Nossaman LLP Goes Above and Beyond to Support the Local Community
Partner Karla MacCary, Chair of Nossaman’s Real Estate Practice Group, shares how Nossaman is committed to supporting the Southern California community.
At Nossaman LLP, while we work daily to solve the legal issues that face commercial real estate developers, landowners and tenants, we have found that working in real estate raises awareness of the needs of the community. With this increased awareness, we are committed to providing pro bono legal aid, financial contributions and volunteer efforts to the support networks that serve the Southern California community.
To further that effort, we recognize that as attorneys we are in a unique position to offer legal counsel to members of our community who require, but can’t afford, high-quality legal representation. The Firm’s goal is for each attorney and paralegal to devote a minimum of 30 hours per year to providing pro bono legal services.
So far this year, our attorneys have provided representation to immigrants seeking refuge, tenants of mobile home parks facing eviction, and adults seeking guardianship assistance for children in need of a home. We have provided legal services for numerous nonprofits, including the California Association of Music Therapy, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Global Heart Network Foundation, The Children’s Clinic, Homeless Persons Representation Project, Girl Scouts of Orange County, and A Touch of Understanding, Inc., to name just a few.
Beyond taking on pro bono cases, this past October, Nossaman’s Women’s Affinity Group (WAG) hosted a nonprofit networking reception in our Irvine office, themed Investing in Women to Better Our World. The mixer featured nine nonprofits that serve and empower women and children, including THINK Together, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Girl Scouts of Orange County, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Casa Teresa, Families Forward, CareerWise, 2-1-1 Orange County and Laura’s House.
The mixer served not only as a platform to further increase Nossaman’s visibility in Orange County and to deepen relationships with current and prospective clients, but also to introduce Nossaman attorneys to volunteer opportunities with nonprofits serving the Orange County area. As a result, one of our attorneys became Vice President of the Board of Directors for THINK Together, a California-based nonprofit that works with school districts and local communities to offer extended learning programs for underprivileged and low-income children. Two members of our Irvine office joined the Make-A-Wish Orange County and Inland Empire Young Professionals Group, one of whom was recently elected President.
In addition, this past year, Nossaman’s Los Angeles and Irvine offices joined with the Food From The Bar Campaign to raise money for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which has distributed more than 1 billion pounds of food to people in need since its founding in 1973, and Second Harvest Food Bank, which feeds the 315,000 food insecure population of Orange County. In addition to raising money, staff and attorneys from both offices volunteered with these food banks to prepare and bag food for distribution.
During LGBT Pride Month, we raised money for The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization based in West Hollywood providing suicide and crisis prevention for LGBTQ youth nationwide since 1998. The project offers various accredited programs and services including their 24 hour phone line with trained counselors, trainings and workshops and community resources for LGBTQ youth to create a safe, accepting and inclusive environment.
In the fall, we are a major sponsor for the gala of the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, a shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, which provides housing and social services including counseling, family services, assistance with job placement and locating independent housing.
We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish in the first half of the year, and we have more service activities planned before the year is through. Just as the landscape of Southern California is ever evolving, so, too, are the needs of its neighborhoods. As we help our commercial real estate clients to build up and out, we remain cognizant that nothing would stand firm without a strong community foundation. Celebrating our 75th anniversary this year, Nossaman LLP’s commitment to public service remains steadfas.
