Lowenstein Sandler Recognized as Pro Bono Innovator by Bloomberg Law for Second Consecutive Year

Bloomberg Law has recognized Lowenstein Sandler as one of its Pro Bono Innovators of 2024. This is the second year in a row that Lowenstein and its Center for the Public Interest have received this honor.

Lowenstein was recognized for its work to obtain a December 2023 federal district court order blocking Florida from restricting health care for transgender people. Litigators Thomas E. Redburn, Jr. and Maya Ginsburg, served as co-counsel with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Southern Legal Counsel. They represented a class of transgender adults and minors in a trial that challenged the state's ban on gender-affirming health care for adolescents and restrictions on such care for adults, claiming that Florida's law and rules restricting gender-affirming care were grounded in discriminatory animus against transgender people. The case has since been extensively cited in briefing before the United States Supreme Court in a case this term that challenges a similar Tennessee law. In August 2024, the Eleventh Circuit stayed the district court's injunction, but the firm remains committed to protecting access to care for its transgender clients.

The firm was also honored for its work educating workers in Nigeria on workplace rights and other matters. Led by pro bono counsel Christina Holder, lawyers from Lowenstein facilitated a workshop entitled "Strengthening Access to Justice for Nigerian Workers and the Role of Pro Bono Lawyers, CSOs (Civil Service Organizations) and the Media," which provided training for pro bono lawyers, government officials, and the media on Nigerian labor laws and the mechanisms to report violations; the firm also produced a guide detailing the national, regional, and international human rights and labor laws that govern workers' rights in Nigeria. The guide was distributed to lawyers in Nigeria as a resource to provide legal consultations and representation to workers across the country. The firm also prepared a plain language "Know Your Rights" pamphlet that the CSOs distributed to workers and employers across the country to raise awareness of workers' rights end employers' duties under Nigerian law.

In evaluating this year's submissions, Bloomberg Law asked nominees to describe how they strategized to tackle complex pro bono matters for the underserved, to detail the impact of their client matters, and to unpack how their teams ultimately achieved successful results. The publication notes: "This year's honorees faced acute needs and challenging circumstances and came out victorious, combining brainpower and billable hours across legal practices, offices, and continents."

In 2023, Bloomberg Law recognized Lowenstein Sandler as one of its Pro Bono Innovators for helping form the Historic Fund, a venture capital fund of funds designed to build up endowments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and for its work reducing extreme prison sentences for young people.

About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, New Jersey, Palo Alto, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.