Civil Law

Philadelphia VIP hosted its annual awards ceremony to honor outstanding volunteers in 2009 at the Ceremonial Courtroom in Philadelphia City Hall on March 10, 2010.

The Annual Awards Banquet, attended by over 150 volunteers, recognized outstanding service provided by individuals, firms and corporations in 2009.

The following awards were presented at the Annual Awards Ceremony:

Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Award. This award is presented to firms and individuals who have provided the highest levels of service to VIP and have given extraordinary time and effort to VIP over several years. This years recipients are:

• Cheryl Jacobs
• Fox Rothschild LLP
• The Beasley Firm
• Willig, Williams & Davidson

Chancellor's Award. This award is presented to firms with at least 10% of the attorneys in their Philadelphia office that participate with VIP and solo practitioners and small firms who have taken 4 or more cases. This years recipients are:

Firms

• Astor Weiss Kaplan & Mandel, LLP
• Berger & Montague, P.C.
• Berner Klaw & Watson LLP
• Blank Rome LLP
• Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
• Caroselli Beachler McTiernan & Conboy LLC
• Dechert LLP
• Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock & Dodig
• Gay Chacker & Mittin, P.C.
• Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin
• Kovler & Rush
• Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
• Pepper Hamilton LLP
• Reilly, Janiczek & McDevitt, P.C.
• Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP
• Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd.
• Shrager, Spivey & Sachs
• Smith Horwitz
• Spector Roseman Kodroff & Willis, P.C.
• White and Williams LLP

Individuals

• Alfonso Madrid
• Andrew Albergo
• Barry Penn
• Clark Pease
• Colleen Coonelly
• Dean Babler
• Dean Weisgold
• Deeya Haldar
• Donald Parman
• George Xanthoudakis
• Greg Schell
• Herbert Weiman
• Ilya Lipin
• Marjorie Greenfield
• Mark Allen Taylor
• Mike Stosic
• Miriam Jacobson
• Robert Cocco
• Samantha Dalton
• Shanese Johnson
• Stanley Askin
• Susan Gibson
• Susan Wallack
• Tejal Mehta
• Terri Malenfant
• Tonya Williams

Corporate Pro Bono Award. This award is presented to corporations whose in-house counsel and other staff members have partnered with VIP. This year the award was presented to:

• Sunoco

Business Recognition Award. This award is presented to businesses who have provided outstanding support and services to the staff of VIP. This year the recipients of the award were:

• Aracor
• First American Title Company
• Furia Rubel
• Legal Intelligencer

Legal Services Recognition Award. This award is presented to legal services staff who provided outstanding support and services to the staff of VIP. The recipient of the award this year was:

• Robert Lukens, Philadelphia Legal Assistance

VIPeoples' Choice Award. This award is presented to individuals who have provided outstanding support and services to the staff of VIP. The recipients of this year's VIPeople Choice Award are:

• Craig Sopin
• Edward Hayes
• Gilbert Marquez
• Kevin Gilboy
• Judy Stouffer

Philadelphia VIP provides legal services for low-income residents and families facing civil legal problems that threaten their basic human needs – shelter, employment, financial stability, education and health. Through its volunteers and staff, VIP serves more than 1,000 individuals and families yearly who could not otherwise afford attorneys and whose cases could or would not be handled by other public interest organizations.