Greenberg Traurig Forms Pro Bono Alliance with Accion USA
MIAMI, FL -- November 19, 2004 -- Greenberg Traurig's Miami office has
formed an alliance with Accion USA to provide pro bono legal advice to the
organization's South Florida-based low- and moderate-income commercial borrowers.
Our lawyers provide business-related legal services, including review of
contracts, advice about structuring businesses and creating buy-sell agreements.
Accion USA is a non-profit organization that provides capital in the
form of small- and short-term loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers.
Funds are raised through foundations and partnerships with large financial
institutions. More than 85 percent of Accion USA borrowers are minorities,
45 percent are female and 55 percent are low income, as defined by HUD/CDFI
standards.
Shareholders Benjamin Reiss
and Carl Fornaris serve
as co-coordinators for the program at Greenberg Traurig.
"Our assisting low-income entrepreneurs will positively impact the growth
of our diverse community," Reiss said.
Since program inception about 18 months ago in Miami, ACCION USA has
disbursed 283 loans totaling $1.4 million in microloans to low- to moderate
income-business owners. Since becoming involved, in less than two months,
Greenberg Traurig provided legal services to more than six ACCION borrowers
on a pro bono basis.
"These ACCION clients would not have had access to these services due
to language barriers, lack of funds, or awareness of certain business issues
which pose risk to the clients' livelihood," Reiss said.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with 1,500
attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The
firm is ranked seventh on The American Lawyer's Am Law 100 listing of the
largest law firms in the U.S., based on number of lawyers.
Greenberg Traurig serves clients from offices in: Albany, NY; Amsterdam, The
Netherlands; Atlanta, GA; Boca Raton, FL; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver,
CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL;
Morristown, NJ; New York, NY; Orange County, CA; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA;
Phoenix, AZ; Sacramento, CA; Silicon Valley, CA; Tallahassee, FL; Tokyo, Japan;
Tysons Corner, VA; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach, FL; Wilmington, DE; and Zurich,
Switzerland. Additionally, the firm has strategic alliances with the following independent
law firms: Olswang, London and Brussels; Studio Santa Maria, Milan and Rome; and
Hayabusa Kokusai Law Offices in Tokyo.
For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at
www.gtlaw.com.
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