Houston Small Business Legal Consultations Program (HSBLC)

Small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic now have a source for free legal advice with the Houston Small Business Legal Consultations (HSBLC) program, a collaboration among the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), Vinson & Elkins (V&E), and almost twenty additional top-tier private law firms.

HSBLC, which launched on May 5, aims to assist businesses with pandemic-related legal issues such as employment, contracts, real estate (commercial leases and mortgages), tax, intellectual property, finance and other business issues. Eligible individuals must be an operator of a sole proprietorship or be an owner or representative of a small business or nonprofit organization. Additionally, the applicant must provide information about how the business has been affected by the pandemic.

After a screening process, the business will be matched with a volunteer attorney from one of the following participating law firms: Akin Gump, Arnold & Porter, Blank Rome, DLA Piper, Fish & Richardson, Greenberg Traurig, Hunton Andrews Kurth, Kilpatrick Townsend, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown, Morgan Lewis, Norton Rose Fulbright, Orrick, Perkins Coie, Sidley Austin, Simpson Thacher, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. All consultations are covered by attorney-client privilege.

To date, the HSBLC program has placed approximately 38 businesses, helping them address various pandemic-related uncertainties and providing them with direction during these unprecedented times.

“V&E and all the organizations involved with the launch of HSBLC are dedicated to helping members of our community however we can as they navigate uncharted territory,” said Ellyn Haikin Josef, Pro Bono Counsel at V&E. “Small businesses are so vital and paramount to the city of Houston.”

To learn more or to apply for HSBLC, go to https://bit.ly/OBO-HSBLC.