PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Law firm McCarter & English, LLP hosted a small business legal clinic yesterday evening as part of Philadelphia VIP’s LawWorks project, a pro bono initiative. The event, which was co-sponsored by Delaware Valley Association of Corporate Counsel (DELVACCA) and the Women’s Business Development Center, connected local micro-entrepreneurs with volunteer lawyers, according to their specific business needs.
Most of the micro-entrepreneurs are enrolled in the Women’s Business Development Center's NxLeveL for Start-Ups, a 10-class series that helps get new businesses up and running. In all, there were approximately 50 attorney volunteers, including 20 from McCarter, as well as in-house counsel from other local companies such as DuPont, TE Connectivity, PepBoys, and Exelon. The volunteer attorneys were paired up with the entrepreneurs for one-on-one meetings to discuss immediate and ongoing legal matters ranging from choice of entity, contracts, and tax matters, to intellectual property, real estate, and employment issues. Business ventures ranged from the development of a small rain barrel for gutters, to a mobile candy store, to a clean technology company.
“It is particularly rewarding to assist hard-working entrepreneurs when they are in the most challenging -- yet promising -- stages of developing business plans,” said Philip Amoa, the McCarter attorney spearheading the event and a long time participant in Philadelphia VIP pro bono projects. “This pro bono clinic provided a rewarding experience for busy attorneys to give back to the community.”
About McCarter & English, LLP
McCarter & English, LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 400 attorneys in Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Stamford and Wilmington. In continuous business for more than 160 years, McCarter is the law firm of choice for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to mid-market and emerging growth companies across a broad range of industries.
For more information, visit www.mccarter.com.
About Philadelphia VIP
Through the efforts of trained and supported pro bono volunteers, Philadelphia VIP provides equal access to justice for low-income Philadelphians and serves more than 2500 individuals, families, nonprofits and small businesses with critical legal issues every year who are unable to afford legal representation.
About the Women’s Business Development Center
The Women's Business Development Center (WBDC), formed in 1995, fosters the development and retention of successful business by delivering resources that enable individuals to start new businesses and grow existing ones. WBDC facilitates the relationship between corporations, government and women-owned businesses to provide growth and sustainability through the Women's Business Enterprise Council PA-DE-sNJ, a marketing, procurement and certification assistance council.
About DELVACCA
DELVACCA is one of the Association of Corporate Counsel's (ACC) premier Chapters, serving the Greater Philadelphia region, the Lehigh Valley, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. The Chapter consists of 1,268 members who, for 30 years, have enjoyed the benefits that the Chapter offers, including free CLEs for our members, social and networking opportunities and a host of many other benefits.
In 2007, ACC awarded DELVACCA the "Best Programming" award, recognizing the cutting-edge CLE programs that the Chapter provides to its members. ACC recently awarded the Chapter the prestigious "2012 Large Chapter of the Year" award, an honor the Chapter also received in 2008 and 2010.
