securities • stimulus • tax • technology • telecommunications • torts and Insurance • toxic tort • transactions • transportation and Logistics • Utilities • Workers’ compensation

tHe stAts

no. of Attorneys: 324 no. of Offices: 16

managing Partner: charles P. Adams Jr.

Hiring Partner(s): mark Beebe - Liaison Partner Recruiting

emPLOYment cOntAct

Linda soileau

director of Human Resources Phone: (504) 581-3234 email: linda.soileau@arlaw.com careers website:

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WHO’s WHO

Does the firm have one or more pro bono coordinators and/or partners? If so, how many?

1

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).

Pro Bono coordinators spend about 10 percent of their time administering the firm’s pro bono program.

Please provide the primary pro bono contact(s)’s information below.

Mark Surprenant

Liaison Partner, Pro Bono Committee Phone: (504) 585-0213

Email: mark.surprenant@arlaw.com Website:

http://www.adamsandreese.com/pro_bono/

Does the firm have a pro bono committee?

Yes

How often does the committee meet?

Quarterly

Please describe the composition of the committee.

16 partners representing each of the firm’s 16 offices

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?

Adams and Reese’s pro bono policy requires that every lawyer in the firm annually perform at least 20 hours of pro bono work. Attorneys wishing to take on a pro bono matter must receive approval of the matter as qualifying under the policy from the firm’s Pro Bono Liaison Partner or, when appropriate, the local Pro Bono Partner. Under the policy, to qualify as pro bono work, the representation must be undertaken without the expectation of fee and not in the course of ordinary commercial practice and must fall into one of the following three categories: 1. the delivery of legal services to persons of limited means or to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental

and educational organizations in matters which are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means; 2. the provision of legal services to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights; and

3. the provision of legal services to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organization purposes, where the payment of standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organizations economic resources or would be otherwise inappropriate.

Additionally, the firm accepts court-appointed pro bono matters. When an attorney receives such an appointment, he or she must notify the Practice Group Leader, as well as the Pro Bono Liaison Partner, and a determination will be made as to who within the firm is best equipped to handle the matter.

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?

Bankruptcy, Civil rights, Community economic development, Death penalty defense, Disability benefits, Domestic violence, Education, Employment, Environment, Fair housing/tenants rights, Family law, First Amendment and constitutional issues, Immigration, Juvenile justice reform/children’s rights, Nonprofit corporate law, Nonprofit incorporation/tax exemptions, Social security law, Probate law, Public benefits, Real estate transactions, The arts and historic preservation, Veterans’ benefits/appeals

Are there areas of law in which, as a matter of policy or practice, your firm does not perform pro bono work?

None

List up to 10 of your firm’s pro bono clients or partners since 2012, including legal service providers or clearinghouses.

• National Appleseed/Louisiana Appleseed/Alabama Appleseed • The New Orleans Pro Bono Project

• Mississippi Volunteers Lawyers Project • Are You Safe in Tampa

• Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee • Memphis Area Legal Services

• Birmingham Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Program • Houston Bar Foundation

• South Carolina Legal Services

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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.

• Adams and Reese was a recipient of the 2014 “Good Apple” award presented by Louisiana Appleseed for its continuous and longstanding pro bono and philanthropic efforts for Louisiana Appleseed, which recruits attorneys to donate pro bono time to solve problems at their root cause, advance social justice by effecting change at the policy, or systemic level and increase access to education, opportunity and justice. Since 2007 when Adams and Reese housed Louisiana Appleseed in the firm’s New Orleans office during the organization’s infancy, the firm has volunteered hundreds of hours for Appleseed’s pro bono efforts, including authoring handbooks and legal resources for charter schools and banks, and spearheading a new Louisiana heirship property law, post-Hurricane Katrina.

• Adams and Reese attorneys Lee Reid and Jennifer Barriere worked pro bono with both the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) and Louisiana Appleseed to produce a Legal Handbook for members of Louisiana’s charter school governing boards to serve as a guide to simplify and spell out the legal rules and regulations by which they must operate. The Memorandum of Understanding formalizing the three-year partnership specifies the roles of the organizations in the production and distribution of the Handbook. The LAPCS will lend institutional and financial support to help in the research and production of the materials, as well as take the lead in the annual updates and distribution of the physical books to charter governing boards across the state. Louisiana Appleseed’s volunteer attorneys will be responsible for providing the core content in the Handbook, production of the physical book, and the online availability of the material.

• We are proud to continue our partnerships with several pro bono and nonprofit organizations in each of our offices, including: National Appleseed, Louisiana Appleseed, The Baton Rouge Bar Foundation Pro Bono Project, Legal Aid Society of Tennessee, SaveOneSoldier.org, Alabama Appleseed, Birmingham Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Program, Child Advocacy Center, Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program/Houston Bar Foundation, Memphis Area Legal Services, Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Program, New Orleans Pro Bono Project, South Carolina Legal Services, Bay Area Legal Services, Inc., Are You Safe, Gulfcoast Legal Services and the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project.

List up to three pro bono matters that are highlights (e.g., a Supreme Court case). Please limit your answer to a short paragraph per matter.

• Tampa associate Stephanie Martin worked over 60 pro bono hours on a family law appellate case she received as a member of the Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Pro Bono Committee. In this case, Stephanie represented a single mother of three children. During the bulk of the 20-plus year marriage, this mother stayed at home to care for the children. After her husband filed for divorce, she actively sought employment in a difficult economy in order

to support the children. Ultimately, she was hired as a teacher’s aide in the public school system, but only received a salary of $14,000 per year. Following trial, her former husband filed an appeal. As she could no longer afford her legal bills, Stephanie stepped in to represent her. On appeal, the former husband sought to overturn the trial court’s judgment awarding the mother alimony and attorneys’ fees and requiring the former husband to designate the mother as beneficiary to his military life insurance policy until all of their children reached the age of majority. Stephanie’s work helped this mother obtain a favorable ruling from the Second District Court of Appeals in Florida, which affirmed the trial court’s award of alimony and attorneys’ fees. With respect to the life insurance, the appeals court remanded the case for the trial court to determine whether a forced beneficiary designation could be made under federal law for the particular military insurance policy involved; if such a forced designation could not be made, the appeals court stated that the trial court could compel the former husband to obtain a separate life insurance policy for the benefit of the mother and the children. This ruling was very significant to this family because it provided much-needed closure in a difficult situation and afforded the mother and her children with the monetary relief they so desperately needed to meet their needs and move forward with their lives.

• New Orleans associate Ira Gonzalez assisted a 24-year old, single mother, referred by the New Orleans Pro Bono Project, in her wage claim against her former employer. Although a claim for $700 may seem like a minuscule amount of money to tussle over and a waste of time to most, for the client, it meant the difference between providing a place to live for her and her young son while she prepared to welcome her second child into the world or homelessness. In fact, her employer’s failure to pay her earned wages forced the client to seek financial assistance from her church, a situation that left her mortified and hopeless. Considering the claim was for a minimal amount, Ira was confident a simple phone call could bring this matter to a speedy resolution. Instead, the client’s former employer was unresponsive and unwilling to cooperate. Ira pressed on and set the claim for trial in an attempt to recover the client’s earned wages. Nearly a year after the wages were earned and demands were made to the former employer for payment, the matter proceeded to trial. After listening to testimony and analyzing the evidence presented, the court held that the petition was well-founded and the former employer was ordered to pay the client’s unpaid wages. Moreover, the court granted all the additional relief we sought, which included: 90 days of penalty wages for failure to compensate the client timely with interest from date of judicial demand; Interpreter fees; and Attorneys’ fees. The client’s commitment and determination to prove the legitimacy of her claim while struggling to support her family was the driving force to a successful outcome. Although the client certainly benefited by pursuing her fight to protect her rights, assisting a voiceless victim realize a resolution to a wrong committed against her was just as rewarding of an experience for Ira as it was for her. Ira has worked a total of 70 pro bono hours on this case, and recently submitted the proposed judgment to the court and collection efforts will ensue thereafter.

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• New Orleans associate Marshall Hevron, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8973 in New Orleans, helped organize a pro bono legal clinic for Veterans on Veterans Day, November 11th at the VFW Post 8973, located at 531 Lyons St. The Young Lawyers Division of the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and The Pro Bono Project teamed up to put on the event. Volunteer attorneys provided Veterans with advice on a range of civil issues including family law, estate planning, land lord tenant disputes, contract reviews, and many other issues. Veterans requiring longer term legal assistance were matched with volunteer attorneys in the community who assisted with their claims. There were also qualified personnel on hand who assisted Veterans with VA claims.

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: 7,036

Total number of pro bono hours in 2013: 6,689

What was the attorney headcount in your firm’s U.S. offices?

Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2012: 290

Number of attorneys as of December 31, 2013: 320

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: 24

Average number of hours per attorney in 2013: 21

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: 51–60%

Percentage of attorneys who did pro bono work in 2013: 51–60%

sUPeRVIsIOn And eVALUAtIOns

Is there partner supervision on all pro bono matters?

No

Do partner supervisors or, if applicable, senior associates provide written evaluations of associates’ work on pro bono matters?

Yes

Are those evaluations taken into account in determining salary or bonuses?

No, they are not taken into account.

Are those evaluations taken into account in determining advancement within the firm?

Yes

Is there a pro bono requirement at your firm?

Yes

What is the requirement and to whom does it apply?

20 hours per year for all attorneys

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?

N/A - The firm does not have a billable hours target.

Does the firm consider pro bono hours when determining bonuses?

Yes

PRO BOnO POInts

What training opportunities are open to associates working on pro bono matters?

Adams and Reese attorneys at all levels are provided with ample opportunities to learn how they can better serve their communities through pro bono work. They participate in training programs offered throughout the year by the pro bono organizations with whom they work, as well as through various Continued Legal Education (CLE) programs. These opportunities not only prepare them for their experience, but also give them an overview of some the issues and matters they may encounter.

Does the firm offer the use of support staff in handling pro bono matters?

Yes

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: 141 2013: 125

Average hours per summer associate spent on pro bono work

2012: 9 2013: 10

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Percentage of summer associates in your firm’s U.S. office(s) engaged in pro bono work

2012: 100% 2013: 100%

Does the firm have established programs, such as externships, that enable its associates to work in a public interest setting?

Yes

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.

Adams and Reese supports the legal community in a variety of ways. The firm sponsors an array of diverse events benefiting legal education. Each year, the firm awards annual scholarships to two law students in Mississippi who embody the firm’s passion for pro bono service. Additionally, the firm and its individual partners award an annual scholarship to one female law student in Houston in memory of one of the firm’s beloved partners. Adams and Reese also sponsors two distinguished professorships at the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, and has made significant monetary contributions to the University of Alabama School of Law by funding the new Student Career Services Office.

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.

At Adams and Reese, we take pride in giving back to our communities and believe our success is directly related to the prosperity and the quality of life within the communities we serve. Our corporate philanthropy program, HUGS (Hope, Understanding, Giving, and Support) was founded in 1988 by Partner Mark Surprenant. The HUGS program celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013. Since its inception, the firm has devoted financial resources and thousands of volunteer hours to offer assistance to those in need to more than 200 organizations across the firm’s footprint.

A fundamental commitment to volunteerism is a deep-rooted characteristic of our firm. Although many of our faces have changed over the years, our employees have a sense of community spirit that keeps our HUGS program alive. Some of the organizations and philanthropies touched by our employee volunteer program throughout our regional footprint include: Boys Hope, Big Buddy Kids, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Susan B. Komen Foundation, National Conference for Community and Justice, United Way, Charter Schools, St. Vincent De Paul, Junior Achievement, My Sister’s Closet, YMCA, YWCA, Camp for All, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Special Olympics, Star of Hope, Adopt a Family, Gateway Rescue Mission, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Operation Shoestring, Stewpot Ministries, Wingard Home,

Happy Hearts, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Child Advocacy Center, St. Mary’s Children’s Home, Community Foundation, Hands on Nashville, Second Harvest Food Bank, Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Bureau, Children’s Hospital, Disabled Adults with Needs, Domestic Violence Donate a Phone Project; Dress for Success, Odyssey House, St. Andrew’s Village, St. Michael’s Special School, ARC of St. Tammany and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Please list any special recognition or awards your firm has won since 2012 for its pro bono work.

• Our firm totaled 6,689 pro bono hours in 2013 as our attorneys continue to help those in legal need who cannot afford it and volunteer for pro bono and nonprofit organizations across our regional footprint in each of our offices. In the last five years combined, Adams and Reese attorneys have donated more than 31,500 pro bono hours, including more than 20,000 pro bono hours in the last three years. Our numbers have helped us rank among the Top 200 Law Firms in the nation by pro bono hours by The American Lawyer.

• Adams and Reese was a recipient of the 2014 “Good Apple” award presented by Louisiana Appleseed for its continuous and longstanding pro bono and philanthropic efforts for Louisiana Appleseed, which recruits attorneys to donate pro bono time to solve problems at their root cause, advance social justice by effecting change at the policy, or systemic level and increase access to education, opportunity and justice.

• Our Pro Bono Liaison Partner Mark Surprenant received the William Reece Smith, Jr. Special Services Pro Bono Award, given by the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals, and also a Pro Bono Award from the Legal Services

Corporation.

• Tampa associate Stephanie Martin received a 2013 Pro Bono Service Award from nonprofit Are You Safe, which provides legal and social services to victims of domestic violence in the Tampa area.

Please add any additional information about your firm’s pro bono program.

In the last five years combined, Adams and Reese attorneys have donated more than 31,500 pro bono hours, including more than 20,000 pro bono hours in the last three years.

The American Lawyer’s 2013 Pro Bono Report ranks Adams and Reese among the top 100 pro bono firms in the nation, listing the firm at No. 86, calculated by average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who perform more than 20 hours of pro bono work in a year. Adams and Reese has been ranked on the Am Law pro bono list since 2007. In 2013, Adams and Reese attorneys and advisors, located in 16 offices throughout the southern United States and Washington, DC, performed more than 6,600 pro bono hours for more than 100 different pro bono project organizations and causes throughout the nation.

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Across the firm, Adams and Reese attorneys tackle a diverse scope of pro bono matters, including writing wills for first responders and helping people with estate planning matters; setting up 501(c)(3) organizations and nonprofit applications; volunteering for bar association and pro bono project legal workshops; resolving heirship property titles and land issues;

easing banking concerns among foreign citizens working after Katrina; handling indigent capital appeals; dealing with divorce and custody matters, also across International borders; setting up a fund service and retrieving pensions for war veterans; and partnering with organizations to help victims gain access to justice in domestic violence disputes.

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