2020 Awards Night Program

When VIP reaches out to Roderick L. Foxworth, Jr. with an urgent case, he doesn’t hesitate. On the contrary, he buckles down and digs in. Since taking his first VIP case in May 2019, he has kept up an impressive pace and defended twelve clients in debt collection proceedings. Roderick has earned his reputation in the VIP community as a Very Important Person who is diligent in his work and gets great outcomes for his VIP clients.

Daniel J. Devlin does not back down from a challenge. Since first connecting with VIP in 2017, he has represented eleven clients in matters ranging from child custody to nonprofit governance and has championed pro bono work in his firm. His extensive knowledge and strong work ethic make him a trusted member of the VIP community and a model volunteer for his fellow attorneys. Regardless of the type of case, VIP can count on Daniel to step up and guide his clients with passion and commitment.

Sierra Applegate is a VIP all-star. Inspired in part by the estate planning cases she handled as a VIP legal intern, Sierra clerked in Orphans’ Court after graduating from law school. Once she settled into her job there, she returned to VIP as a volunteer attorney. In her first year as a volunteer, she accepted four landlord-tenant matters, and in her first court appearances as a full-fledged attorney, she represented tenants on the brink of losing their housing. Sierra has continued her volunteer work since moving to the Trusts & Estates Group at Kleinbard LLC, and was recently recognized as VIP’s Volunteer of the Month for her tenacity in pro bono service. As she has risen from intern to volunteer to mentor, Sierra has always proven ready to fight for her clients and never say no to a challenge.

The volunteers at Greenberg Traurig, LLP are nothing less than heroes. After inviting VIP to their offices for a recruitment event in July 2019, the GT crew leapt into action and accepted eight pro bono cases. Since then, these intrepid volunteers have pushed for the best results for their clients, made headway in difficult cases, and even opened new pro bono cases for some clients when they spotted separate legal issues. The team of nine attorneys has made a considerable positive impact on clients facing a range of issues: the firm’s attorneys accepted five tangled title cases, four eviction defense cases, two name change cases, and more. On top of this, the firm generously hosted a small business clinic for ten attorneys. VIP is grateful for and inspired by its deepened relationship with Greenberg Traurig.

Morgan & Akins, PLLC has quadrupled their engagement with VIP since 2016, and the pandemic has not slowed them down. In the first half of 2020 alone, the firm’s attorneys accepted seven estate planning cases—a service that has become even more necessary as COVID-19 threatens many of VIP’s clients. The firm’s commitment to providing this necessary service shows their deep resolve to meet the community’s legal needs, and is exemplified by their attorneys’ willingness even to hand-deliver documents to their clients during the pandemic. Thanks to the team’s strong commitment to service, VIP can always count on Morgan & Akins’ attorneys to say “yes!” to a pro bono case.

Blank Rome LLP, already a reliable partner to VIP and its clients, has made especially valiant efforts for VIP’s nonprofit and small business community in the past year. Since 2019, the firm has accepted a staggering thirty pro bono cases to help VIP’s corporate clients. In the wake of COVID-19, as businesses and nonprofits faced unprecedented economic struggles, Blank Rome stepped up to the plate by enlisting eleven volunteers to provide critical counsel and advice in VIP’s new virtual consultation program. Thanks to Blank Rome, VIP is able to give more business owners and nonprofit leaders peace of mind in times when peace is hard to come by.

Berner Klaw & Watson LLP, a cornerstone of VIP’s Family Law Initiative, deepened their engagement with VIP last year. For years, VIP has relied on the firm’s stunning commitment to service as they provide representation, advice, and mentorship in over one hundred fifty family law matters. The firm’s attorneys and paralegals worked on over twenty such cases in the last year alone. As if this were not impressive enough, BKW’s paralegals often volunteer their services as notaries and travel to clients’ homes to support VIP volunteers and help us meet our clients’ needs. As VIP sees it, the Berner Klaw & Watson team’s commitment to pro bono permeates everything they do.

The attorneys at van der Veen, O’Neill, Hartshorn, and Levin have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to pro bono work with VIP. Six of their attorneys (including Daniel J. Devlin, nominee for this year’s MVP of VIP Award) have said “yes!” to a combined total of thirty VIP clients over the last several years. The firm’s attorneys have taken on a wide range of legal matters and have used their expertise to positively impact clients’ lives. With such an outstanding record with VIP, it is clear that pro bono work is more than passing commitment, and is instead a core part of their values as a firm.

While Rocco Law has long been a go-to source of information and guidance for VIP’s family law team, the firm stood out in the last year as it tripled its pro bono caseload. This small firm has been especially supportive of VIP’s efforts to provide advice to low-income family law clients who do not qualify for full representation. The firm’s willingness to accept such cases on short notice and deliver quality advice to VIP’s clients is noteworthy, as is its endless energy for pro bono work: since 2004, Rocco Law has worked on nearly sixty VIP cases, making it a dependable partner in VIP’s efforts to stabilize Philadelphia families through volunteerism.

Time and again, and especially in the last year, Ballard Spahr LLP has risen to the challenge of providing pro bono services to Philadelphians. The firm has handled deed transfers, quiet title litigation, name changes, and more; but recently, they have stood out in their advocacy for VIP’s landlord-tenant work. Several months ago, the firm sent out a call to action when VIP was in need of more volunteers in this critical area. Ballard was also critical in testing and rolling out VIP’s Tenant Defense Team project in early 2020. As the housing crisis grows more dire, VIP is grateful for Ballard Spahr’s continued and deepened support.

The attorneys at Holland & Knight LLP have massively increased their engagement with VIP in the last year. Nine lawyers at the firm handled twelve cases, and represented clients in such diverse matters as estate planning, guardianship, name changes, and more. They especially stood out among their peers in their willingness to say “yes!” to some of VIP’s areas of highest need: eviction defense and custody. VIP is thankful for the dedicated team at Holland & Knight and excited to continue partnering with them.

The past year was a memorable one in VIP’s long-standing relationship with Duane Morris LLP. Thirteen of the firm’s attorneys represented clients on a range of critical issues, including guardianship and auto accident defense. This fact would be noteworthy enough on its own, but the firm did not stop there. In November 2019, Duane Morris partnered with VIP to pilot a coordinated Divorce Clinic, the first of its kind, in which the firm’s volunteers fast-tracked six clients seeking divorces through on-the-spot interviews, drafted complaints and relevant documents, and subsequently filed said documentation. Through this and all the other service they have offered, the attorneys at Duane Morris have shown themselves to be exemplary volunteers.

The City of Philadelphia Law Department serves our neighbors not only through their everyday jobs, but also through pro bono service with VIP. Over the past year, the Department’s attorneys have impacted the lives of seven VIP clients by securing guardianship of incapacitated people, helping clients change their names, and representing parents in custody proceedings. The Department’s attorneys had a strong showing at VIP’s Nonprofit Legal Assessment Clinic last year, where they advised nonprofit organizations that strengthen our communities. As the Department’s volunteers continue to partner with VIP, they evidence an impressive commitment to making Philadelphia a more just city for all.

The legal team at TE Connectivity, always dedicated partners in VIP’s mission, ramped up their commitment to pro bono in 2019 and 2020. At VIP’s Small Business Legal Assessment Clinics, TE volunteers provided counsel and advice to seven local business owners. But that didn’t sate their thirst for justice: they also volunteered at the June Tangled Title Intake Clinic in West Oak Lane, which VIP produced in partnership with Councilperson Cherrell Parker. There, TE volunteers spoke with six Philadelphians about their property issues, and two of these clients went on to receive full representation through VIP. It is clear that TE Connectivity is passionately determined to help our neighbors secure title to their homes.

In the last year, Cigna reaffirmed its commitment to serving Philadelphia through pro bono. The company’s legal department more than doubled the number of full-representation cases they accepted. On top of this, Cigna volunteers regularly participated in VIP’s Legal Assessment Clinics for the city’s nonprofits and small businesses. The results they achieved through their pro bono work speak for themselves: Cigna helped an elderly client secure assets for future generations through a will, represented a mother seeking guardianship over her disabled son, and guided a faith-based organization in implementing new bylaws. Cigna’s volunteers put their clients’ minds at ease as they navigated these difficult but necessary processes, a fact which demonstrates the corporation’s commitment to serving Philadelphia through pro bono representation.