This month Philadelphia VIP recognizes Heather Ritch, an associate at Reed Smith, for her outstanding volunteer assistance to VIP clients.

Heather provides exceptional representation to her VIP homeownership clients. She readily embraces the complex and often uncertain legal issues in their cases, and she ensures that they have access to all of the legal and non-legal resources available to them.

She also makes it a practice to visit her clients' homes, assess their living conditions, and help them explore all possible avenues to make repairs. Because of her extraordinary efforts, Heather has ensured that her clients obtain title to safe, habitable homes.

Eager to involve other attorneys from Reed Smith with VIP, in mid-2007 Heather established the firm's Tangled Title Team, a pro bono practice group that meets on a monthly basis and that has become an indispensable resource for the attorneys. Because of her leadership, VIP has referred 9 homeownership cases to Reed Smith since 2007.

Heather has served VIP and its clients in other capacities as well. She has organized her firm's hosting of two VIP trainings in recent years. Heather also serves as a member of the Tangled Title Fund Advisory Committee, playing an active role in reviewing applicants' cases and offering her guidance to the attorneys. She also recently answered VIP's plea for assistance in securing free or low-cost title reports and court reporting services, at a time when these services are difficult to obtain but still in great need.

Philadelphia VIP Profile