Seeking to assist those impacted by the recent global pandemic, Milbank has become involved with several pro bono matters, including those listed below.
To assist the Public Counsel’s Community Development Project in Los Angeles, Milbank attorneys are working to create an accessible client alert that informs not for profits and small businesses about COVID-19’s potential impact on contract obligations. The alert will discuss key legal topics such as force majeure provisions, the impossibility of performance doctrine and amendments to contracts.
Milbank attorneys are also working with Bet Tzedek, a nonprofit law firm that offers advocacy and legal services to impoverished clients in Los Angeles. Bet Tzedek runs a monthly Small Claims Clinic where small claims litigants meet with volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students who provide legal information and resources. As the in-person clinic is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Milbank attorneys are working with the organization to provide vital legal information to litigants remotely.
The firm is also supporting the New York Immigration Coalition ("NYIC"), which is helping to provide COVID-19 relief funds to immigration legal services providers and individuals who are exempt from receiving financial aid provided by the CARES Act. The Act provides cash grants that are inaccessible to undocumented immigrants and people living with someone who is undocumented. Milbank is developing guidelines for not for profits and community partners that will distribute NYIC’s funding to those who are ineligible for the CARES Act’s relief and will draft grant agreements for community partners that are receiving coronavirus emergency grants from NYIC.
In addition to these projects, the pro bono team at Milbank is exploring additional pro bono opportunities that will allow the firm’s attorneys to assist small businesses. The firm is currently working with two clinics to provide advice to small businesses and not for profits whose work has been impacted by the virus. Milbank attorneys will offer advice on applying for loans from the Small Business Administration under the CARES Act, and will help these businesses with contracts, insurance and employment queries.
Milbank is also collaborating with peer firms to explore remote methods for supporting clients with both coronavirus-related legal issues and other matters.
