PRO BONO PARTNERSHIP I 2024 GALA LEADERSHIP
Joshua R. Cammaker Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
James P. Dougherty
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Michael A. Gerstenzang
Cleary Gottlieb
Rady Johnson P zer, Inc
Rachel Lieberman
Synchrony Financial
Raja Maharajh
RTX Corporation
Faiza Saeed
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
John M. Schwolsky
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
STEERING COMMITTEE
James E. Brandt
Latham & Watkins LLP
Dale Cendali
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Una A. Dean
IBM
Peter Eyre Crowell & Moring LLP
Roberto Finzi
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
David Flavell
PepsiCo
John Frantz
Verizon
Sandra D. Hauser Dentons US LLP
John C. Hueston
Hueston Hennigan LLP
Matthew D. Ingber Mayer Brown LLP
James R. Levine
Davis+Gilbert LLP
Joseph Noga Jenner & Block LLP
Carolyn H. Rosenberg Reed Smith LLP
Scott Sanpietro Chubb
Suemyra Shah
Audible
Howard M. Shapiro
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
GALA COMMITTEE
Hannah Dithrich
Audible
Joseph Halprin
Mobility Capital Finance, Inc.
Katherine C. Hughes
Cleary Gottlieb
Cathy Lueders
Mastercard
Daniel Migliacci
Cleary Gottlieb
Jonathan Mothner
Synchrony Financial
Since 1997, Pro Bono Partnership has been driven by an ambitious vision: to provide meaningful pro bono opportunities for lawyers and to deliver expert legal support to nonpro ts. Today, as we celebrate our 27th anniversary, we proudly serve over 1,000 nonpro ts annually across Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, with the help of this vibrant community.
Tonight’s theme, “Together, We Will,” embodies the collective strength and spirit of our work and its impact on our neighborhoods. With your support, the Partnership’s legal program continues to meet demand with a continued focus on educational opportunities and a legal resource hotline for the entire nonpro t sector, and by recruiting and supporting 1,500 volunteer lawyers.
Pro bono work is transformative, and tonight we celebrate that impact with our partners at leading corporations, law rms, and scores of individuals who share our values and our vision.
2024 Pro Bono Champions, Audible Legal and Cleary Gottlieb. As longtime supporters, these Champions demonstrate their commitment to pro bono work every day. You’ll learn more about their contributions tonight, and how they have truly advanced the legal profession while helping the Partnership empower nonpro ts and
The need for pro bono services is greater than ever, and our mission remains as crucial as ever. Thank you for your continued belief in our work. Together we will create a brighter future!
Nancy Eberhardt EVP, Chief Risk & Legal Of cer, Synchrony Financial Executive Director Pro Bono Partnership
THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
Lead Sponsors
Benefactors
PATRON
Amazon
Chubb
Crowell & Moring LLP
Davis+Gilbert LLP
Dentons US LLP
Hueston Hennigan LLP
IBM Corporation
Jenner & Block LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Mayer Brown LLP
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
PepsiCo
Reed Smith LLP
Verizon
Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr LLP
PARTNER
American Express
Audible
Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Bartlit Beck LLP
BNY
Consilio
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Day Pitney LLP
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Dechert LLP
Emmet, Marvin & Martin, LLP
Fenwick & West LLP
Fresh elds Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Jackson Lewis P.C.
Jones Day
King & Spalding LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Mastercard
McCarter & English, LLP
McGuireWoods LLP
MetLife
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
Paul Hastings LLP
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
Sidley Austin LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Venable LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Winston & Strawn LLP
ASSOCIATE
A&O Shearman
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Association of Corporate Counsel
New Jersey
Baker Botts L.L.P.
Baker McKenzie LLP
Bank of America
Blank Rome LLP
Brian D. Buckley
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP
Citi
Eric I Cohen in honor of Gail M. Cohen
Covington & Burling LLP
Monica M. and Patrick Curtis
Una and Andrew Dean
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Deneen Donnley
Duane Morris LLP
Epiq
Effe and David Flavell
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP
Genova Burns LLC
Heidrick & Struggles
Diane and Rady Johnson
Ann M. Kappler and Mark Herlihy
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Eve Konstan and Jonathan Mothner
Anahaita N. Kotval and Zubeen Shroff
Terri and John M. Liftin
Loeb & Loeb LLP
Cathy Lueders
Milbank LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Munck Wilson Mandala LLP
Okapi Partners LLC
Alicia Perrault
Scott Posner
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Pryor Cashman LLP
Saul Ewing LLP
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Steptoe LLP
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
Terex Corporation
Thompson Hine LLP
Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
Irwin Fritchie Urquhart Moore & Daniels LLC
Jedediah Wake eld
CONTRIBUTOR
Sylvia A. Ayler
Ballard Spahr LLP
BASF Corporation
Stephen M. Cutler
Dun & Bradstreet Corporation
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Getz Balich LLC
K&L Gates LLP
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Pelosi Wolf Spates LLP
Stephanie Pendall and John Frantz
Thomas C. Rice
Michael Rowan
Laura Sklar and Daniel J. Goldstein
Wiggin and Dana LLP
List as of 9/12/24
GALA PROGRAM OF EVENTS
WELCOME
Dan Abrams
Gala Host
Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent, ABC News
Nancy Eberhardt
Executive Director, Pro Bono Partnership
2024 PRO BONO CHAMPION AWARD PRESENTATION
LAW FIRM HONOREE
Cleary Gottlieb
ACCEPTED BY Michael A. Gerstenzang
Managing Partner, Cleary Gottlieb
LIVE APPEAL
CONDUCTED BY Patrick Tully
DINNER
2024 PRO BONO CHAMPION AWARD PRESENTATION
CORPORATE HONOREE
Audible Legal
ACCEPTED BY Lori Landew
General Counsel, Audible
DESSERT RECEPTION
Together We Will I Pro Bono Partnership 2024 Gala
GALA HOST
DAN ABRAMS
Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent
ABC News
Dan Abrams is the chief legal affairs correspondent for ABC News, host of On Patrol Live on Reelz, host of Dan Abrams Live on NewsNation, host of The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets the Law on SiriusXM, and host and executive producer of Court Cam and Taking The Stand on A&E Network.
A graduate of Columbia University Law School, Mr. Abrams is also the founder of the Law&Crime Network and Mediaite.com. He has co-authored numerous best-selling books, including Kennedy’s Avenger, John Adams Under Fire, Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense, the award winning Lincoln’s Last Trial, and most recently Alabama v. Martin Luther King.
Together We Will I Pro Bono Partnership 2024 Gala
DINNER CHAIR
Jonathan Mothner
Executive Vice President, Chief Risk & Legal Officer
Synchrony Financial
Jonathan Mothner is Executive Vice President, Chief Risk & Legal Of cer of Synchrony Financial, a premiere consumer nancial services company with more than $140 billion in sales nanced and over 80 million active accounts.
Prior to this role, Mr. Mothner served in various legal roles at GE Capital including General Counsel for GE Capital’s North American retail nance business, Chief Litigation Counsel and Chief Compliance Of cer for GE Capital’s global consumer nance business, and Chief Litigation Counsel for GE Commercial Finance. Prior to joining GE Capital, Mr. Mothner served as an Assistant US Attorney in the Eastern District of New York. Before that, he was an associate at Cleary Gottlieb in New York and Tokyo.
Mr. Mothner serves on the Board of Directors of Synchrony Bank, the Synchrony Foundation, and is the Chairman of the Board of Pro Bono Partnership. He is also a member of the American Law Institute. He received a B.A. in Economics from Hobart College and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. He lives in Greenwich, CT with his wife, Eve Konstan, the General Counsel of Spotify.
Together We Will I Pro Bono Partnership 2024 Gala
HONOREE
Cleary Gottlieb
Michael A. Gerstenzang Managing Partner
At Cleary Gottlieb, commitment to good citizenship means prioritizing pro bono work. Lawyers at every level are enthusiastic about improving the communities in which they live and work, and about having a lasting, positive impact on the lives of others. Each year, Cleary lawyers provide over 85,000 hours to pro bono legal counsel and public service efforts. The rm also employs an eight-person team of pro bono attorneys who manage its award-winning pro bono practice and sponsors a full-year public interest fellowship program in partnership with New York City-based legal services organizations.
Cleary’s pro bono work in the corporate and transactional space has included assisting nonpro ts in gaining tax-exempt status; structuring corporate governance arrangements; negotiating and documenting mergers, lease agreements, and intellectual property licensing agreements; assisting nonpro ts with navigating data privacy matters and much more. The rm approaches pro bono work with the same focus and dedication it provides paying clients.
Pro Bono Partnership is proud to count the rm among our most steadfast supporters and proponents of our mission. Cleary has supported the Partnership and its nonpro t clients for 25 years, and has collaborated on a range of projects to educate lawyers throughout New York State on nonpro t law, board membership, and more.
Michael A. Gerstenzang, Managing Partner at Cleary, has ensured the rm maintains a deeply rooted commitment to pro bono work and diversity, equity, and inclusion. His leadership has led to 95% of the rm’s U.S. attorneys contributing their time to pro bono and public service projects. The Partnership is proud to work alongside Cleary, where service is a core aspect of their culture. Together, we look forward to many more years of empowering nonpro ts and strengthening communities!
Together We Will I Pro Bono Partnership 2024 Gala
DINNER CHAIR
Lori Landew
General Counsel
Audible
Lori Landew is General Counsel for Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. She is an attorney with substantial experience counseling clients across the media and entertainment industry. Prior to becoming General Counsel at Audible, Ms. Landew was VP, Content Legal for Audible. Before Audible, Ms. Landew was co-chair of Fox Rothschild’s Entertainment and Sports Law department and held executive business/legal positions at two leading independent music companies. Earlier in her career, Ms. Landew litigated copyright and trademark claims for high pro le entertainment clients.
A volunteer since 2020, Ms. Landew has assisted several Pro Bono Partnership nonpro t clients with matters critical to their missions, such as the laws governing music licensing and whether and how an organization can license the right to use a celebrity’s likeness in their activities. Ms. Landew has been repeatedly recognized by Best Lawyers in the category of Entertainment Law, and Variety has named her to its In-House Legal Elite list, Dealmaker’s Impact Report, and New York Women’s Impact Report. Ms. Landew is the immediate past chair of the live music performance venue, World Cafe Live, and currently sits on its board. She co-founded the nonpro t, LiveConnections, which merged with World Cafe Live in 2019 and provides music-related education experiences to young people in the Greater Philadelphia area. Ms. Landew is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania.
Together We Will I Pro Bono Partnership 2024 Gala
HONOREE
Audible Legal
Audible is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible’s catalog includes more than 900,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers, and world-renowned entertainers. Audible strongly believes that companies can—and should—have missions that transcend nancial success. Audible works to make a positive impact by developing opportunities for youth, fostering the next generation of storytellers, and investing in the neighborhoods Audible calls home.
Headquartered in Newark, New Jersey since 2007, Audible is committed to making the city more equitable and prosperous for all residents. Pro bono work is key to how the legal team contributes to making this vision a reality. Audible lawyers and legal professionals have collaborated with Pro Bono Partnership since 2018, having resolved matters for dozens of the Partnership’s nonpro t clients in Newark and throughout the state. Audible’s legal team has devoted over 550 hours to answering nonpro ts’ most critical legal questions. By doing so, these nonpro ts can direct resources and energy to focus on providing essential services in our communities.
The Partnership is proud to share Audible’s vision for more equitable, innovative, and thriving communities, and to support the nonpro ts working to change lives and improve neighborhoods throughout the tristate. We are grateful for the Audible legal team’s commitment to pro bono work and to their belief in our mission. Together, we’re imagining and creating a better future.
Together We Will I Pro Bono Partnership 2024 Gala
CHAIRMAN
Jonathan Mothner
Executive Vice President, Chief Risk & Legal Of cer
Synchrony Financial
VICE CHAIRMAN
Peter A. Gutermann
Corporate Vice President, Chief Ethics & Compliance Of cer United Technologies (retired)
VICE CHAIRMAN
John M. Liftin
Consultant
(Formerly General Counsel and Managing Director, D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P.)
PRESIDENT
John L. Sander
Principal-NY Metro
Jackson Lewis P.C.
(Formerly Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Merck & Co., Inc.)
TREASURER
Ann M. Kappler
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Prudential Financial, Inc.
SECRETARY
Una A. Dean
VP, Assistant General Counsel
IBM
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ronald Abad
Chief Executive Of cer
Community Housing Innovations, Inc.
Sylvia A. Ayler
Director, Legal
Intellectual Property Group Merck & Co., Inc.
Evan Charkes
Managing Director and Associate General Counsel
Global Wealth & Investment Management Bank of America
Eric I Cohen
Corporate Secretary In nite Reality, Inc. (retired)
Monica M. Curtis
Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Of cer
MetLife
David Flavell
EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary PepsiCo
John Frantz
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Verizon Business Group
Daniel J. Goldstein
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Of cer and Corporate Secretary
Pitney Bowes (retired)
Joseph Halprin
General Counsel
Mobility Capital Finance, Inc.
Rady Johnson
Executive Vice President, Chief Compliance and Risk Of cer P zer Inc
Melissa R. Kelly
Vice President, Chief Compliance Of cer GE Aerospace
Anahaita N. Kotval
Chief Executive Of cer
Lifting Up Westchester (Formerly General Counsel, RBS Securities)
Cathy Lueders
Assistant General Counsel, SVP – Global Government Contracting Mastercard
Gregory Nehro
General Counsel - Americas BNY
Alicia Perrault
Vice President and General Counsel Pratt & Whitney
Scott Posner
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Terex Corporation
J. Scott Sanpietro
General Counsel, North America Chubb Limited
Edward J. Sebold
General Counsel
Kyndryl
Richard H. Walker
Partner
King & Spalding
(Formerly Vice Chairman, Deutsche Bank AG)
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
Benjamin W. Heineman, Jr.
Distinguished Senior Fellow Program on the Legal Profession
Harvard Law School
Nancy Eberhardt, Esq.
Executive Director
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Christine Michelle Duffy, Esq. New Jersey
Priya S. Morganstern, Esq. Connecticut
Maurice K. Segall, Esq. New York & Fair eld County
LEGAL PROGRAM
Kent E. Hansen, Esq. Senior Staff Attorney
Stephanie Jeshiva, Esq. Staff Attorney
Alexandra E. Kilduff, Esq. Staff Attorney
Judy Siegel, Esq. Senior Staff Attorney
Sara Taylor, Esq. Staff Attorney
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Lisa Abate Program Assistant
Maksoda Akter Manager, Finance and Operations
Kira Ecay Program Assistant
Lauren Fishman, Esq. Pro Bono Manager
Catherine Ganley Director, Finance & Administration
Mindi Lund Director, Marketing & Communications
Kate Marchese Manager of Program Operations
Ardita Mirza Program Assistant
Alise Shuten Development Coordinator
Heidi Siesfeld Director of Development
VOLUNTEER IN RESIDENCE
Joan Levy, Esq.
Connecticut
860.541.4951
One State Street Hartford, CT 06103
New Jersey
973.240.6955
3799 Route 46, Suite 211 Parsippany, NJ 07054
PRO BONO PARTNERSHIP EXTENDS SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Audible
Hannah Dithrich
Lori Landew
Cleary Gottleib
Michael A. Gerstenzang
Elizabeth Giliberti
Katherine Hughes
Daniel Migliacci
Yudany Oviedo
Cristina Schmidt
ABC News
Dan Abrams
Zoe Engels
Gala Video Participation
Mary Coogan
Roger Cooper
Artresia Fryar
Nikki Hahn
Katherine Hughes
Lori Landew
Leslie Lichter
Wendy Luu
Whitney Marshall
Jessica Mauceri
Suemyra Shah
Select Portions of Gala Videos
Courtesy of:
Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Imperfectly Perfect Homes
Rehabilitation Through the Arts
Women’s Enterprise Development Center
New York
914.328.0674
237 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 305 White Plains, NY 10605
Bespoke Awards
GlassRoots, glassroots.org
Design and Printing
Digital Chameleon, LLC
Kat Nemec, studiokatinc.com
Mark St. Louis, Mind’s Eye Design
Event Management
Aaron Consulting Company LLC
Tovah Bembridge
Camara McLaughlin
Todd Wiener
Live Appeal
Ann Kollegger
Mary Roche
Hartford Artisan Weavers Center
Patrick Tully
Public Relations
Ruthie Siesfeld
Vance Camisa Jazz Quartet
Vance Camisa
Charles Ford
Jonathan Kohl
Michael Nikolidakis
VeeKast Video Production
Daniel Alfonso
Patrick Angehr
Donvil Collins
Whitney Harper
Marisa Mazzo
Alexis Pietrangelo
Ryan Rytter
Evan Seplow
