Jun 29, 2017 - Big firms like Kilpatrick Townsend have the ability to call on attorneys from a variety of practices and
aily
eport A Special Section • june 29, 2017
Distinguished Leaders professional excellence Distinguished Leaders
Tamara Serwer Caldas: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Through Clemency Project 2014, a working group composed of attorneys and advocates, approximately 60 Kilpatrick Townsend attorneys have volunteered 4,700 hours to determine inmate eligibility; analyze and review documents; consult with clients; and complete and file clemency petitions over the past two years. To date, the firm has represented 52 clients, with 14 inmates obtaining clemency. In 2016, in a case of first impression, a district court
T
dismissed a natural gas company’s condemnation action
amara Serwer Caldas is the pro bono
on Indian land, as the Kiowa Tribe held a 1 percent
partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.
ownership interest. It further dismissed the natural
In 2016, she led the firm’s pro bono efforts regarding
gas company’s defenses to the action, holding Indian
clemency, Native Americans and same-sex couples, and
beneficial owners of trust land can maintain their own
this year the firm has dived into representing immigrants
action for trespass without the involvement of the feder-
caught up in the Trump administration’s travel ban.
al government. The tribe was represented by Kilpatrick
professional excellence Distinguished Leaders
Townsend’s Native American Affairs
we confirm that we have attorneys and
in some of our smaller offices (such as
and Complex Business Litigation
staff with the skill, time, and desire to
Los Angeles) by engaging attorneys
practice groups.
assist; that the matter qualifies as “pro
from across the country. This cross-
Firm attorneys also assisted Lamb-
bono” within the firm’s policy and the
office and cross-team collaboration is
da Legal and same-sex client couples
well-accepted meaning of that term;
good not only for our pro bono clients,
with filing a lawsuit demanding that
and, typically, that we have sufficient
but also for our firm!
the North Carolina issue accurate
support from a legal services organiza-
birth certificates listing both women
tion that has referred the matter to us.
What’s your goal for 2017’s pro bono work at the firm?
as parents of their children. As a result of that lawsuit, the state of
How often can a big firm leverage
My goal for 2017 is to be able to
North Carolina agreed to issue the
its big firm resources—lawyers in
sustain the firm’s work in traditional
clients’ children new birth certifi-
a range of cities and practices—to
areas of pro bono—such as housing,
cates. The state also agreed to change
advance a pro bono matter?
domestic violence, children’s rights
its policy so that all same-sex couples
Big firms like Kilpatrick Townsend
and support for nonprofit organiza-
who were married at the time their
have the ability to call on attorneys
tions—and simultaneously expand
children were born can amend their
from a variety of practices and loca-
and in some cases lead the Atlanta
children’s birth certificates to include
tions to support complex legal matters
legal community’s response to legal
both parents’ names, regardless of the
that would be nearly impossible for
crises such as what we are facing in
date the children were born.
a smaller firm or nonprofit organiza-
Georgia’s immigrant detention facili-
tion to handle alone. For example, we
ties and immigration courts. Geor-
How does the firm decide if it will
joined with about a dozen major law
gia has some of the lowest rates of
represent clients in a particular pro
firms and nonprofit organizations in
representation and highest rates of
bono matter?
litigation against Signal International,
deportation in the United States, and
Nationwide and in Atlanta, Kilpat-
a shipping company that had engaged
a growing volume of individuals and
rick Townsend has a very broad pro
in human trafficking when it lured men
families in need of counsel. Without
bono practice—taking on matters from
from India to help rebuild the Gulf
an expansion of pro bono resources
civil rights, criminal justice and asy-
Coast after Hurricane Katrina. We
to handle some of this volume, thou-
lum, to children’s advocacy, domestic
represented 17 of the plaintiffs, and
sands of individuals will face complex
violence, and representation of non-
throughout the ultimately successful
and high stakes legal proceedings
profit organizations. We aspire to help
litigation engaged attorneys and staff
entirely alone. We are proud to be part
meet the most pressing legal needs of
in 11 of our offices, hailing from our
of the Georgia Immigration Working
low-income and disadvantaged people
patent litigation, infrastructure, bank-
Group, a collaborative effort among
in each community and to satisfy the
ruptcy, appellate, and corporate teams.
big firms, private immigration attor-
interests and professional goals of our
On a smaller scale, we have been able
neys, and the nonprofit legal commu-
attorneys. For any individual matter,
to support significant pro bono matters
nity to tackle this problem together.
Reprinted with permission from the 6/29/17 edition of the DAILY REPORT © 2017 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Contact: 877-257-3382
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