Cristin Zeisler Named National Director Of Public Interest Activities
LOS ANGELES, March 9, 2005 – Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, the nationally prominent law and consulting firm, announced today the launch of its new Public Interest Initiative, including the creation of a full-time management position for the organization and expansion of the firm’s involvement in pro bono, charitable, and community outreach activities on a national basis. Former Manatt corporate lawyer Cristin Zeisler has returned to the firm to manage the Public Interest Initiative as the first National Director of Public Interest Activities.
In her new role Ms. Zeisler will develop and implement a plan that defines strategies and tactics to advance the Public Interest Initiative. A major focus of Ms. Zeisler’s role will be to connect Manatt attorneys and staff to pro bono and civic service opportunities, and to open doors to involvement. Ms. Zeisler will also develop procedures to coordinate and track public interest projects and to monitor and measure effectiveness.
“Many of us were influenced in our decision to join Manatt by its extraordinary involvement in pro bono, civic, community and charitable service – involvement which dates to Manatt’s founding in 1965. The launch of our Public Interest Initiative, and our hiring of Cristin to manage it, marks a new chapter and level of commitment to an even higher standard of excellence in this area,” said Paul H. Irving, Manatt’s Chief Executive and Managing Partner.
Ms. Zeisler practiced general corporate, nonprofit, finance, securities, and mergers and acquisitions law in Manatt’s Los Angeles office until 2002, when she left to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine. While in Ukraine Ms. Zeisler taught business at the university level, pioneered a community-based mentoring program to benefit orphaned children, mentored women-owned small business enterprises, and led HIV/AIDS education and prevention efforts.
Ms. Zeisler earlier practiced law in Washington, D.C., and served as an Executive Director of Public Service Fund, Inc. Her volunteer activities have included work for Stand Up for Kids, Volunteers in Parole, L.A. Works, BizWorld.Org, and Kids Enjoy Exercise Now. Ms. Zeisler received her J.D. in 1997 from William & Mary Law School, where she served as Managing Editor of the William & Mary Law Review. She received her B.A. in 1994, with honors, from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Recent Manatt public service engagements include:
- Operation HOPE: Manatt attorneys are working with Operation HOPE Inc. to establish HOPE Centers in America’s inner-city communities. HOPE Centers are “one-stop” facilities providing financial services, Internet access and educational services to under served communities. Most recently Manatt connected Operation HOPE to capital sources and corporate sponsors to support a new HOPE Center in the Anacostia section of Washington, D.C.
- Human Rights First: Manatt attorneys helped secure political asylum for Dechen Dolma, a Tibetan refugee who sought refuge in the United States after escaping her homeland under threat of imprisonment and death. Manatt attorneys have served as outside counsel to Human Rights First for more than a decade and provide legal advice in asylum cases.
- International Freedom Center: Manatt attorneys are providing a range of legal services to the International Freedom Center, a major institution in the planning and development stage to be located at the Ground Zero site in lower Manhatten.
- New York University Torch Prize Fellowship: Manatt and one of its partners established and helped fund Torch Prize Fellowships. The Torch Prize is awarded to international graduate students at NYU to support one year of field research for their doctoral dissertations.
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation: Manatt partner Sandi King was named Volunteer of the Year for her service to the Foundation. The Foundation serves children and families worldwide by working to eradicate pediatric HIV/AIDS, to provide care and treatment, and to accelerate the discovery of new treatments for other life-threatening pediatric illnesses.
About Manatt
Currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP provides legal and consulting services to domestic and international clients from offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto and Sacramento, Calif.; New York and Albany, N.Y, and Washington D.C.. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Manatt Jones Global Strategies, LLC, develops and implements strategies to expand clients’ businesses and facilitate their effective competition in global markets. For more information, visit www.manatt.com and www.manattjones.com.