NONPROFIT AND LOW-INCOME ENTREPRENEURS
Connecting Nonprofits and Microentrepreneurs to Practice Strengths Pro bono cases are not just for litigators. In fact, attorneys from across the firm regularly use their skills to provide valued assistance to our nonprofit and small business clients. By drawing strength from their regular practices, our transactional attorneys can advise on issues such as corporate governance, real estate, intellectual property, the environment, privacy and security, labor law and estate planning. This subject matter knowledge, when coupled with the experience of members of our Tax-Exempt Organizations practice and from litigators, where needed, allows Perkins Coie to provide holistic services to many nonprofit and small business clients in our communities.
Labor & Employment Counsel for Planned Parenthood A San Francisco pro bono team from the firm’s Labor & Employment practice won a significant victory for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties. The California Employment Development Department determined that Planned Parenthood had misclassified its contractors, including physicians and nurses, as independent contractors when they were instead actual employees. Drawing upon decades of defense of misclassification claims, our California team successfully appealed the agency’s decision, eliminating the costly liability threatening Planned Parenthood’s operations.
pro bono cases we handled in 2018 through the Washington Pro Bono Patent Network. Operated by the University of Washington School of Law’s Center for Advanced Study and Research on Innovation Policy, the network works with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to assist financially underresourced independent inventors and small businesses. Partner Andy Culbert, who is also affiliated with the university, played a lead role in the launch, and Partner Aaron Poledna has helped coordinate the firm’s efforts and is working with Partner Josh Nelson to launch a similar program at the University of Idaho. LEGAL TEAM: Attorneys Steve Arnett, Sam Hong, Homer Hsu, Yiheng Li, Aaron Poledna, John Wechkin and Rob Woolston.
LEGAL TEAM: Attorneys Michelle Chan, Nina Eisenberg,
Paula Goodwin, Richard Guggenhime, Jonathan Longino, Sue Stott and Donna Strain; and staff members Danielle Ballard and Jim Otake.
Patent Prosecutors Expand Services to Low-Income Entrepreneurs in Washington Perkins Coie helped one striving entrepreneur put patent protection in place, leading the client to receive interest in his technology from potential partners. This is one of five patent
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Blockchain Technology Tackles Refugee Crisis Attorneys Joe Cutler and Charlyn Ho in our Blockchain Technology & Digital Currency industry group are working on the application of blockchain technology in addressing refugee identity issues. They are assisting a nonprofit tackling modern slavery and refugee identification and reunification in Southeast Asia, which adds a dynamic international component to the attorneys’ practices.