Our deeds and shared values define our culture. As a firm, we are equally passionate about delivering legal excellence and making a difference in the world. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.<h2>About Morrison Foerster</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

Social

Search

Jennifer K. Brown is Senior Pro Bono Counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP, with responsibility for the overall direction of the firm’s pro bono program. Ms. Brown also develops pro bono opportunities and promotes lawyers’ participation in the firm’s offices on the east coast of the U.S. as well as in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Ms. Brown was vice president and legal director of Legal Momentum, the nation's first women’s rights legal organization, originally known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund. There, she directed cutting-edge litigation and policy advocacy focused on employment discrimination, domestic violence victims' rights, and sexuality and family rights. Previously, she served as the reproductive rights director with the Civil Rights Bureau of the Office of the New York Attorney General and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.Ms. Brown brings to the firm her deep knowledge of public interest legal organizations and the most pressing civil rights issues of the day. She has, as well, a rich array of litigation experience, having represented individuals as well as federal agencies and the public, from both the plaintiff and defense positions, in trial and appellate courts. As Senior Pro Bono Counsel, she applies this knowledge and experience to multiple goals: encouraging the firm's attorneys from all practice areas to bring pro bono projects to the firm; easing the way for attorneys to undertake meaningful pro bono service; and working with legal service and public interest organizations to identify creative ways to tap the passion and intellect of the firm's lawyers to pursue the public good. Recent achievements include collaborating with a legal services organization to represent individuals whose claims for unemployment insurance benefits are challenged, and forming a project to represent disabled individuals who are seeking federal disability benefits.Ms. Brown received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1993, where she was essays editor of the Yale Law Journal (1992-1993) and was awarded the Benjamin Scharps and Israel H. Peres prizes for outstanding writing. Ms. Brown’s publications include, "The Nineteenth Amendment and Women's Equality," 102 Yale Law Journal 2175 (1993) (student note), and "Life and Death with Joan," in AIDS: The Women, Cleis Press, 1988.

brown_jennifer_blog_150x150.png

brown_jennifer_common_640x280.jpg

brown_jennifer_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

brown_jennifer_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

brown_jennifer_social_600x600.jpg

Senior Pro Bono Counsel

Staff

As senior pro bono counsel, Jennifer manages and promotes the pro bono participation of lawyers on the East Coast.

Jennifer K. Brown

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.Natalie provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of talent with a wide range of experiences and perspectives at the firm, as well as providing client development support in the area of diversity and inclusion. She works closely with the firm’s Diversity Strategy Committee co-chairs Alexis Amezcua, Purvi Patel, and Mark Whitaker, and Women’s Strategy Committee co-chairs Carrie Cohen, Julie Park, and Stacey Sprenkel.Natalie joined Morrison Foerster in November 2013. She was appointed to the newly created role of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in December 2020, having previously served as the firm’s Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Natalie served as Human Resources Manager for Risk Management within Global Banking and Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Before that, she practiced trademark and copyright law and then served as the Special Projects Manager in the Office of Institutional Policy & Planning at Harvard Medical School overseeing the school’s 2011 accreditation process.In 2021, Natalie was named by Crain’s New York Business to its list of Notable Black Leaders & Executives 2021. The special section recognizes black men and women who have impacted New York City in major ways and sets out to honor their professional, civic, and philanthropic achievements. In 2023, Natalie was recognized as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2023 Most Influential Executives in Diversity & Inclusion. She was also selected to Law360’s Diversity & Inclusion Editorial Advisory Board, whose goal is to provide feedback on Law360’s coverage as well as expert insight on how to shape future coverage. Additionally, she was recognized in the Financial Times 2023 North America Innovative Lawyers report as one of seven individual “Change Makers” in the legal industry for her strategic leadership of the firm’s efforts to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In 2024, Natalie was named as a Change Driver in the Annual Diversity Awards of World IP Review (WIPR). The annual Diversity Awards recognize those who have made exceptional contributions to diversity and inclusion in the field of intellectual property.During Natalie’s tenure at MoFo, the firm has received multiple <a href="/culture/diversity#page-section-4" target="_self">diversity and inclusion awards and recognitions</a>.

kernisant_natalie_blog_150x150.png

kernisant_natalie_common_640x280.jpg

kernisant_natalie_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

kernisant_natalie_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

kernisant_natalie_social_600x600.jpg

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Partner

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Natalie Kernisant provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of diverse talent at Morrison Foerster, as well as providing client development support in the area of diversity and inclusion.

Natalie Kernisant

Dorothy L. Fernandez is Pro Bono Counsel based in the Denver office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive pro bono program which includes, among other things, providing free legal services to low-income individuals, advising nonprofit organizations and assisting in other matters that serve the public interest. Dorothy’s primary focus is on working with lawyers in the firm’s Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver and Tokyo offices.In 1999, Dorothy joined Morrison & Foerster as an associate in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement and White-Collar Criminal Defense Group. She was elected a partner of the firm in 2004. Dorothy handled complex litigation at the state, federal and appellate levels and was responsible for drafting key dispositive motions in some of the firm’s largest securities litigation matters. In addition, she had an active pro bono practice and represented clients in individual matters, as well as cases addressing the treatment of children in foster care and the rights of LGBT individuals.A dedicated advocate for the LGBT community, Dorothy has served as co-chair of the board of directors of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and she also served on the board of the Pride Law Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to law students working on issues related to the equal rights of LGBT citizens and people living with HIV/AIDS.Dorothy graduated from Stanford University in 1992 with a B.A. in psychology. She earned a J.D. in 1996 from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and co-chair of HLS Lambda. She has taught as an adjunct instructor at both Golden Gate University Law School and Santa Clara University Law School.

fernandez_dorothy_blog_150x150.png

fernandez_dorothy_common_640x280.jpg

fernandez_dorothy_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

fernandez_dorothy_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

fernandez_dorothy_social_600x600.jpg

Pro Bono Counsel

Dorothy works with lawyers in our Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego offices on various pro bono initiatives.

Dorothy L. Fernandez

Rachel Williams is pro bono counsel based in Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of providing free legal services to low-income individuals, to nonprofit organizations, and in matters that serve the public interest. Rachel works primarily with lawyers in the firm’s San Francisco, Palo Alto, London, Berlin, and Brussels offices. She is an active member of the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative and the board of directors of OneJustice. Rachel joined the firm in 1999. Prior to becoming a pro bono counsel, Rachel was a litigation associate in the firm’s Palo Alto office and worked on attorney training and development initiatives. Before law school, Rachel worked for various nonprofit organizations, was an investigator for the public defender’s office in Seattle, and served as a Coro Public Affairs Fellow in New York City.

williams_rachel_blog_150x150.png

williams_rachel_common_640x280.jpg

williams_rachel_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

williams_rachel_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

williams_rachel_social_600x600.jpg

Rachel is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of providing free legal services to low-income individuals, to nonprofit organizations, and in matters that serve the public interest.

Rachel P. Williams

favicon.ico

favicon-16x16.png

favicon-32x32.png

apple-touch-icon.png

MoFo Favicons

Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and pro bono work. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.

Welcome to the Mofo+ Blog

240920-mofo+-header.jpg

Welcome to the Mofo+ Blog

240920-mofo+-header

Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and pro bono work. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.

Welcome to the MoFo+ Blog

MoFo Community

Blog - Terms of Use

Blog - Privacy Policy

Blog - Blog Disclaimer

Blog - Attorney Advertising

morrison-foerster-blog-logo.png

Provides a data-driven look at the Federal Circuit.

Federal Circuitry

Brings together legal insights and in-depth analyses on trends and complex issues shaping the global technology industry.

MoFo Tech

Equips our clients with the most up-to-date and relevant information on employment and labor law issues.

Employment Law Commentary

In-depth analysis of developments and trends impacting government contracting.

Government Contracts Insight

Government Contracts Insights

Provides insights and reports on the most current class actions lawsuits and product liability issues that affect consumer-facing companies.

Class Dismissed Blog

Class Dismissed

The MoFo+ blog shares news and insights from lawyers who are adding value to the legal profession and making a difference in the communities we call home.

MoFo+

  Linkedin

MoFo LinkedIN

Together Blog - RSS

Stay Connected

Never miss a post from MoFo Together. Enter your email below to stay up-to-date.

Subscribe

Making a Positive Impact Together

Morrison Foerster - Footer

Blogs -  Home Button

Home

Blog - Topics

MoFo Pro Bono

MoFo Diversity

MoFo Life

MoFo Women

Topics

Blog - Editors

Editors

Blog - About

About

Blog - Subscribe

More

MoFo Celebrates Earth Day

Celebrating Black History Month with Maya Wiley, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Faces of MoFo: Dominick Divine III

MoFo's Women of Color Collective: A Conversation with CCWC’s Laurie Robinson Haden

MoFo Wins Asylum for Cameroonian Political Refugee

One thing that struck me when I interviewed with Morrison & Foerster last year was the firm’s commitment to pro bono work. When I spoke to partner Colette Reiner Mayer during my interview, I was impressed to learn that MoFo had sued the government for inhumane conditions at an Arizona detention center in Doe v. Wolf. So, I was excited when we were given the chance to hear more about the case during the summer program.The Doe v. Wolf team described the appalling conditions in the center and showed us some shocking images unearthed during the case. They shared their stories from the case, including how they dealt with the destruction of video evidence and how everyone on the team fell ill with a bad flu right before trial. This was the first major lawsuit challenging conditions in detention centers, and its successful outcome paved the way for future litigation in other detention centers. From listening to this story, it was clear to me that MoFo attorneys can make a real difference with their pro bono work.Even the firm’s smaller pro bono projects can help the community and teach us how to be better lawyers and advocates. This summer, I worked on a conservatorship case for a local couple with a disabled child. The couple was seeking conservatorship to make medical decisions for their son, who has a learning disability. I was given the task of preparing the clients’ conservatorship application, with assistance from Palo Alto partner Rudy Kim and associate Albert Rugo.While on this case, I learned the most by observing Rudy and Albert during our client meetings. It stood out to me how well they were able to explain the application process and answer the clients’ questions. Watching them also showed me how important it is to view things from the clients’ perspective. Once, when I was reviewing a form with the client, I asked a series of questions about the client’s financial situation. Sensing some discomfort at these questions, the attorneys reassured the client that the court only considers these questions to get a fuller picture of their financial situation. Past financial hardship would not disqualify them from obtaining conservatorship. By anticipating the clients’ concerns and viewing it from their perspective, the attorneys were able to put the client at ease. This experience taught me that, no matter the size of the case, building rapport with clients and understanding their point of view is paramount to our work.From cases like Doe v. Wolf to smaller ones like the conservatorship, pro bono gives us the opportunity to develop our legal and interpersonal skills and give back to the community. I left my previous career as a software engineer in part because I wanted to help people more directly with legal skills rather than programming skills. Learning about the Pro Bono program was one of the highlights of my MoFo experience so far, and I know it will continue to be part of my life as an attorney.xxx<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacynfujii/">Kacyn Fujii</a> is a Wetmore fellow in the Palo Alto office. She is a rising 2L at Michigan Law School interested in IP litigation. Kacyn got her M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and her B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College. She likes to dabble in various instruments like melodica and ukulele (she bid on steel drum lessons in the Michigan Law auction for the next time she’s in Ann Arbor).

07_15_sap_mofostories_blog-150x150.jpg

My MoFo Story: Kacyn Fujii on Exploring How MoFo’s Pro Bono Program Makes a Difference

My MoFo Story: Kacyn Fujii on Exploring How MoFo’s Pro Bono Program Makes a Difference

07_15_sap_mofostories_fujii_li-v2.jpg

One thing that struck me when I interviewed with Morrison & Foerster last year was the firm’s commitment to pro bono work. When I spoke to partner Colette Reine

Looking back on my time as a member of MoFo’s first-ever class of Boston summer associates, I’m amazed at and grateful for the meaningful opportunities I had to get involved with real work and learn from the firm’s talented attorneys on the job. Although the firm had to pivot to an all-remote program due to the pandemic, I felt welcome, known, and included from the get-go.After our first week of onboarding and initial trainings, Paresh Kumar, an associate from the Boston office, reached out asking if I might help him on an ongoing tax-related matter. He recalled that I’d mentioned an interest in tax on an office-wide welcome call and wanted to include me. I had taken a few tax classes and was enrolled in BU Law’s joint J.D./LL.M. in Taxation, but wasn’t sure how much help I could be. I scheduled some time to talk it over with Paresh and hoped for the best. A pro bono client of his was discussing its tax-exempt status with the IRS, and Paresh was advocating that the group’s activities did not disqualify it from exemption going forward.As it turned out, Paresh felt I could be of significant help. The client was important to him and, without tax-exempt status, it would struggle to continue its charitable, civil rights-related work. Helping this organization remain tax-exempt brought together Paresh’s interest in giving back, advocating for civil rights, and connecting with groups that are making positive changes in Boston. He asked for tax-related authority to support his position that the IRS had granted tax-exempt status to organizations in similar circumstances to our client.We had covered tax-exempt organizations in my federal income class for a few days, but I had never come across the specific issue Paresh had asked me to look into. He gave me full rein to investigate on my own. Soon enough, I found that taking some time to educate myself on the basic area of law and then drilling down into specific issues raised more questions than it answered. Unsure of whether to simply charge ahead, I instead scheduled a follow-up with Paresh. I knew he was busy, but I didn’t want to spin my wheels and then not be able to deliver some kind of answer to him.To my satisfaction, he was more than willing to hop on a FaceTime call, hear me out, and supply some additional background. It’s really helpful that MoFo is the kind of place that supports this approach to summer associate work. Even though I developed confidence in my ability to research and write for the firm’s attorneys throughout the summer, I never hesitated to reach out for clarification or to check in if I needed to. A request for more information or a quick clarification was never met with annoyance, and my work was never characterized as unimportant.Ultimately, the research I completed allowed Paresh to feel confident in supporting his position to the IRS. He drafted a letter that reflected the research I had done and included me in discussions with the client over next steps. Weeks of silence followed as the IRS considered the letter, so it came as a nice surprise that, on my last day as a summer associate, we learned that the client heard back from the IRS and had been granted tax-exempt status.The experience I had with Paresh repeated itself over and over throughout the summer. Initially, I got work from attorneys after reaching out to them and introducing myself. And, as my interest in tax became known, other attorneys reached out to me, enthusiastic about looping me in. Even when I missed the mark or an attorney needed me to look into further questions, the feedback was always given in the spirit of collegial encouragement. What struck me most was their desire not only to give me opportunities to do real work, but to share their expertise and welcome me into the firm as a colleague, albeit one with a lot to learn.This summer has been different and challenging for a variety of reasons, but my time as summer associate in MoFo’s newly opened Boston office has invigorated me. I’m leaving this summer feeling energized to return to school (remotely) and enthusiastic about rejoining the firm next year.xxx<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-brown-bulaw/">Kevin Brown</a> is a rising 3L at Boston University School of Law. Before coming to law school, he taught English literature and earned an M.A. from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Kevin is currently enrolled in in BU’s joint degree J.D./LL.M. in Taxation program and intends to focus his practice on federal taxation and financing transactions. He is an avid baker of bread, enjoys reading and writing poetry, and loves drawing and illustrating maps.

My MoFo Story: Kevin Brown on Helping an Important Pro Bono Client Gain Tax-Exempt Status

My MoFo Story: Kevin Brown on Helping an Important Pro Bono Client Gain Tax-Exempt Status

07_15_sap_mofostories_brown_li-v2.jpg

Looking back on my time as a member of MoFo’s first-ever class of Boston summer associates, I’m amazed at and grateful for the meaningful opportunities I had to

While there were several engaging presentations throughout the MoFo Summer Program, the “Partner Pathways” presentation stood out as my favorite panel discussion. The panel included partners Alexis Amezcua, Jay Gavigan, Christin Hill, Mike Krigbaum, and Alex Yap, each of whom spoke about their individual paths to partnership.What I took away from this session was that there is no one path to making partner and that MoFo celebrates different backgrounds and skillsets. I particularly enjoyed hearing Mike talk about his experience as a corporate partner, as he was someone who recruited me during the on-campus interview process. Mike discussed the challenging nature of his work, which keeps him engaged and motivated. He also shared his insights on finding work-life balance, and how he values producing excellent work for his clients while also finding time to spend with his family.The presentation also highlighted MoFo’s commitment to advancing and supporting women’s paths to partnership, which is something that is important to me. It was really interesting to learn that Alexis was put up for partner while she was on maternity leave, and that the firm supported her when she took a sabbatical to travel with her family. Alexis also emphasized the importance of making long-lasting connections. She shared how a connection she made as a summer associate at MoFo led to her secondment at a major multinational technology company.Christin’s path to partnership was intriguing because she had about 10 years of experience under her belt before she joined the firm. She talked about how she feels fulfilled as a litigation partner at MoFo, where she is able to utilize her written and oral advocacy skills to the fullest extent. Like Mike, Christin emphasized that her work and the general environment at the firm keep her intellectually stimulated and energized. It was fun to hear about her passion for advocating on her clients’ behalf in the courtroom.Jay offered the perspective of someone who thought he knew exactly what type of law he wanted to practice as a young associate, but learned it was beneficial to try out different areas in order to find the practice that suit him best. He advised that the more lawyers can expose themselves to a variety of practice areas and industries, the more confident they will be in advising clients and meeting all their clients’ needs.Alex shared what it was like to take a hiatus from the firm to pursue a career as an administrative patent judge at the USPTO, and how he was able to apply the skills he learned from that experience to his career at MoFo, once he returned. During Alex’s time away from the firm, he built up his expertise in patent law, which greatly contributes and adds value to his current practice.Finally, some of the partners touched upon how to deal with Imposter Syndrome, which—as someone with a background in psychology—I found really fascinating. It was impactful to hear that even some of the most skilled and intelligent attorneys struggle with feeling inadequate at times. I was impressed by the partners’ willingness to be vulnerable and share more personal details. To combat Imposter Syndrome, several partners underscored the importance of surrounding yourself with people who support you, affirm you, and believe in you, and also finding time to reflect on how far you’ve come in your career.From this panel, I felt like I got to know each partner on a deeper level. I learned that every career path at MoFo looks different, but that the partners at the firm are united in their commitment to client service, to making a positive impact on the community, and to supporting one another.xxxHaley Paloutzian is a rising 3L at Santa Clara Law. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Haley is interested in corporate transactional work, particularly mergers and acquisitions. A fun fact about her is that she learned how to play chess during quarantine!

My MoFo Story: Haley Paloutzian on Learning There Is No Right or Wrong Way to Partnership, Only Your Way

My MoFo Story: Haley Paloutzian on Learning There Is No Right or Wrong Way to Partnership, Only Your Way

07_15_sap_mofostories_paloutzian_li.jpg

While there were several engaging presentations throughout the MoFo Summer Program, the “Partner Pathways” presentation stood out as my favorite panel discussio

As part of Morrison & Foerster’s Summer Associate Program, I had the opportunity to work with Palo Alto partner Bryan Wilson and San Francisco associate Justin Fisch on a pro bono project involving the <a href="https://www.tuolumne.org/">Tuolumne River Trust</a> (TRT). The environmental advocacy organization seeks to protect and restore the Tuolumne River—which flows through Central California, from the High Sierra to the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley—and its watershed for present and future generations.Two dam licensing projects on the Tuolumne are of interest to the TRT: one for the Don Pedro Dam, the tenth tallest in the United States, and the second concerning the La Grange Dam; the two dams combined serve as a source of power, water, and recreation for the Central Valley region. In order to protect the river and its ecosystems, the dams must be licensed in cooperation with state and federal authorities. The current license for the Don Pedro Dam expired in April 2016 after 50 years, and the Irrigation Districts that own it are currently operating on a year-to-year renewal basis until a long-term license is granted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).A 2019 decision in Hoopa Valley Tribe v. FERC by the D.C. Circuit upended licensing procedures elsewhere in the state, and TRT wants to make sure that won’t happen on the Tuolumne. The court rejected a commonly used practice for working around the one-year statutory limit for state certification—withdrawal-and-resubmittal of applications—and found that California and Oregon had waived their water quality certification authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) by following this practice.Under Section 401 a federal agency can only approve a project that may result in a “discharge to the navigable waters” once the applicant has obtained water quality certifications from the affected state. However, in several recent cases, the states were determined to have waived their authority under section 401 by “failing or refusing to act on a request for certification, within a reasonable period of time (which shall not exceed one year) after receipt of such request.”The decision also created a cascade of problems for state and tribal certifying authorities, as well as environmental organizations, as states’ and tribes’ right to control water quality standards within their respective jurisdictions came into question. Many project applicants had asked FERC to waive the states’ abilities to condition water quality certification, as permitted under CWA section 401.I was tasked with understanding the differences between state action in denying water quality certification of dam projects and situations where project proponents’ requests for water quality certification were withdrawn and resubmitted to certifying agencies, similar to the situation in Hoopa Valley. I delved into the arguments in Hoopa Valley and the Clean Water Act’s legislative history to answer this narrow procedural question.In my research, I found that the Clean Water Act had two clear, specific intents. First, Congress designed section 401 to allow states to control the water quality of rivers within their own borders. Congress didn’t want to subvert state control. Second, Congress added the one-year limitation to prevent states that didn’t have clean water standards from delaying the federal licensing process. Congress did not implement the one-year limitation to prevent states with rigorous and exigent water quality standards, such as California, from denying applications that didn’t comply with that state’s water quality requirements and standards.I worked closely with Justin, an associate in the firm’s Environmental and Social Enterprise + Impact Investing Groups, to develop a memorandum for the client to deconstruct this complex and critical distinction. I spent my first week on the issue getting an understanding of the setup of the Hoopa Valley decision and the landscape of the Clean Water Act. Justin directed me to MoFo’s Library Services when I felt overwhelmed by the scale of the research. Robyn Bytheway, an incredible MoFo librarian, was able to find a cross-section of cases, legislative history, and State Water Board denials that I was able to work through.We also attended a strategy meeting between several water advocacy organizations, which impressed on me how serious this issue is for so many parties involved. Restricting states’ rights to control water quality within their own borders is only one of many recent federal decisions that weaken water quality protections that states have fought hard for decades to put in place. The Tuolumne River Trust was extremely encouraged by the memo I drafted for them. I’m confident that my work will be useful for the TRT and other water advocacy organizations in the coming months and years as organizations seek to ensure that relicensed dams and energy projects properly abide by state-level environmental standards throughout the remainder of their relicensed term (often 40–50 years into the future, in other words, generations).I have always been someone who cares deeply about the environment. This fall, I will be participating in the Columbia Environmental Law Clinic upon returning from my summer associate position to law school. When I begin my legal career full-time, I plan to practice as an intellectual property litigator. But one of the reasons I joined Morrison & Foerster this summer was for the opportunity to pursue an avid pro bono practice. Bryan, a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group, and Justin are perfect examples of how MoFo lawyers are working together to do important work. The combination of Justin’s experience in environmental and social impact law and Bryan’s conservation experience makes them powerful advocates for the Tuolumne River Trust and the environment in the state they call home. I look forward to returning to MoFo and continuing to moonlight as an environmental attorney, fighting for a clean environment.xxxIan Bennett is a rising 2L at Columbia Law School. He graduated on the Dean’s Honor List from McGill University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering. Ian is thrilled to be a part of Morrison & Foerster’s two-summer patent program for patent litigation at the Palo Alto office, as he plans to pursue a career as an IP litigator upon graduation. Fun fact: Ian is an enthusiastic hiker. He once snowshoed up Mt. Garibaldi during the winter and camped overnight as temperatures reached zero degrees.

My MoFo Story: Ian Bennett on Navigating the Path to Relicense Dams on the Tuolumne River

My MoFo Story: Ian Bennett on Navigating the Path to Relicense Dams on the Tuolumne River

07_15_sap_mofostories_bennett_li.jpg

As part of Morrison & Foerster’s Summer Associate Program, I had the opportunity to work with Palo Alto partner Bryan Wilson and San Francisco associate Justin 

Early on in my career, I received a fantastic piece of advice from a former colleague: It’s ok not to know. What he meant was that, in the legal profession, we answer questions with varying levels of confidence, and it is important to convey how certain you are when answering a question. For example, if you’re asked to write a research memo on whether a party has standing in a particular matter, the answer isn’t always a simple “yes” or “no.” It’s important to explain where the answer falls on a spectrum of certainty, and why you reached that particular conclusion.It is lessons like this that will stick with me throughout my career and I’m grateful to have come away from MoFo’s Summer Program with some new important nuggets of wisdom. Each week of the program dealt with a different theme, but I found that the fifth week on “Networking and Building Client Relationships” helped me clarify what I know and what I don’t about what I would like to do in my career. In particular, the Summer Program hosted an alumni panel with four former MoFo lawyers who have since moved on to jobs at other organizations.What I found particularly helpful about this panel was that each attorney had a different experience when it came to developing within their current practice area. One attorney, who had done mostly intellectual property work during their early years of practice, wound up shifting her practice to focus more on contractual disputes. Another entered the firm with the broad notion that he wanted to do litigation, and quickly found that he fit well in the antitrust group. Another joined the firm as a lateral, but had worked in the same practice area for his entire career.What I took away from this discussion is that some associates enter the firm with one interest and continue in that practice for the rest of their careers, while others change paths, or find their path when they get to MoFo. Another benefit of hearing from MoFo alumni is that I was reminded that there are some really great opportunities outside of the firm as well, and that no matter which route you choose, you will be supported by the firm. Until this panel, I wasn’t aware of the existence of a few of the potential positions I could take on.One of the main things I took away from this summer experience is that I am not destined for success as a bartender, thanks to our Summer Program’s virtual mixology event. Another is that there numerous paths you can take within your career at MoFo. While I found the alumni panel to be particularly useful, our class had a number of opportunities to interact with lawyers from a variety of practice areas. In the D.C. office, we heard from almost all of the office’s practice groups, and all of the partners and associates we engaged with were open to answering whatever questions we had. While many of my interests remained constant over the course of the summer, the program showed me how those interests can be applied to a number of potential areas.xxx<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejamesdionne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Dionne</a> is a rising 3L at the University of Virginia School of Law and attended Harvard for his undergrad years. He is a first-year summer at MoFo who is interested in litigation and also hopes to explore work in the National Security, SLEW, and Privacy Practices. He’s been to 15 baseball stadiums with his dad and hopes to get to all 30; a project that is currently on hold.

My MoFo Story: James Dionne on Gaining a New Perspective on Career Path Possibilities

My MoFo Story: James Dionne on Gaining a New Perspective on Career Path Possibilities

07_15_sap_mofostories_dionne_li.jpg

Early on in my career, I received a fantastic piece of advice from a former colleague: It’s ok not to know. What he meant was that, in the legal profession, we 

Before Morrison & Foerster’s 2020 summer associate program began, I expected my pro bono work would consist of small assignments that were simply pieces of larger projects, mostly managed by the lawyers. I was happily surprised when I was given the opportunity to be part of a robust, multi-dimensional project that not only allowed me to take full ownership of the final product, but also challenged me to step up my written, oral, and visual communication skills.Under the supervision of associates Amy Larsen and Jonathan Babcock, I worked with fellow summer associates Rachel Gallagher and Rachael Hanna to research election procedures in all fifty states. We then drafted a written report detailing our findings and presented it to long-time MoFo pro bono client, the <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brennan Center for Justice</a>. Amy and Jonathan, along with associate Lyle Hedgecock and partner David Newman, have been working with the Brennan Center for Justice on a number of projects focused on ensuring the security of the 2020 U.S. elections.As an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization, the Brennan Center works to uphold our country’s systems of democracy and justice. Given the importance of ensuring fair and free elections in November 2020 and beyond, our team took a deep dive into the post-election audit procedures used by all fifty states.The goal of post-election audits is to ensure that voting systems have correctly recorded the votes cast by checking voting equipment and vote-counting procedures for accuracy. Audits typically involve comparing a sample of paper ballots or voting records with results produced by an electronic voting system. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia currently perform some kind of post-election audit. However, when it comes to discrepancies uncovered by the audits, states’ actions vary significantly — an audit-identified discrepancy in some states may lead to a full recount, while in other states a discrepancy leads to no action at all. Our goal was to identify these differences and find common threads, particularly among states that use percentage discrepancy margins to trigger an expanded audit.Conducting the Research Our team began the research by examining state statutes, election manuals, and other online resources. Creating a full and accurate report, however, required that we directly contact state election officials and agencies, which entailed numerous emails and phone calls over the course of several days. The process of tracking down the needed information required our team to think quickly to articulate the aim of the project, convey the information we hoped to gather, and answer questions from very busy election administrators. This original research required a proactive approach, and with each phone call my confidence in speaking as the project’s representative grew.Preparing the Report As the three summer associates compared our research, we decided to categorize states using three broad questions:(1) Is there a post-election audit?(2) If yes, is there a discrepancy margin that may lead to some further action?(3) If yes, what type of action is triggered when that threshold is met?We then developed nine additional categories based on these qualifiers, placing each state in one of these groups. Although synthesizing such a broad data set was initially challenging, our team was able to design a comprehensive report that both addressed the client’s needs and provided valuable context. The breadth of this project and volume of information involved required us to balance creating a complete product while maintaining conciseness and clarity — a critical skill as we prepare for practice.Presenting Our FindingsWe presented our findings to the Brennan Center through a video meeting during the final week of the summer associate program. I did not expect the opportunity to interact directly with a client as a summer associate—and certainly could not have imagined the opportunity to directly present findings on behalf of a team in a live meeting. Beyond providing valuable, specific feedback on both our slide deck and verbal presentation, our associate supervisors gave us complete autonomy over the presentation itself. Over the course of forty-five minutes, our team of three summer associates discussed the variation among state post-election audit systems and answered the client’s questions. After the presentation, the team discussed how we could build upon our existing report to respond to specific areas of interest that the client expressed during the meeting. It was an excellent exercise in shaping a final product to meet the client’s needs.ConclusionDue in part to the post-election audit procedures project, I am leaving the summer associate program feeling more prepared to practice than when I entered. Each phase of the project — the research, the creation of the report, and the presentation — challenged me in a different area of legal practice. Further, MoFo’s demonstrated commitment to elections and voting rights is more important now than ever before. As a former middle school teacher, I believe deeply in the power of civic engagement and education. A key factor in motivating young people to vote is assuring them that their votes will count, and post-election audits have the power to do just that. This project gave me the opportunity to be a small part of working toward the greater goal of ensuring free and fair elections in all fifty states.xxx<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-smith-a36b07196/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Megan Smith</a> is a rising 3L at Georgetown University Law Center and is a Litigation summer associate in MoFo’s Washington, D.C. office. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 2016 with a B.S. in economics and a B.A. in political science. Before law school, Megan was a middle school math teacher in the Mississippi Delta and she currently volunteers for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, a nonprofit that encourages young people to lead lives dedicated to leadership, service, and innovation.

My MoFo Story: Megan Smith on Building Legal Practice Skills Through State Survey of Election Audits

My MoFo Story: Megan Smith on Building Legal Practice Skills Through State Survey of Election Audits

07_15_sap_mofostories_smith_li.jpg

Before Morrison & Foerster’s 2020 summer associate program began, I expected my pro bono work would consist of small assignments that were simply pieces of larg

When California became the first state to go into COVID-19-related lockdown in late March, Morrison & Foerster San Francisco-based corporate partner <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/susan-mac-cormac.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Susan (Suz) Mac Cormac</a> was alarmed by what she knew would be a devastating impact on the state’s small businesses. Her concern was compounded by the fact that, while government relief programs were enacted, they might not be reaching the businesses that needed it the most.“We are going to have bread lines,” Suz told the San Francisco Chronicle.Indeed, small businesses were not getting relief anywhere near as quickly as they needed to—if at all. For one thing, the federal government was overwhelmed, with CARES Act legislation requiring it to dole out, in just a few weeks, 20 times the $30 billion in loans that it usually processes annually.Another problem was the criteria that the federal government established for businesses to qualify for its first round of loans. Those rules defined “small” as fewer than 500 employees, resulting the loans being “gobbled up in days—including by nearly 300 privately traded companies and by other not-so-small businesses like the Los Angeles Lakers,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.And so Suz led MoFo’s co-founding of the California Small Enterprise Task Force (CASE Task Force), a consortium of legal, financial, and nonprofit professionals working together to connect California small businesses with the resources they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.The Loan FundThe CASE Task Force is in the process of forming the California Small Business Rebuilding Fund, which will direct low-interest loans to California small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on minority, immigrant, and women-owned business. MoFo’s pro bono client, <a href="https://www.kiva.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kiva Microfunds</a>, has agreed in principal to own and manage the fund.The fund is raising $1 billion in low interest debt financing to provide capital to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that can quickly deploy the money as loans to California businesses in need. CDFIs were launched in 1973 to respond to the long history of bank discrimination against minority communities.Kiva Microfunds, as a 501(c)(3) public charity, will seek donations and grants in order to keep interest rates low and cover potential defaults by businesses that are unable to recover. In addition, this philanthropic contribution will give the CDFIs the ability to extend non-payment of interest from three to six months, thus avoiding defaults, for strong businesses and entrepreneurs who need help bridging a gap until the economy reopens.The fund expects to work in partnership with local, municipal, and regional initiatives in the state in order to help maximize the opportunity for low‑interest rebuilding loans to California small businesses.A Resource Guide Is BornThe CASE Task Force’s first project was a resource guide for small businesses. Kaela initiated the guide’s format. She says one of the first things that came up on the calls with her early CASE Task Force teammates was the need to get the guide out as soon as possible because the financial and technical resources available to small businesses impacted by the pandemic were constantly changing and the information in the resource guide would quickly go stale.“For each small-business resource that we listed, I focused on answering two questions: whether the business would be eligible for the resource and how the business could benefit from the resource,” Kaela says.“Then Brett Morrison, a MoFo client relations manager, and his team jumped in and polished up the guide and helped us to figure out where it should be posted. Now it has a home on the <a href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ComprehensiveGuide_for_SmallBusiness_COVID-19-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Berkley Law School website</a>.”A team of MoFo lawyers, staff, and summer associates Cesar Bystrom, Dara Pilgrim, and Monica Hicks updates the resource guide each week. Michael Paul Santos, a MoFo associate based in San Francisco, has facilitated the resource guide’s maintenance and expansion.Virtual Group Office HoursShortly after the CASE Task Force was formed, it began to organize weekly virtual group office hours, during which attorneys shared information and answered questions posed by small businesses in a “town hall” format. Initially, MoFo attorneys staffed these sessions, providing CARES Act, employment, tax, and real estate expertise with help from Damien Specht, Tina Reynolds, Jill Feldman, Ossie Cousins, and Maureen Linch. San Francisco-based Alfredo Silva has participated in office hours and helped to coordinate Spanish-language translation efforts.The MoFo team then recruited other law firms to join the effort, while MoFo attorneys, including Alfredo and Olga Terets, a San Francisco-based MoFo associate, continued to moderate the sessions.“I think we can confidently say that we have so far reached more than 500 small businesses through those weekly programs,” said Brett.Brett describes the office hours as a virtual twist on a conventional pro bono clinic, without the formal intake process.“Unlike a clinic, we’re not assigning individual attorneys to work on a specific case to conclusion,” he explained. “It’s public access. There’s a panel of attorneys and other professionals with different specialties and backgrounds. They take on the small-business-participants’ questions.”Brett and Kaela also said that, for them, the office hours have been particularly gratifying.“There have been hundreds of small businesses logging off at the end of some of the calls and they all seem so appreciative,” Kaela says.

07_16_helpinghands_blogthumbnail-150x150.jpg

MoFo Spearheads California Task Force to Save Small Businesses

MoFo Spearheads California Task Force to Save Small Businesses 

07_16_helpinghands_socialmedia_li.jpg

When California became the first state to go into COVID-19-related lockdown in late March, Morrison & Foerster San Francisco-based corporate partner Susan (Suz)

MoFo Spearheads California Task Force to Save Small Businesses

In this special edition of Matters That Matter, we take a look at some of the many ways MoFo lawyers have been stepping up in response to the coronavirus pandemic, assisting our most vulnerable communities that have been disproportionately affected.MoFo lawyers and staff answered the call by forming response task forces, such as our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force, participating in free virtual legal clinics for small businesses, advising nonprofits on a number of COVID-19 related issues, developing our COVID-19 Resource Center, and so much more. Below are just a few examples of the many ways our lawyers are advancing our proud pro bono tradition every day.<ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">Tax partner Matt Lau and corporate partner Jesse Gillespie are leading a cross-office effort among Tokyo, Hong Kong, and the United States, helping to create a U.S.-based nonprofit called Students Against the Virus Entrepreneurship Program (SAVE). SAVE’s mission is to find support for COVID-19 related innovations by high school students. MoFo lawyers will confirm whether or not the proposed structure would qualify for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and, if they pass the test, then help the founders with incorporation and filing. SAVE’s high school program will run as a startup contest and include teams from 16 leading secondary schools worldwide. The contest will be judged by leading business figures.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">A multi-office team is working with scientists to launch and help build the <a href="https://readdi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Development Initiative</a> (READDI), a global organization aimed at discovering and developing drugs to put “on the shelf” for clinical trial testing in anticipation of future viral pandemics. In READDI, projects will adopt extreme open science methods and share drug discovery progress in real time, so that all can benefit. Their studies are focused on three viral families (coronavirus, flavivirus, and alphavirus) that cause the vast majority of epidemics and pandemics. The team includes New York corporate partner Jay Gavigan and associate Mara Goodman; New York tax partner Jay Blaivas and associate Phil Jaworskyj; with Boston partner Michael Ward, San Francisco of counsel Muzy Huq, New York of counsel Anthony Ramirez, and New York associate Wendy Chu advising on IP issues.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">Boston Corporate partner Todd Boudreau and New York partner Bethany Hills are leading a cross-office effort to provide COVID-19 related advice to the <a href="https://cic.com/fab" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fab@CIC</a> group regarding the production of personal protective equipment (PPE). The group meets at the Cambridge Innovation Center and is using laser printing and other technology to produce face masks, face shields, and other PPE for use by medical and non-medical groups, such as nursing homes and homeless shelters. The group would like to make sure that they do not run into liability issues as they are making medical equipment. The MoFo team also includes associates Hilary Hoffman, Julie Park, Alexandra Preece, and Mike Maroni.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">Brussels partner Alex van der Wolk and Berlin senior of counsel Lokke Moerel are helping Care4Corona with a privacy policy and reviewing website terms and conditions. Care4Corona is a new website that provides information and expert advice to help people stay as positive and as mentally and physically fit as possible amidst the coronavirus crisis.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">In London, our attorneys are leading virtual legal clinics organized by <a href="http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TrustLaw</a> for UK nonprofits and social enterprises, answering their questions on employment law, corporate governance, and bankruptcy issues that have arisen in the COVID-19 crisis. The online interactive clinics have addressed a number of relevant legal topics, such as employment, contractual rights, insurance, GDPR, governance, and health and safety, to name a few. MoFo London partner Annabel Gilham and associate Oliver Spratt are leading the employment and privacy effort with assistance from senior of counsel Howard Morris on governance and bankruptcy issues.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">London finance attorneys—including partner Benoit Lavigne, associate Ryan Abotomey, and trainee solicitor Christopher Lloyd—are working with <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/qyRkC82BWgt3LOyoHn_j-s?domain=bethebusiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Be the Business</a> to help small and medium businesses in the UK get on the road to recovery by providing insights for their new Rebuild This platform provides expert advice and guidance from the UKs leading companies to SMEs.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">Managing partner of the New York office Brett Miller, along with partners Bethany Hills and Anthony Carbone, are advising Amplify Solutions, Inc. in connection with the invention of a UVC light-based device that reduces the bioburden on face masks, which could prove to be very helpful in the fight against COVID-19. The client has developed this invention as part of a separate nonprofit company, offering it at-cost to those who want one and making it free for first responders. In addition to the development of their UVC bioburden reduction device and the related FDA authorization process, the organization has sought our advice on corporate structuring and tax matters related to creating their nonprofit.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">New York finance partners Larry Ceriello, Geoffrey Peck, Jonathan Jacobs, and David Kaufman; TTG partner Vivian Hanson; tax of counsel Dave Sturgeon; finance of counsel Tushna Gamadia; and Northern Virginia employment of counsel Andrew Turnbull are leading the firm’s Rapid Response Team for the Small Business Legal Relief Alliance. The Alliance is a multi-firm effort to provide small businesses comprehensive consultations on their legal questions arising from the impact of COVID-19 on their operations.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">MoFo San Francisco lawyers teamed up with <a href="https://www.allhomeca.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">All Home California</a> to create the California Small Enterprise Task Force (“CASE Force”), which collects local, state, federal, and private/nonprofit resources for California small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and quickly disseminates this information in a digestible way.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">In addition to producing <a style="font-size: 1rem;" href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/4-13-20-Comprehensive_Guide_for_Small_Business_COVID-19.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">regularly updated guides</a> on COVID-19 resources and offering weekly live support, the task force is forming a $1 billion investment fund that will direct money to California small businesses with less than 25 employees and hosting regular webinars to provide small businesses with access to live support from lawyers and financial professionals. The MoFo team includes partners Suz Mac Cormac and Alfredo Silva, as well as associates Kaela Colwell, Olga Terets, and Michael Santos.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">A team of lawyers in San Francisco’s Corporate, Trademarks, Technology Transactions, and Tax practice groups are advising existing client Covid Watch on a variety of matters. Covid Watch is one of the first teams in the world to develop anonymous exposure notification alert technology using Bluetooth, which would allow users to send anonymous exposure alerts to protect members of their community without sharing any personal information. MoFo is working with Covid Watch on corporate governance matters,  assistance with potential collaborators and partners, trademark advice regarding its domain name, IP advice in developing its open source mobile application, and tax advice related to obtaining nonprofit status. The MoFo team includes partners Jackie Liu and Jennifer Lee Taylor, along with associates James Lee, Maureen Linch, Jessica Stern, Amber Harezlak, and Ryan Romain.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">San Francisco partner Jill Feldman is supervising a team, led by associates Jenepher Schulte, Nihal Shrinath, and William Cage, who are staffing a remote clinic organized by the <a href="https://www.innercitylaw.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inner City Law Center</a> (ICLC) for Los Angeles-based nonprofits regarding their questions about Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act relief. ICLC is a nonprofit dedicated to providing free legal services to the most vulnerable residents of Los Angeles and promoting access to decent, safe, and fully habitable housing. The team will make a presentation and answer questions from nonprofits about the Payment Protection Plan (PPP), under the recent stimulus bill. Jenepher, Nihal, and Jill are also advising <a style="font-size: 1rem;" href="https://www.billionoysterproject.org/">The Billion Oyster Project</a>, a nonprofit that is restoring oyster reefs to the New York Harbor in collaboration with New York City communities, regarding PPP loan applications and forgiveness requirements. </li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">Washington, D.C. partner Natalie Fleming Nolen is advising nonprofit organizations <a href="https://www.science-sparks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Science Sparks</a>, with the help of litigation associate Robin Smith, and <a href="https://noharm.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health Care Without Harm</a>, along with Palo Alto partners Bryan Wilson and Michael O’Donnell, on force majeure and other issues arising from cancelled conferences due to safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr"><li dir="ltr">Additionally, Washington, D.C. partner Brad Lui is leading an effort with associates Eileen Brogan and Arvind Miriyala to participate in the D.C. Legal Aid Society’s annual <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/QFVPCgJQ8yH3WElqfJTtVq?domain=secure.qgiv.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Making Justice Real Campaign</a> to raise funds that will help individuals from underserved communities get access to legal representation. This year’s campaign will focus on the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.</li></ul>

06_30_mattersthatmatter_covid-probono_v2_li.jpg

Matters That Matter: MoFo’s Pro Bono COVID-19 Response

Matters That Matter: MoFo’s Pro Bono COVID-19 Response

In this special edition of Matters That Matter, we take a look at some of the many ways MoFo lawyers have been stepping up in response to the coronavirus pandem

Morrison & Foerster London partner Caroline Jury and associates Amber Pledge and James Colautti recently mentored Durham University law students participating in the <a href="https://lawyerswithoutborders.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lawyers Without Borders</a> (LWOB) 6th Annual Rule of Law Innovation Challenge (ROLIC). LWOB invited students participating in the competition to create learning mechanisms for one of its program areas: Human Trafficking, Wildlife Crime, and Trial Advocacy.  LWOB often implements the winning projects, enabling students to see the impact that their ideas can have on important issues. The Durham University students selected the Wildlife Crime program area and were asked to develop an interactive “talking book” designed to teach children of reading age about the adverse causes and effects of poaching and trafficking endangered animals in Africa.Over the course of the month-long challenge, Amber and James coached the students through the book-drafting process, including reviewing and editing proposed storylines and scripts for the book that the students titled Akina and Elewisa’s Wildlife Adventures. The MoFo team also advised the students on developing a proposal to present to LWOB with recommendations on how to manufacture, produce, and print the book in both English and Swahili. The students’ hard work and MoFo’s ongoing support paid off, as the Durham University team placed second in the competition.Instead of the usual live event in London to announce the results, LWOB hosted a virtual event that included a panel discussion. Amber and James were invited to join Patricia Sullivan, LWOB board member and Global Co-Head of Financial Crime compliance for Standard Chartered Bank; Tracy Alexander, Director of Forensic Services of the City of London Police and President of the British Academy of Forensic Scientists; and Jessica Ryckman, Deputy Director of LWOB on the panel, which was moderated by Ropes & Gray partner and LWOB board member, Amanda Raad.Amber found the experience truly gratifying.  “As a lawyer coming from the corporate and finance world, you don’t get too many opportunities to work on projects like this,” she said. “In addition to feeling like you are making a difference in the world, it is also very satisfying to feel like you are contributing to a cause that you are personally passionate about.”James echoed Amber’s sentiments and expressed his pride in the students’ work ethic: “It was great to see how well the students worked together on this project. I was impressed by their commitment throughout the entire challenge and how well they worked collaboratively together to achieve a common goal.”For the Durham University team, comprised of law students Karishma Puri, Claire Patterson, Emily Falzon, Kelys Malouda, Kristen Price, and Molly Kavanagh, the competition was a valuable learning experience: “We were all thrilled to be given the opportunity to participate in ROLIC and make a real-world impact through the work LWOB does. On top of that, working with Morrison & Foerster was incredibly insightful as they shed light on the importance of developing skills such as persuasion, articulation, and communication for the success of our project—all skills that are pivotal in our journeys as budding lawyers, too.”The LWOB Rule of Law Innovation Challenge is an annual event designed to provide students with opportunities to contribute to and aid the development of innovative educational mechanisms in the rule of law. Visit LWOB’s <a href="https://lawyerswithoutborders.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a> to learn more.Pictured here are illustrations from the Durham University law students’ talking book: Akina and Elewisa’s Wildlife Adventures. <img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-4601 alignleft" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt237ae3f658e2f7d9/6287fd59bd980555189d736c/7.-amana-the-lion-cover.png?format=auto&quality=60" width="252" height="341" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" type="asset" sys-style-type="download"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-4601 alignright" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blted5cdd2f2a7fed9f/6287fd5a6f81705517a1c9a1/imara-the-wild-dog-cover.png?format=auto&quality=60" width="252" height="341" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" type="asset" sys-style-type="download">

mofotogether-probono-thumb.jpg

MoFo Lawyers Mentor Law Students in a Lawyers Without Borders Challenge to Raise Wildlife Crimes Awareness

Morrison & Foerster London partner Caroline Jury and associates Amber Pledge and James Colautti recently mentored Durham University law students participating i

MoFo Lawyers Mentor Law Students in a Lawyers Without Borders Challenge to Raise Wildlife Crimes Awareness

MoFo has taken an especially proactive role in the fight against COVID-19, with, for example, contributions by the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/mofo-foundation">Morrison & Foerster Foundation</a>, partners, and employees exceeding $200,000 as of the day of this blog post’s publication. But Boston-based Technology Transactions Group partner Matt Karlyn’s involvement with a rapidly-growing (and now the largest) grassroots movement committed to supporting the efforts to find treatments, a vaccine, and a cure for COVID-19, was largely a product of serendipity (and Matt’s generous spirit).Matt’s oldest son attends summer camp with the daughter of Diana Berrent, an early COVID-19 patient and survivor and the founder of Survivor Corps, an organization dedicated to connecting and mobilizing people who are currently infected with the virus, survivors of COVID-19, and their supporters, with the medical, scientific, and academic communities in an effort to stem the tide of the pandemic and ultimately support the development of treatments and vaccines.Having met through their children, Matt and Diana are connected on Facebook. Matt saw that Diana “was posting about her experiences with COVID-19 symptoms, difficulties in getting tested, and ultimately fighting and surviving the virus,” he explains. “Eventually I saw that she had begun an organization. Wanting to leverage my life sciences experience and background in an effort to contribute to addressing the pandemic, I reached out to her to ask if the organization needed legal assistance. Diana was thrilled, and that was that.”Matt is now leading MoFo’s pro bono efforts and will act as an advisor to Survivor Corps, Diana’s brainchild. The group, which comprises people affected by the virus and their supporters, is more than 44,000 members strong and growing daily.With its sights set on contributing to terminating the pandemic, Survivor Corps’ initiatives are taking several forms, from investing in the research associated with finding a cure and treatment options for COVID-19, to mobilizing COVID-19 survivors to donate blood and plasma to assist in treatment options for those currently infected.For its part, MoFo has addressed many of the organization’s privacy issues, is advising Survivor Corps on its tax and other nonprofit issues, and will be working with the organization as it continues to grow and partner with various foundations and the academic, media, and medical communities.Matt seems almost as excited about the work as he is about the cause.“Despite having practiced law for a couple of decades, I’ve never represented or worked with a grassroots organization that is contributing to the medical ecosystem the way that Survivor Corps is,” he says. “It’s incredibly rewarding work for an incredible organization. Leave it to Diana Berrent to go from COVID-19 victim, to COVID-19 survivor, to organizing Survivor Corps to contribute to the end of the pandemic. And that’s exactly what Survivor Corps is doing and we at MoFo are proud to be working with Diana and her incredible team on such a meaningful cause–one that literally impacts outcomes that will affect so many of us in the coming weeks and months.”The other members of the MoFo pro bono team that are advising Survivor Corps on legal matters include Privacy and Data Security partners Julie O’Neill and Kristen Mathews and associate Tiffany Quach, of counsel in the Private Equity Investments group <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/kevin-madden.html">Kevin Madden</a>, and of counsels in the Federal Tax group Edward Froelich and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/linda-arnsbarger.html">Linda Arnsbarger</a>.

MoFo Partners with Nonprofit Created to Combat COVID-19

MoFo Partners with Nonprofit Created to Combat COVID-19

05_07_generalbranded-survivorcorps_li.jpg

MoFo has taken an especially proactive role in the fight against COVID-19, with, for example, contributions by the Morrison & Foerster Foundation, partners, and