(March 20, 2009, Weil Gotshal News)
New York, March 20, 2009 – The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) will honor law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, the firm’s senior partners Michael Epstein, Lori Fife and Stephen Jacobs, and Lori and John Reinsberg, for their outstanding contribution to the agency and commitment to provide the highest quality social services to New Yorkers in need. They will be recognized at the organization’s gala on Thursday, April 2, at Cipriani 42nd Street.
Michael Epstein, a Trustee of JBFCS since 2001, is an internationally recognized expert in intellectual property who has authored several treatises on IP and trademark law issues and has served on advisory panels to Congress and the National Academy of Science regarding IP matters. As a Trustee of JBFCS, he serves as Secretary of the Board and Chair of its Quality Management Committee. In addition to his work at JBFCS, Epstein is an active participant in additional community and philanthropic causes as a Trustee of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.
Lori Fife, a highly recognized bankruptcy expert who has played a key role in a number of major bankruptcy and debt restructuring matters, has been a Trustee of JBFCS since 2000. In that role, she has served as a member of the Strategic Ventures Advisory Group and Vice Chair of the Nominating and Board Governance Committee. Fife’s community service contributions include serving as an Overseer of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Board of Manhattan Theatre Club and a Trustee of New York Board of Facing History and Ourselves. She is a founding member of the Center for Child Development and Learning Divisional Board.
Stephen Jacobs, Weil Gotshal’s veteran mergers and acquisitions attorney and now retired from the firm, serves as chief counsel to Leucadia National Corporation. He has been a Trustee of JBFC since 2003, and has served on numerous key agency committees, including Business & Finance, Audit, Strategic Planning, Nominating & Board Governance and the Volunteer Services Division.
“The ongoing contributions that Michael, Lori and Stephen make to improve the lives of others reflects Weil Gotshal’s firm-wide commitment to community service,” said Stephen Dannhauser, Chairman of Weil Gotshal, and a dinner co-chair. “They are shining examples of how ‘doing well by doing good’ has directly impacted the firm's overall success.”
Lori Reinsberg is a private art consultant, specializing in modern and contemporary art. John Reinsberg is a Deputy Chairman of Lazard Asset Management, a global money management firm. Together, Lori and John have been actively involved in numerous philanthropic causes. As a Trustee of JBFCS since 2001, Lori has played a critical role as Chair of the Ittleson Divisional Board. In that capacity, she successfully led a capital project to transform classrooms and gymnasium of the Henry Ittleson Center in Riverdale. Lori also serves as a member of the Board of Overseers of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, a Board Member of the City of Hope and is active in UJA-Federation. John serves as a Board Member of the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy; is an Overseer of the School of Arts & Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania; and is an Advisory Board Member of the Huntsman Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
"All four honorees for this year's gala and their families have made a great contribution to the fabric of what makes New York City the most fascinating experiment in community on earth. Everyone in this city, regardless of their resources, race, religion or wellbeing has a right to belong. These honorees help ensure that this is the case...that all New Yorkers belong to a community. If not their own, then ours," said Paul Levine, CEO of JBFCS. "We are extremely grateful for their service and generosity---especially during these trying economic times."
Weil, Gotshal & Manges (
www.weil.com), an international law firm of over 1,300 lawyers, including approximately 300 partners, is headquartered in New York, with offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Budapest, Dallas, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Miami, Munich, Paris, Prague, Providence, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Warsaw, Washington, D.C. and Wilmington.
The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (
www.jbfcs.org), a beneficiary of UJA Federation of New York, has been a pioneer in addressing the needs of New York's most vulnerable citizens for over 110 years. Recognized as one of the nation’s largest and most respected nonprofit mental health and social services agencies, JBFCS annually serves over 65,000 New Yorkers from varying ethnicities and backgrounds and is comprised of a network of 2,200 employees and 2,000 dedicated volunteers.
To purchase tickets for the event, please contact Jenny Magdol at 212-632-4712/. For press attendance, please contact Rhonda Walker at 212-843-8338/.