O'Melveny's 2018-2019 Pro Bono Review

O’MELVENY PRO BONO PROGRAM REVIEW 2018- 2019 31 SIMHS is a private, nonprofit children’s mental health services agency that has been serving Staten Island children with special needs and their families since 1895. O’Melveny’s work ensured that the organization could continue providing these crucial services to the community. Throughout the representation, O’Melveny lawyers had to navigate around the client’s shifting financial position and multiple layers of regulatory approvals involving over a dozen local, state, and federal government agencies. This complicated legal work ultimately helped guarantee the survival of the client’s vital, decades-old programs. Helping the Elderly Through Art O’Melveny represented Art 4 New York in a number of corporate matters. The organization’s mission is to uplift isolated and underprivileged senior citizens through interactive theatrical and artistic programs. Art 4 New York was created in honor of the founder’s grandmother, who passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2016. Her granddaughter began volunteering at a nursing home where she discovered that the residents enjoyed hearing Shakespeare’s sonnets recited, just as her grandmother had. This revelation led her to create Art 4 New York. In addition to helping residents of nursing homes, the organization is building a creative, multi-generational diverse community. O’Melveny helped Art 4 New York incorporate as a nonprofit under New York law, drafted its corporate governance documents, and assisted it in applying for federal, state, and local tax exemptions. The completion of these matters has enabled Art 4 New York to expand to multiple locations across Manhattan, enriching even more senior communities. Bolstering Low-Income Communities Through Microlending O’Melveny has worked closely with microlender TMC Development Working Solutions for 15 years. Focusing on businesses owned by women, minorities, and poorer people, Working Solutions is a nonprofit institution providing The skills and experience of a seasoned corporate lawyer are invaluable to the cause of many nonprofit organizations. O’Melveny partner Nikole Kingston’s expertise in corporate transactions has been critical to her pro bono clients as they plan to better serve their communities. As an example, Nikole cites her work with the Boys & Girls Club of America. “It’s a fantastic organization nationwide,” she says, but its broad dominion presented a challenge. The organization realized that it could be more effective if smaller chapters pooled their resources, so it sought legal counsel to assist with a series of mergers. “It really is going to allow them to expand their offerings and their programs,” says Nikole, who PRO BONO SPOTLIGHT Nikole Kingston is based in O’Melveny’s Newport Beach office. “By merging into larger clubs, they can cover much more ground and reach so many more kids.” Nikole has also developed a relationship with the Rainforest Alliance—an organization that partners with communities, governments, and private companies to promote biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. When the Rainforest Alliance was looking to expand, Eric Rothenberg, who leads O’Melveny’s environmental practice, sought help from a transactional lawyer. Nikole assisted the Rainforest Alliance with an international merger, helping it extend its global reach. “We deal with contracts and agreements every day,” says Nikole of her corporate practice. “There’s always a human aspect but it is very business-oriented. For me, being able to step back from that, to sit down with organizations and try to help them achieve their goals, and to have the support of the firm to do that, is very fulfilling.”