(October 26, 2009, New York City, NY) – Casey D. Laffey, an associate in the New York office of Reed Smith LLP, has been selected as the recipient of the City Bar Justice Center’s first Jeremy G. Epstein Award for Pro Bono Service.
A busy litigator in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice, Mr. Laffey was nominated for the honor by the Director of the City Bar’s Elderlaw Project, which is focused on maintaining the dignity and independence of older New Yorkers by providing them with legal representation in a variety of areas including creating conventional wills, living wills, health care proxies, powers of attorney, government benefits, consumer issues and other matters, and delivering training and public education on legal issues of interest to them at senior centers throughout the City.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as the inaugural recipient of this prestigious award for my work with the Elderlaw Project, which I thoroughly enjoy,” said Mr. Laffey. “Mr. Epstein set an outstanding example for pro bono involvement throughout his career, and was known a passionate defender of the rights of defendants in death penalty cases. It is gratifying to be able to follow his esteemed example by giving back to others through participation in important pro bono projects like Elderlaw.”
Before his death in July 2009, Mr. Epstein was a partner in the litigation department at Shearman & Sterling. The City Bar Justice Center is the nonprofit affiliate of the New York City Bar. It seeks to increase access to justice for low-income New Yorkers by leveraging the resources of the New York City legal community. The Center provides legal assistance to over 25,000 clients annually by mobilizing and coordinating the activities of lawyers, law firms, corporate legal departments, nonprofits, government agencies, academic institutions and others.
“We’re proud of Casey’s work with the Elderlaw Project and extremely happy that the City Bar Justice Center has chosen him to receive the first Jeremy G. Epstein Award for his outstanding pro bono efforts on behalf of this community’s older residents,” said Robert A. Nicholas, Managing Partner of Reed Smith’s New York office. “This firm has a strong pro bono tradition, which Casey’s efforts exemplify.”
The Epstein Award will be presented to Mr. Laffey on October 26 at the City Bar during the organization’s kickoff for National Pro Bono Week. In addition to the presentation of the Epstein Award to Mr. Laffey, the luncheon will feature addresses by the Hon. Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals; Eve Burton, General Counsel of The Hearst Corporation; and Patricia M. Hynes, President of City Bar.
Mr. Laffey is a 2004 graduate of St. John’s University School of Law. He was a summer associate at the firm in 2003, prior to joining the firm following graduation. Mr. Laffey received his undergraduate degree in history from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with nearly 1,600 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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