ATLANTA (September 20, 2021) – Smith Gambrell Russell (SGR) is pleased to announce that attorney Victor Metsch has been chosen from among 2,000 volunteers to receive a City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) 2021 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award. Mr. Metsch was selected by the Director of the Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP) as that project’s most outstanding volunteer of 2021. CBJC, the largest division of the City Bar Fund which is the nonprofit affiliate of the New York City Bar Association (City Bar), furthers access to justice by addressing unmet civil legal needs of New Yorkers struggling with poverty and systemic socioeconomic barriers. The Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award will be presented to 11 recipients during the Celebrate Pro Bono Awards on October 26, 2021 as the kick off to the City Bar’s observance of National Pro Bono Week. The event will be held in-person with a virtual attendance option.
The Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP) provides low- to moderate-income micro-entrepreneurs with the legal services necessary to start their businesses on sound legal footing. NELP’s volunteer attorneys guide clients through such matters as incorporation and tax issues, contracts and agreements, commercial lease negotiations, copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Volunteer attorneys also offer presentations and legal clinics at community-based organizations on issues of concern to micro-entrepreneurs. To date, NELP has partnered with more than 100 law firms, 25 corporate legal departments, and 30 community-based organizations to assist more than 14,000 clients through the provision of brief services, direct representation, legal clinics, and community presentations.
Victor Metsch is of counsel in SGR’s Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Appellate practices, where he practices primarily in the area of commercial dispute resolution, which includes arbitration, mediation, appeals work, and litigation in the Federal, State, and Surrogate’s Courts. He has served on various committees of the City Bar, such as the Committee on State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction, the Committee on Professional and Judicial Ethics, the Committee on Professional Discipline, the Committee on Professional Responsibility; and the Committee on the Judiciary. He also served on various City Bar court committees.
About City Bar Justice Center
The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) increases access to justice by leveraging the resources of the New York City legal community. The CBJC provides legal assistance to those in need; mobilizes lawyers, law firms, corporate legal departments, and other legal institutions to provide pro bono legal services; educates the public on legal issues; fosters strategic relationships; and impacts public policy. Our supporters turn our mission into reality: a dozen core projects led by experts in the field, over 1,000 pro bono attorneys trained and mentored by staff, and the largest free civil legal hotline in New York State all add up to our ability to level the playing field for those without the means to navigate our justice system. Visit www.citybarjusticecenter.org.
About Smith Gambrell Russell
SGR is a full service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The firm’s 250 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 45 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, construction, employment law, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, SGR has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Jacksonville, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Munich, New York, Southampton, and Washington, D.C.