South Florida Attorneys Lend a Giving Hand

SOUTH FLORIDA LEGAL GUIDE salutes the countless South Florida attorneys who are leaders in charitable, community and civic organizations – far too many for us to list in this publication. Here is a small selection of the many attorneys who are volunteering their time and energy on behalf of a worthy cause. This article was prepared in September just as massive relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina were beginning and as Hurricane Rita was swirling in the Gulf. We expect to include the contributions of local law firms to this epic effort in next year’s issue.

Both Mitchell E. Widom and Abbey L. Kaplan understand the impact of Crohn’s disease. Widom, a partner with Bilzin Sumberg, has been raising funds for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America since 1998 when his nephew was diagnosed with the disease. In 2004, his daughter was also diagnosed with Crohn’s.

Widom, who was recently elected to the foundation board, founded the annual Keymorada Invitational Fly-Spin Tournament – a fundraiser to help fight Crohn’s disease. “Mitch has been very effective in his endeavors to raise awareness of Crohn’s disease,” said John Sumberg, managing partner. “He has worked very hard to make the tournament a success, and we are proud to support those efforts.”

Kaplan, founding partner, Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin, P.L., has been an active supporter of the foundation since his son was diagnosed with Crohn’s six years ago in high school. The law firm helped raise more than $100,000 for the foundation at a June gold tournament in Palm Beach County, and also took first place among more than 60 law firms that participated in the 2005 Keymorada tournament. Kaplan draws a parallel between the problem-solving mission of lawyers on a daily basis, and his firm’s accompanying obligation to help solve humanitarian problems.

The diagnosis of a child with a serious disorder frequently becomes the catalyst for a firm’s substantial charitable undertakings. Estate lawyer Barry A. Nelson and wife, Judith S. Nelson, a former worker’s compensation judge who now is a mediator, have an 11-year old son, Jesse, who is autistic The Nelsons founded the non-profit Victory School at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center in North Miami Beach after failing to find an adequate learning program for their son. Nelson says everyone in his firm is involved in the Victory School in some capacity. Office Manager, Mirlene Dubreuze, sits on the school’s board and Nelson’s assistant helps with marketing. With everyone pitching in, the school now has an outreach program to increase enrollment from its current 25 students.

Regardless of the cause, Americans have been a generous people throughout history, and the nation’s attorneys are leaders in countless community and charitable causes. One of the organizations that tracks U.S. philanthropy, the Giving USA Foundation, recently estimated that charitable giving reached $248.52 billion for 2004, a new record.

“About 70 to 80 percent of Americans contribute annually to at least one charity,” said C. Ray Clements, Chair of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, which launched Giving USA in 1956. Being a ‘philanthropist’ does not merely mean making huge gifts; it means giving to any cause that you value.”