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Top Detroit Area Law Firms Stepping Up for Nonprofits and Small Businesses

 

  It is no secret that entrepreneurship, small businesses and non-profits are essential to a healthy and well-functioning community. Unfortunately, there is often a cost barrier between these community-focused entities and quality legal counsel. Other than law school legal clinics such as the University of Michigan Law School’s Community Enterprise Clinic, small businesses and non-profits have few options for quality free or low cost legal services.  The problem is demonstrated fully in Detroit, Michigan. Of the top 100 cities in America, Detroit ranks 99th in entrepreneurship rate. The city’s median income is also only half that of the surrounding region. These two factors alone demonstrate why the small businesses and non-profits that are so essential to community development have in the past struggled to gain a strong and influential presence within the city. However, commitments from the biggest law firms in Michigan have begun to show promise in changing the narrative. It is a misconception that there are two distinct areas of the practice of law, the side that serves the corporate world and the side that gives back to its community, and many firms in the state known for their corporate presence are beginning to prioritize establishing a presence within their communities through pro bono legal work and partnerships.

One large law firm headquartered in Detroit working to make a difference in the community is Bodman PLC. Bodman has worked closely with the Community Enterprise Clinic over the years to help Detroit area nonprofits and small businesses with their transactional legal needs. Additionally, Bodman works in a close partnership with Michigan Community Resources, a nonprofit dedicated to providing pro bono as well as low cost legal representation to nonprofits in the state of Michigan that serve low income individuals and communities. Bodman also maintains a strong partnership with ProsperUS Detroit, an organization that helps connect Bodman to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Detroit are that serve low-income and minority neighborhoods in order to provide them with access to pro bono legal services that they would otherwise not be able to afford. ProsperUS Detroit recognized Bodman as its Service Provider of the Year in 2017. By creating such close working relationships with these entities, Bodman has been able to connect to multiple nonprofits and small businesses in the Detroit area and provide its top notch legal representation on a pro bono basis. These partnerships have enabled Bodman to expand its impact beyond solely representing select nonprofits and businesses in the area. It’s all a part of the community building culture at Bodman. Celeste Arduino, a lawyer at Bodman, states, “My firm believes in the value of pro bono work, and has supported me in providing over 1,000 hours of pro bono legal services in the course of my career. The opportunity to use my legal skills to change lives for the better is by far the most rewarding aspect of being a lawyer.”

Another powerhouse Detroit firm working to change its community for the better by providing nonprofits and small businesses with legal representation is Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP. Along with playing a part in over 100 nonprofit and civic organizations, Honigman also launches its own community building initiatives such as HATCH Detroit. Through HATCH Detroit, Honigman provides both legal and financial advice along with funding to independent retail businesses in the Detroit area. By working to help counsel and fund these small businesses, Honigman is doing its part to help restore the community while also creating jobs. The city of Detroit has even named its community leadership award after one of the founding partners at Honigman, Alan E. Schwartz.

This emphasis on pro bono work and giving back to the community is becoming a trend for large law firms nationwide. Progressively more firms are allowing associates to bill pro bono hours that help their local communities and there are even awards such as the Pro Bono Publico Award, given out by the American Bar Association, to recognize individual lawyers as well as firms for their commitment to helping their communities. Additionally, the State Bar of Michigan gives out the John W. Cumminskey Pro Bono Award annually to an individual lawyer who demonstrates an outstanding dedication to pro bono work as well as community building. All of this is exciting evidence of a continued shift of the legal profession towards more of a charitable presence committed to giving back to its various communities.

For small businesses dealing with entity formation, document drafting, lease disputes, tax issues and many other administrative problems, quality legal representation can be essential. Fortunately for these groups in the Detroit area, help is continuing to become more available. Interested entities can go to Mi-community.org to learn more about the services provided through the partnership between Michigan Community Resources and Bodman PLC. Small businesses interested in Honigman’s HATCH Detroit initiative can learn more and get connected at hatchdetroit.com.

By: Tyler Lavigne

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