Business Law & Leadership Gala Celebrates Innovative Lawyers, Nonprofits, and Communities
On May 2, 2017, more than 300 leaders from the legal, financial, and nonprofit sectors will gather at Gotham Hall in Manhattan for Lawyers Alliance for New York's 2017 Business Law & Leadership Gala. This charitable event is the premier annual gathering of business and transactional lawyers committed to pro bono legal services for nonprofits that are strengthening New York City communities.
This year's distinguished honorees are:
Bruce Campbell, Discovery Communications
As Chief Development, Distribution and Legal Officer for Discovery Communications, Bruce Campbell oversees all legal affairs; corporate development, including strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions; business affairs; and production management for the company's global portfolio of premium nonfiction, lifestyle, sports and kids programming brands. Campbell joined Discovery in 2007 and, in addition to his global portfolio of responsibilities, is an enthusiastic supporter of the company's purpose-driven mission. Founded as a single cable network more than 30 years ago and now reaching over 3 billion cumulative viewers across pay-TV and free-to-air platforms in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery remains committed to entertaining, educating and inspiring audiences through real-world entertainment and, in line with so many of Lawyers Alliance priorities, to leveraging the power of its brands, businesses and employees to give back to the world. Today, with the support of senior leadership and the company's more than 7,000 employees worldwide, the company utilizes its global distribution platform, network and corporate cause-related partnerships, as well as annual employee volunteer initiatives to support a wide range of philanthropic causes, including education, environmental conservation, crime and violence prevention, veterans' affairs and services, and more.
Viacom Law Department
The Viacom Law Department is a leader in the corporate pro bono bar. Each year the department delivers a significant amount of pro bono legal work through direct representation and legal clinics aimed at low-income individuals and organizations working with communities in need. The larger Viacom community engages in more than 75 global initiatives addressing the issues its fans and employees care about most, including building inclusive societies, promoting healthy living, inspiring future generations, pioneering social change, empowering its employees, and managing its business responsibly. Under Christa D'Alimonte, Viacom's Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, the Viacom Law Department continues to make pro bono legal services a priority for its attorneys. The Viacom Law Department has an enduring volunteer relationship with Lawyers Alliance. Viacom's legal staff participated in five Lawyers Alliance legal clinics for nonprofit organizations over the past five years, including three on Viacommunity Days, the company's annual global day of service. At these clinics, a total of nearly 30 nonprofit organizations received advice from Viacom attorneys regarding bylaws, governance changes prompted by the Nonprofit Revitalization Act, and waivers and releases. For the past two years, Viacom has generously hosted Lawyers Alliance's Cornerstone Awards, an annual event honoring outstanding volunteer attorneys.
The New York Community Trust
For more than thirty years, Lawyers Alliance has benefited from the generous financial support of The New York Community Trust, one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the country. The Trust understands that New York City's nonprofit sector is strengthened by the availability of quality technical assistance. Through the years, The Trust has funded Lawyers Alliance's workforce development, disaster relief, and elder service initiatives. In recent years, the Trust has been at the forefront of supporting innovative projects to respond to economic change, including a technical assistance collaboration to sustain safety net organizations and their programs dealing with financial distress. The Trust is now also supporting Lawyers Alliance's work with organizations that are reimagining themselves in an era of Medicaid Redesign. Senior Program Officer for Thriving Communities, Community Development and Technical Assistance Patricia Swann has served the nonprofit sector at The Trust for nearly 18 years. She will accept the award on behalf of The Trust.
Aric Press, Partner, Bernero & Press, will act as the evening's Master of Ceremonies for the fourth year. Mr. Press has a wealth of experience in the media covering the business of law. In 2015, after serving as Editor-in-Chief of ALM, he formed Bernero & Press, a consulting company dealing with client feedback and strategic positioning for law firms and legal departments.
Lawyers Alliance Board Chair Larren M. Nashelsky states, "This year's Business Law & Leadership honorees are innovators who have demonstrated a commitment to helping communities in need through legal, technical, and financial support, combined with effective communications. Bruce Campbell and Discovery Communications, the Viacom Law Department, and The New York Community Trust have all showed strong leadership in working to strengthen our communities."
For event details, visit www.lawyersalliance.org/gala.php.