Counsel to Counsel - November 2008 - (Page 20) partnership at a glance ©Habitat for Humanity/Kim MacDonald Habitat for Humanity International Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all walks of life to work together in partnership to help build houses with families in need. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built nearly 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. Through Habitat’s Global Village program, volunteers can travel with a purpose, building homes side by side with Habitat partner families in communities across the country and around the world. Meulaboh, Aceh Barat, Indonesia employment policies, drafting manuals and conducting training. With 18 Ford & Harrison offices in 14 states, the partnership covers a large portion of Habitat and its affiliates’ domestic operations. “This is critical work from the Habitat perspective,” Blake says. “The client relationship for the young lawyers is absolutely real and has been very effective as a training tool. It’s an incredible win-win.” Make that a win-win-win. Habitat receives valuable legal service, the firm seasons its associates without passing training cost on to clients, and the associates get an exceptional opportunity to develop client management skills. great lessons already in client development, client contact that I wouldn’t have ordinarily.” Fuson recently took over the Habitat account in the firm’s Atlanta office. She’s already reaching out to other attorneys and resources within the firm and delegating projects, responsibilities fifth- and sixthyear associates covet at some firms. And her hands-on experience with the client’s inner workings has already transformed her understanding of corporate structure and the relationship between outside lawyers and the legal department. “When you’re dealing with an in-house attorney, they ultimately have to deal with their boss. It goes up the chain of command,” she says. “That’s something you don’t really think about in law school. You just think you do the work and give it to them. You don’t think of the implications that your analysis and recommendations are going to have. It’s given me a look into the real-world impact of the work that we do.” Elizabeth K. “Liz” Blake began her practice at Davis Polk & Wardwell. Blake was a partner at Frost & Jacobs (now Frost Brown Todd) in Cincinnati before becoming vice president and chief of staff at Cinergy Corp., followed by her roles as vice president and general counsel of GE Power Systems and executive vice president for Corporate Affairs and general counsel of US Airways Group, Inc. Blake joined Habitat for Humanity International in 2006 as senior vice president, Advocacy, Government Affairs and general counsel. Contact Liz at eblake@habitat.org. Real-World Impact “It’s considered an honor to get slated to be in charge of this. It means the partners think you’re responsible enough to be able to handle a very large client,” says Sarah Fuson, a Ford & Harrison associate who just entered her third year. “It’s certainly given me a lot of Cross, Starbucks and Nissan, and must be managed accordingly. Many complex, crossborder corporate partnerships, as well as relationships with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other government organizations, require constant legal attention. And, of course, there is a full spectrum of employment issues. “Lash’s concept was to combine the decentralized Habitat affiliate structure with the numerous offices that Ford & Harrison has to match legal needs with opportunities to train emerging lawyers,” Blake explains. One or more associates in each office are tasked with servicing Habitat’s employment law needs in that state, including developing 20 LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®
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