Manatt Receives Western Center’s First-Ever Legal Services Pro Bono Award September 29, 2016 Manatt has been honored by the Western Center on Law & Poverty with its inaugural Max Gillam Award, a new recognition that will be presented each year to one law firm that has made an extraordinary contribution as co-counsel with the Western Center. The award has been initiated to memorialize preeminent litigator Max Gillam, who led a team that saved the Western Center in the face of a partisan attack specifically aimed at shutting the Western Center’s doors and ending federal support for legal services providers. Established in 1967, the Western Center on Law & Poverty is California’s leading statewide legal services organization, with offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento and the Bay Area, that advocates for a stronger safety net for low-income communities throughout California. Particularly, the Western Center focuses on affordable housing, healthcare, public benefits and access to justice. “It is a great honor to accept this award from an organization that is doing such critical work in the state, not only opening the gates to legal services to the underserved in California, but widening them as well,” said William T. Quicksilver, Manatt's chief executive officer and managing partner. “We’re grateful to the Western Center for allowing us to play a role in bringing justice to members of our community who are often overlooked.” Manatt has been a close ally of Western Center for many years, working on a variety of projects along the way. In 2010, Manatt received the prestigious Brinsley Award from the Center for the firm’s “extraordinary commitment to Western Center’s mission and the community through pro bono work, leadership and philanthropy.” Most recently, Manatt has worked with the Western Center preparing a healthcare eligibility guide and an affordable housing advocacy manual, which will be vital resources for hundreds of legal services attorneys and community advocates. The materials will provide strategic and tactical guidance needed to help clients access and retain healthcare coverage as well as maintain and expand California’s desperately needed supply of affordable housing. “We are honored to have been chosen as the inaugural recipient of an award from such a distinguished organization,” said Scot Fishman, partner and director of pro bono. “At Manatt, we strongly believe that everyone should have equal access to the justice system, and we have made pro bono work a part of our culture. We are grateful to organizations like the Western Center for providing us with these opportunities to make a difference.”
